Videos about restaurant, China

A taste of times past.

In bad taste perhaps for those who suffered the later excesses of this period, that all began with good intentions. For most visitors, however, it can give something of the cultural flavor for this bygone era.

"Waitresses in green army uniforms and red "Serve the People" armbands salute customers and greet them with "I swear to Chairman Mao that I will serve you with all my heart."

The young women, mostly about 20 years old, then usher the customers through the main entrance of the Mao-era restaurant, whose facade resembles a bunch of books, the "Collected Works of Mao Zedong", set in the middle of a red flag.

But the "Red Flag Fluttering" eatery, which opened in south Beijing's Daxing District last year, could be starting a revolution among locals, who are questioning the taste of its theme more than its food.

The interior is a throwback to the days of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), with huge portraits of Mao, posters lauding the late Chinese leader, statues of workers, peasants and soldiers -- the three groups Mao said were pillars of Chinese society."

http://english.sina.com/china/1/2008/0406/153337.html