Many of the meals we had on this trip were staples of the cities they were in. From Peking duck to local fish dishes and even an entire meal organized in the style of an emperor's dinner party, these meals were staples of local culture.
Peking duck is an example of local culture influencing one's cuisine. The dish was originally a status symbol for the people of ancient China. As it used to be such a luxury item, the people of China now having access to it enjoy it quite a lot, and it has become a staple of their culture. Cultural foods are another form of preserving a legacy. The legacy here is the larger legacy of the people and common practice of the time moreso than that of an individual.
A dinner we had in Xi'an showed this even more. The dinner was meant to show what a dinner party with the emperor looked like. The presentation, as well as the food itself, was part of a larger legacy for the old emperors. They found a way to preserve themselves by having even their meals ingrained in the culture as a relevant event. Although these emperors are gone, they have preserved themselves and their way of doing things, down to the food they ate and the way their meals were presented, for generations later.