In traditional humanistic societies, an individual's geographical background, family heritage, temperament, education, experiences, culture, aesthetics, social class, reputation, and financial status determine the circle of people they frequently interact with. The upper echelons of society are filled with numerous relationships such as fellow-townsmen (same hometown), fellow-examinees (same year of the imperial examination), marital ties (intermarriage), teacher-student relationships, schoolmates, long-standing friendships, sworn brotherhoods (non-blood related), and former colleagues and subordinates. Each relationship serves as a reason for gatherings and also intertwines with other relationships, presenting a complex web at these gatherings.

Gatherings of the upper class in the Ming and Qing dynasties mostly took the form of banquets combined with performances. In old Beijing, the restaurants known as "tang" establishments, which specialized in hosting large banquets, were the most prominent. Examples include Yanqing Tang and Donglin Tang in Dashilan, Huixian Tang in Shichahai, Fushou Tang in Jinyu Hutong, and Jushou Tang and Juxian Tang in Qianyang Hutong. These establishments featured multiple courtyards, spacious spaces, and most importantly, they had built-in stages for theatrical performances, known as "tang hui." A "tang hui" refers to the invitation of theatrical troupes (primarily Peking opera troupes) to perform at private homes or designated venues. When individuals gathered friends and family at home and invited artists to perform for entertainment, it was considered a grand event; if held outside the home, "tang" establishments were the preferred public spaces for such large gatherings. Hosting "tang hui" at these "tang" establishments perfectly encapsulated the essence of both the event and the venue, seamlessly blending the two.

Summoning a theatrical performance, there are full-scale and half-scale performances. A full-scale performance starts around 1 PM and lasts until midnight. A half-scale performance starts around 6 PM and also lasts until midnight. In terms of gourmet dining, grand banquets under the name of "Tang" can achieve high-end standards but struggle with refinement. In any case, a large number of guests attend such events, for example, during a birthday celebration, which usually lasts three days. The first day is called the pre-celebration, the second day is the main event, and the third day is the thank-you gathering. During these three days, there is a constant flow of guests, with meals served as they arrive. Due to the large number of people, the kitchen generally adopts a pre-preparation method to compensate for insufficient centralized supply capabilities. Pre-prepared dishes, except for the cold dishes served at the beginning, are mostly steamed and kept warm in multi-tiered large steamers. When needed, they are quickly served onto the table. There are relatively fewer dishes cooked to order. Although the ingredients are good and the cooking skills are not bad, the rush often leads to perfunctory work. Fortunately, theatrical performances at such events are highly anticipated due to the gathering of famous actors and the frequent performances of rare and cross-gender roles.

The late Qing Dynasty to the early Republican period was the golden age for businesses with the word "tang" in Beijing. Tang gatherings were the most commonly used social gatherings for the upper class to maintain their status, connect emotions, showcase grandeur, and save face, which high-ranking officials and wealthy individuals were enthusiastic about. After the National Government established its capital in Nanjing, businesses with the word "tang" began to decline and soon closed down one after another.

There is another type of social establishment known as "Cold Zhuangzi," which refers to certain types of dining and catering businesses, roughly divided into three categories. The first category includes those with spacious halls capable of accommodating large gatherings, but they do not engage in individual orders; apart from pre-booked banquets, they do not operate on a daily basis, always appearing cold and deserted, hence the name "Cold Zhuangzi." They sell the venue and organizational capabilities. As long as someone makes a reservation, they can prepare the banquet according to the employer's investment and the scale of the event; they also handle external events, meaning they can organize banquets at the client's location. Some well-known examples include Qi Hua Tang near Houmen Bridge, Tian Shou Tang outside the West Zhushikou Gate, Zeng Shou Tang and Tian Feng Tang in Shique Hutong, Beixinqiao. The second category, although they hang a signboard with "某某堂" (a name followed by "Tang"), do not have spacious halls, only having two or three rooms for receiving external catering services. The third category simply hangs a sign on their residence door that says "某堂" or "厨行某寓" (a name followed by "Tang" or "Cooking Industry Residence") as a form of advertisement. In comparison, the second and third types of "Cold Zhuangzi" are much more numerous than the first type, scattered throughout the city. This also reflects the strong consumer demand for holding joyous gatherings at home among the common people at that time. This type of catering business that does not have banquet halls but only provides external catering services was known as "口子攒冷庄子" (Kou Zi Zan Cold Zhuangzi).

No matter which type of cold zhuangzi receives a large order, the temporary invitation and hiring of chefs usually occurs within the familiar pengkou of the local area. Pengkou refers to the "kouzi cuanr" kitchen guilds within the culinary industry, which are spontaneous industry organizations formed by chefs without fixed service units, divided into Muslim and Han Chinese categories. These chefs are commonly known as "pao da peng de," affiliated with different pengkou based on their territory. The industry rules prohibit crossing territories to solicit work or take orders, otherwise, they will surely be ostracized and cursed by their peers. Nowadays, the phenomenon of hiring external chefs for large-scale home banquets has mostly disappeared in big cities, but it remains popular in rural areas.