清末民初是中国历史上的一个重大转捩点，经济制度和社会性质都发生了剧烈的变化，民族国家的概念正是在这一时期发展起来的。由于面临着内外多重矛盾，民族国家的建构历程呈现出错综复杂的变化，“排满”和“容满”的思想理念不断碰撞交锋，满汉民族关系被强调复述。作为一种饮食文化现象的满汉全席，本身便是满汉交往的产物，在清末民初这一特定时空中，其承办方饭庄以及本身名称、席品结构的演变更是深切地反映了满汉关系的想象过程。清末，饭庄的地理格局与出资者、经营者的身份差异体现满汉之间的“和而不同”。民国以后，政权的变更、新旧阶层的更替对满汉全席造成了极大影响。满汉全席试图在冲突与协商的社会政治环境中，通过改造自身，去迎合剧烈变化中的满汉关系，这种改造甚至延续到了新中国成立之后。

The late Qing and early Republican China occupies an important position in modern Chinese history, when the concept of nation-state came into its initial development. In face of multiple conflicts, the conception of nation-state undergoes complex changes and fluctuations, with Manchu-exclusivism and Manchu- inclusivism coming into constant collision, and hence coming the stress on the Manchu-Han relationships. Overall Man-Han Feast, as a cuisine culture, is in itself a product of interaction between Manchu and Han nationality. The change in the host restaurants and the very name and courses of the feast, at the historical period between the late Qing and the early republican China, imaged especially the mental projection of the national relationships. In late Qing dynasty, a reflection of Manchu and Han living in harmony and valuing differences can be found in the geographic pattern of host restaurant, and in the difference of its owners and operators in social status. Violent regime change during the Republic of China then exerted great impact on the overall Man-Han feast, which, in this environment of conflict and compromise made efforts to adjust to the dramatically changing Manchu-Han relationships. This effort extended even to the establishment of the People’s Republic of China.