Beijing Exhibition Center

[2][3] The idea was first proposed by Chinese politician Li Fuchun as part of an effort to showcase the modernity of the USSR.

Chinese politicians such as Mao Zedong and Liu Shaoqi were delighted at the exhibition, seeing it as a promise that the still rural China would be industrialized to the same extent as the USSR.

At a time when many students wished to pursue an education in the Soviet Union, those selected to study abroad would make a pilgrimage to the exhibition center to commemorate the beginning of their journey.

As part of its mission to introduce Chinese people to Soviet culture, the center's Moscow Restaurant served common Russian fare such as borscht and solyanka.

With its high prices and exotic cuisine, dining at the restaurant became a status symbol for many young people, who would save up for months to take their partners on dates there.