A Contemporary Song Banquet
The Lunar New Year, at its heart, is not about pressure-filled banquets or elaborate social obligations. Nor must it revolve around the stress of travel, festive chores, or tradition-bound routines. What remains essential is a sense of reunion—a space to reflect, to share, to quietly usher in the new cycle of time.
At AMBELIE, this year’s New Year’s Eve dinner takes inspiration from the elegance of Song dynasty gatherings. In a setting shaped by century-old objects, seasonal food, and poetic rituals, the celebration weaves together Chinese and French sensibilities—a subtle reinterpretation of the Chinoiserie spirit once born from mutual admiration across continents.
The Theatre of Screens
The entire room is drawn together by screens. Not only for dividing space, these folding panels create layers of visibility and mystery, becoming both backdrop and participant. Each one is a storyteller. From depictions of immortals crossing celestial bridges to spring feasts in noble gardens and opera scenes rendered in mother-of-pearl, the folding screens unfold like a theatre of memory. Most date from the 1920s to 1960s, when China’s finest craftsmen were producing for export to Europe. Now, decades later, they return as witnesses to a new, quieter kind of celebration.
At the center is a six-panel screen made in the Tongzhi reign, gifted originally as a birthday offering. Its imagery draws from the Song-era poem Moon Over the West River, where clouds and immortals swirl in auspicious harmony. In front stands a richly painted double-sided screen—peonies and golden pheasants on one side, muted roses and orchids on the other. Each embodies a different mood: exuberance and restraint, richness and silence.
Living with Art
Surrounding them, jade carvings, lacquerware, imperial embroidery, and pietra dura stonework trace the legacy of China’s artisanal past. But these are not relics on display. They are companions to the present. In AMBELIE’s lived-in environment, such pieces offer energy and balance. One does not look at them so much as live alongside them, letting their presence anchor the senses.
Creative Direction & Spatial Styling｜Qin Zhen
Writing & Editing｜Minwen
Visual Design｜Daxian
Photography｜Guo Yi
Selected images courtesy of AMBELIE