The people of Shanghai will get the opportunity to indulge in the Full Mancu-Han Banquet,as a top chef of the banquet arrives in the city to show his skills,today's Shanghai Morning Post said.

Developed from the Qing Dynasty,the banquet,dubbed China's most luxurious and expensive,combines characteristic foods from five Chinese ethnic races including Han,Manchu,Mongolian,Hui and Tibetan.

Without revealing which restaurant the chef will offer the dinner,the report said prices for the set banquets offered here will be cheaper than 10,000 yuan (US$ 1,208),while those provided in Beijing usually cost more than 100,000 yuan.

More commonly used and readily available ingredients will be used in the banquets here and this has been given as possible reason for lower prices.Bear palms and deer tips--originally required for the banquet--are not used.Under close protection,these rare animals are banned from consumption in China.

Despite lower prices,insiders in the restaurant industry believe cost will still threaten the success of the banquets here.For example,a single course of the banquet is priced at around 800 yuan,this is 8times the average charged for main courses served in restaurants throughout the city.Data from the Shanghai Dining Association indicated the average dining consumption in Shanghai is lower than 100 yuan per capita.

The Full Mancu-Han Banquet was introduced in a restaurant in Hangzhou last year,but has not been very successful.Prices there for set courses are over 100,000 yuan.

(eastday.com March 20, 2002)