This Day, That Year

Item from Feb 5, 1983, in China Daily: Enjoying "rinsed mutton" in Beijing's Donglaishun Restaurant. The hotpot delivers one of China's traditional winter treats. It is a potlike vessel made usually of brass or aluminum with a center chimney that burns charcoal. There are versions that use kerosene or electricity but the old style is still popular.

Hotpots continue to be extremely popular among Beijingers, especially during the cold winter months. Diners can choose from an increasingly wide array of hotpot styles from across the country, with the spicy versions from Sichuan province attracting long lines outside restaurants.

Hai Di Lao Hot Pot, a restaurant chain famous for its spiced up menu, has opened more than 100 outlets nationwide since its establishment in 1994.