A moment in time: Eating out in style

Just like children love theme parks, adults love theme restaurants. In the 1980s, the themes were much simpler. You can see customers at a bicycle-themed diner (above) in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, in a 1987 photograph. The themes are now often high-tech, with robot waiters (below) serving customers in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, in 2013. The outlet has 20 robots cooking food and serving customers.

Chinese are increasingly frequenting restaurants with such themes as movies, martial arts and pets as disposable incomes grow.