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Did someone order a side of kung fu with their noodles? In central China, a restaurant is turning dinner time into a live martial arts show as the staff not only serves food but turn up warriors from a legendary novel. The restaurant is called Xiangyang Courtyard which is located in Hubei province. According to a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the restaurant draws its inspiration from the classic martial arts novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes. Opened in September, it has now become a social media favourite for its unique concept. Videos from the venue show waiters serving dishes and performing martial arts moves inspired by the iconic characters of Jin Yong’s beloved wuxia tale. A Martial Twist With Every Dish Xiangyang Courtyard is designed to resemble a traditional Chinese garden that features wooden interiors and stone pathways just like in old martial arts dramas. But what really sets it apart is the staff where each employee takes on a role from the novel. One worker channels Huang Rong, the novel’s quick-witted heroine, who is seen greeting customers while serving plates in one of the viral videos on Chinese social media. Another becomes Mei Chaofeng, a fearsome villain known for her deadly “nine yin skeleton claw,” who is seen kneading dough. Then there’s Ke Zhene, the blind character from the story who amusingly cooks with his eyes closed. “Come to have a look. Guess who that person is. Quick, take a picture,” a thrilled customer can be heard shouting in one of the viral clips as quoted by SCMP. Fight Scenes At 7 PM Sharp Every evening at 7 PM, the restaurant turns into a small theatre. Staff members perform short martial arts acts on stage while diners enjoy their meals. The restaurant’s general manager, Zhu Xiujun, told Jimu News that they even brought in a professional performing troupe to train the employees. “We have invited a professional performing troupe to teach our staffers to play wuxia characters. We would like to strengthen our restaurant’s wuxia culture feature and improve the customer experience,” Zhu said. The restaurant’s theme fits perfectly with its location as Xiangyang holds an important place in Jin Yong’s novel as the site of a major battle. Diners Are Divided As videos of the restaurant continue to circulate on Chinese social media, reactions have been divided. Many people seem enchanted by the creativity behind it. One user commented, “It is a creative idea. I also want to experience the wuxia atmosphere there.” But not everyone is convinced that kung fu and cooking make a perfect combo. A person raised concerns about hygiene, saying, “Why not spend more effort improving the quality of the food? The dishes cooked by those characters do not look hygienic. I dare not eat it.” Still, the restaurant has been drawing steady crowds ever since it opened. “I saw some recommendations about this restaurant on social media. Many people said they had a wonderful experience. So I took my family to try it,” one customer said. Not The First To Make Headlines This isn’t the first restaurant in China to capture public attention with an unusual idea. Last year, a restaurant owner in Chongqing, southwestern China, drew widespread notice when she pretended to be a robot waitress.
