A Fat Purple Fig

Cíxǐ Tàihòu (Empress Dowager Cixi), of the Qing dynasty, is said to have served 100 dishes at every major meal, from which she rarely ate more than a single bite.

It is our first day at uni. China University of Mining and Technology (CUMT) is one of China’s national key universities, which means it receives special government support for its research and teaching excellence. It is the country’s leading institution for mining, energy, and earth sciences, though its programs also span engineering, management, and the humanities. Of its 40,000 students, almost all live on campus.