钓鱼台国宾馆 Beijing

There was absolutely no way I’d refuse an invitation to the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse (釣魚台國賓館)—no matter my schedule.

With a history of more than 800 years, Diaoyutai is today a sprawling modern cluster of halls and villas, containing a lake, on the eastern side of Yuyuantan Park in Beijing.

It got its name ‘Diaoyutai’ from the fishing platform built by the Jin Emperor Zhangzong in the 12th century. Upon the emperor’s orders during the Qing Dynasty, a palace was built on nearby Yuyuantan lake, later becoming a royal garden.

This area was then expanded and the guesthouse complex built by the government of the People‘s Republic of China in 1959. During the Cultural Revolution, it was the site of the Central Cultural Revolution Group and the core location of political power in China.

Today Diaoyutai hosts and houses visiting royals, heads of states, and various dignitaries, and is a venue for diplomatic summits and meetings—similar to the Great Hall of the People at Tiananmen Square.

For the past couple of days, 10 Michelin-starred chefs from Hong Kong and me were hosted in a cross-culinary exchange with the Guesthouse’s chefs-in-residence. The chefs cooked together in the kitchen; culminating in a formal lunch served on exquisite tableware specially selected for the occasion.

I had a great time walking the Diaoyutai premises, visiting off-limits function halls glimpsed only on TV news, as well as the manicured gardens and ponds.

Such a treat!
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