Shortly after the conclusion of the 4th Annual International Chinese Culinary Competition, hundreds of Chinese cuisine enthusiasts gathered at The Emperor’s Banquet at Pier 60 to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of New Tang Dynasty(NTD) Television Sunday night.
A number of noted guests attended The Emperor’s Banquet and 10th Anniversary Benefit Gala, including Kerry Kennedy, President of the RFK Center for Justice & Human Rights, and Benjamin Ismail, head of the Asia-Pacific region for Reporters Without Borders.
Seated at the edge of the harbor, attendees were able to enjoy a grand feast prepared by the culinary competition’s winning chefs and celebrity chefs. Ten dishes were available at each table to commemorate the 10 years of NTD’s broadcasting insightful news coverage globally.
The feast started with the Emperor’s Sampling, which is comprised of smaller cold dishes that are equivalent to appetizers. Dishes included Salt Cured Duck, Spicy Szechuan Tofu, and Shanghai Smoked Fish.
No less extravagant than a Tang Dynasty Emperor’s meal, a variety of meat and seafood entrees were served. Good Fortune Crispy Chicken, Sautéed Beef Filet, Emperor’s Baked Lobster in Golden Imperial Broth, and Jade Melon Tiger Prawns, among other dishes, were prepared for guests.
While the waiters and waitresses brought rounds of delectable dishes to the tables, a traditional Han Couture fashion show was held for guests. Models donning intricate headpieces and exquisite winning selections from the Global Han Couture Design Competition promenaded gracefully across the stage.
The winners of NTD’s Chinese International Violin Competition and Martial Arts Competition also performed during the banquet; they competitions that are all a part of the Nine Competitions hosted by NTD aimed to revive traditional culture.
“NTD gave us an opportunity to showcase our culinary skills, and motivated me to become a better chef,” said Yichun Chen, the silver award winner of the culinary competition. He had participated in last year’s culinary competition as well and received an honorable mention.
Mission of NTD and the Competitions
The Emperor’s Banquet was held in Celebration of the revival of traditional Chinese culture and freedom of the press.
Kerry Kennedy, who had worked in human rights since a sophomore in college, spoke at the benefit about how individuals with determination had succeeded in fighting for democracy and freedom.
“Tonight, we celebrate the journalists who expose injustice, probe our conscious, comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable,” she said in her speech. “We are here tonight because we believe that every human being has the right to free expression and tonight we gather to support the ground breaking New Tang Dynasty Television Network, the channel which courageously exercises universal rights, free expression, and the universal free flow of information.”
NTD was established in 2001 by a group of Chinese citizens living overseas that wanted to promote Western democratic values and standards of journalism in a Chinese language broadcast. Their goal was to transmit news to the Chinese community that was not distorted or censored by any state actors.
After the tragic events of 9/11, there was anti-American reporting in Mainland China and those reports spread overseas. That served as a source of motivation for the founders of NTD Television, as they were particularly disappointed by the state propaganda in China.
In 2003, NTD Television broke the news about the SARS virus in China three weeks before Beijing admitted it to the public. More recently, the station broke news of direct evidence about the Chinese military launching attacks on U.S.-based websites.
Over the years, NTD Television added to its mission the promotion of traditional Chinese culture.
“We firmly believe that for China to fully integrate itself into the global community and become a positive actor in the 21st century, it needs to embrace its history, its cultural heritage, as well as the West’s democratic values and respect for human rights,” wrote Zhong Lee, NTD Chairman and President, in an opening statement.
NTD hosts an annual competition series aimed at promoting traditional Chinese and classical arts and aims to promote and revive traditional Chinese culture.
NTD Television is a media partner of The Epoch Times.
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