🍽️ Luoyang Water Banquet

A banquet of soup dishes, sour and spicy, a Luoyang tradition.

The Luoyang Water Banquet is a historic feast of Luoyang, Henan, ranked with Longmen Grottoes and peonies among the city's three treasures. Its twenty-four dishes all carry broth, served in flowing succession like water, hence the name. Flavors lean sour and spicy with pepper and vinegar; signature dishes include radish shreds mimicking bird's nest and meat slices in broth. Luoyang families stage the banquet for weddings and birthdays with elaborate ritual. Old-town restaurants specialize in it, and visitors often try it after grottoes and peonies. A living fossil of Central Plains banquet culture, it reflects the culinary grandeur of this ancient capital.