Sessions of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference aren't just about the politics - they traditionally involve rounds of lavish banquets and extravagant receptions.
And while Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping has called for an end to official extravagance, Hong Kong deputies to the two bodies expect to have a busy social schedule when the plenary sessions kick off next week.
"Chinese society has long highly valued gastronomy and cuisine culture. It would be difficult to avoid banquets during this period," said Cheung Ming-man, a local deputy to the NPC.
The annual session of the CPPCC begins tomorrow, while the NPC plenary gets under way on Tuesday.
"During the sessions, the leaders of different provinces and municipalities gather in Beijing, which is a rare occasion. It would be unavoidable to have meals with officials that we are acquainted with, to catch up with each other," Cheung said.
"Maybe provincial and municipal governments will have to cut their budget for meals. If that's the case, deputies may settle the bills ourselves instead."