Qing Yuan Heng Restaurant (庆元亨大酒楼)

Qing Yuan Heng Restaurant (庆元亨大酒楼) is a formal banquet restaurant in Shuangqiao District, Chengde, in Hebei province. Chengde was the Qing emperors' summer capital, and its restaurants often trade on that court heritage. This one belongs to a restaurant lineage described as several hundred years old and specialises in elaborate Manchu-Han imperial banquet cuisine (满汉全席), the most formal expression of the city's Qing-dynasty court-cooking tradition. The Manchu-Han feast is a multi-course banquet combining Manchu and Han Chinese dishes, historically served over many courses, and this restaurant offers it as a set priced at roughly 688 to 1,288 yuan per table, depending on the scale of the menu. A second signature is imperial roast venison, at about 98 to 158 yuan, which reflects the game traditions of the imperial hunting grounds near Chengde. The pricing is notably higher than at casual Chengde restaurants, placing the venue in the upper tier of the local dining scene. The dining room is ceremonial in style, with large round tables, private rooms and an unhurried service rhythm suited to celebrations, business entertaining and group tours; dress is smart casual and the noise level is moderate. Beverages follow the banquet pattern, with baijiu, beer, tea and soft drinks, and no distinctive wine programme is documented. The restaurant is open from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM to 9:30 PM daily. Reservations are recommended, especially for the full Manchu-Han banquet set, which requires advance preparation, so booking at least a day or two ahead by phone is sensible. Visitors on a budget can order individual dishes such as the venison instead of the full feast.