When thinking of China, foreign tourists might imagine the magnificent Forbidden City or the winding Great Wall, women sashaying in embroidered cheongsams, and young men studying calligraphy. But for many Westerners, China is primarily experienced through the delights of Chinese food.

The Biggest Chinese Restaurant in the World, a four-part documentary series based on the West Lake Restaurant in Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province, reveals modern China through a restaurant's daily events. 

In 2008, a BBC manager visited Guangdong Province for a meeting and ate supper at a local seafood restaurant. It was there the manager thought of producing a documentary about Chinese food, sending a British director to film at local restaurants.

Although a great deal of time was spent filming, the desired product failed to materialize. BBC then found Chinese director Chen Weijun, whose documentary Please Vote for Me was nominated for an Oscar in 2007.

"I happened to see a report about the West Lake Restaurant, awarded the largest Chinese restaurant in the world by the China Records, the Chinese Guinness World of Records. So I told them we should film at a restaurant like this," said Chen.

West Lake Restaurant 

Opening its doors in 2004, the West Lake Restaurant occupies 58,000 square meters. Its grandiose architecture imitates ancient Chinese imperial buildings, from the lakes to the walls. The restaurant has a capacity for 5,000 customers and has 1,000 employees, including 300 chefs distributed in five kitchens. The staff is managed as a mini troop, lining up every morning to sing songs and recite synchronized mottos together. Chen said this gigantic restaurant epitomizes modern Chinese society. 

"There's a saying that 'people regard eating as the most important thing, close to heaven.' At a restaurant, we deal not only with dining, but with important matters like contract signing. What happens at a restaurant reflects society. Ideas about business, marriage, morality, education, and other important matters are all talked about here. By examining this restaurant and its patrons, you can even see the huge change in people's material wealth from the past to the present."

"The BBC thought [the concept of filming at the restaurant] was a good idea, so we worked on it," said Chen, who spent over 100 hours at the West Lake to film the documentary.

The raw deal 

The documentary presents three banquets at the West Lake Restaurant, a marriage banquet, a birthday for a senior, and a birthday for a month-old baby. These scenes depict Chinese eating traditions and a varied class structure, with a range of people from all economical backgrounds, from the staff to the customers.

Throughout the documentary, the camera functions as an objective observer. The director never comments, letting the footage speak for itself.

There are a few shocking shots in the bloody food preparation scenes. A live chicken is held up by the neck and put straight into boiling water to be de-feathered. A living snake wriggling on a dish is beheaded and cut into several parts. A fish is so fresh, it still breathes throughout the stages of preparation. A man directly pierces through the breast of a living duck with his fingers to pick out the brain. These scenes, not for the faint-hearted, horrified Western audiences and attributed to criticism received by animal rights activists and vegetarians.

Chen never contemplated deleting these scenes. "I predicted the backlash, but these scenes are inevitable when talking about Chinese dining culture. I couldn't deliberately edit this part, just because it's [gory]; it's an important part in the culture."

Auspicious dining

Superstitious and auspicious traditions are highlighted in the documentary. In Chinese society, the family is a strong unit, and the senior member in the family is highly respected. Filial piety is regarded as the most important of all good morals. A banquet celebrating a senior family member's birthday is a huge deal. The banquet must have long birthday noodles, a stand-in for longevity.

In China, after a baby is a month old, it is a customary to hold a baby banquet.

"For baby banquets, there are a dozen courses, plus red boiled eggs. People dye boiled eggs red, an auspicious color in Chinese culture, to represent prosperity. Another important dish is goat with rice pasta. It signifies abundant blessings," said Xiao Yezi, the general manager of the restaurant.

Chinese people often fight for the bill. "Chinese people care about displaying wealth and generosity. When you treat others for a meal, the host orders expensive dishes to show his hospitality. The more sumptuous the meal, the deeper the friendship seems," said Fan Yao, a manager of the restaurant.          

The documentary profiles a costly wedding banquet held at West Lake Restaurant. A former waitress at the restaurant returns with her successful fiancé to hold a wedding banquet, costing an estimated one million yuan ($158,519).

"The wedding banquet is an important life event, so people spend a lot of money," said Qin Lingzhi, founder and president of the restaurant. "If the husband spends a fortune on a luxurious wedding banquet, his wife and family invites as many people as possible to show off. Other girls might envy her for marrying well," said Qin.

"None of these elaborate festivities existed when I got married. I went by foot to my husband's home," said a middle-aged employee, witnessing the festivities.