1992: One Robe, Three Letters
A distinction, and a search through the archives 34 years later
1992→2026·34years
Summer 1992, the Beijing Sichuan Restaurant. Chen Songru, in his ceremonial robe, raises a glass and poses for photographs with chefs from many countries. According to his disciple Liu Zihua, who was there, the World Master Chefs Association conferred on him the 1992 “World Master Chef” distinction for Eastern Cuisine. The solemnity and joy of that day survive in the photographs and in the words of someone who was present.
In 2026, 34 years later, an entry in a yearbook offered a new lead. Following it, we searched old newspapers and wrote to the association three times. The background of the conference is now clear; our request for the original record of this distinction has received no reply as of 4 November 2026.
1992 · Beijing Sichuan Restaurant · World Master Chef
Evidence legend: First-hand account Autobiography or direct disciple testimony · First-Hand Object Original photograph/certificate preserved by the family · Independent source Third-party media cross-verification · Biographical account Found only in biographical manuscripts · Unverified Conflicting accounts across sources
The scene below comes from Liu Zihua, Chen Songru’s direct disciple, who was present that day. First-hand account2
According to Liu Zihua, the “World Master Chef” selection run by the World Master Chefs Association was held once a year and divided by continent, and in 1992 the title for Eastern Cuisine was conferred on Chen Songru. Chen Songru was as delighted as a child in those days; when he came out to the welcoming music, the normally easy-going man even seemed a little shy. The presenter first read the citation in a foreign language, and only after it had been translated did the hall applaud. He then took a pristine white ceremonial robe from a gift box — Liu Zihua called it “the chef’s world’s version of the imperially bestowed yellow jacket” — showed it to everyone, and then dressed Chen Songru in it with his own hands. As the last button was fastened, the atmosphere in the hall reached its peak; several foreign chefs stepped forward to raise their glasses in congratulation, and Chen Songru gave a speech of thanks.
Liu Zihua also recorded this: under the association’s rules, a chef receiving the title had to be filmed at work in the robe as a permanent record; he remembers that the dish Chen Songru cooked for the camera was mapo tofu; the dishes at that day’s banquet were also decided and prepared by Chen Songru himself.
Five colour photographs from the event in all; click to enlarge.
Evidence at a glance: what each source can show
- Distinction
- 1992 “World Master Chef” for Eastern Cuisine according to Liu Zihua
- First-hand account
- Liu Zihua’s first-hand account: the title, the course of the ceremony, the robe being put on and the filming of the work video
- Physical reproductions
- Five photographs from the event: the people, clothing, exchanges and celebrations visible in them
- Independent source
- Three People’s Daily reports of 1992 and the China Catering Services Yearbook 1993: the dates and proceedings of the conference and the association’s background — as far as this site has seen, they do not mention Chen Songru’s award
- To be collected
- The original certificate (digital archive CE-001)
- Conferring body
- ⏳ No reply yet Three letters, as of 4 November 2026 — the letters show only what this site has asked, and do not mean that the association has confirmed anything
Why does this exhibition use neither “first” nor “the only one in China that year”?
The biography manuscript says “the first Chinese chef to receive this distinction”; this site has never adopted that wording. This site previously wrote “the only one in China that year”; but on re-checking on 4 November 2026 we found that the original text of Liu Zihua’s “An Account of the ‘World Master Chef’ Conferment” does not contain the word “only,” and the source found so far for this wording is a 2023 online article that cites no original source. On this basis the whole site has been corrected, and only the wording of Liu Zihua’s original text is used. Unverified3
- Members are the personal chefs of serving heads of state
- One seat per country, with only China holding two
- Annual conferences are often received by the host country’s leaders — in Beijing in 1992, by Wan Li, Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee
That year’s conference: the fifteenth, and the first in China
Chen Songru received the award during an international annual conference. Read the 1992 newspapers alongside the official yearbook published the following year, and the outline of that conference is clear; but it should be said plainly that they record the conference; as far as this site has seen, they do not mention the award ceremony at the Sichuan Restaurant (this site has not yet seen the original page layouts of the 26 and 30 August reports). Independent source45
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1992-07-01 | Announcement: the World Master Chefs Association’s 15th Annual Conference is to be held in Beijing, from 24 to 29 August | People’s Daily, page 4 |
| 1992-08-25 | Opening. The first time in China; over 30 members from 26 countries attend | People’s Daily, 26 August |
| During the conference | Award ceremony at the Beijing Sichuan Restaurant; Chen Songru puts on the ceremonial robe (date not recorded) | Liu Zihua’s account; photographs from the event |
| 1992-08-29 | Morning: Wan Li, Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, meets all members at the Great Hall of the People; the association’s Secretary General Gilles Bragard (transliterated “布拉卡尔” in the paper; the same person as the founder) presents Wan Li with an honorary membership certificate and a robe embroidered with China’s national flag and emblem. The conference closes the same day | People’s Daily, 30 August |
| 25–30 August | Conference dates as recorded in the yearbook; one day longer than the in-session proceedings reported in the newspaper, which this site takes to include off-session activities | China Catering Services Yearbook 1993 |
One more cross-check is possible: in 2012 the association held its 35th annual conference in Germany and France6; counting back, 1992 falls exactly on the 15th, which matches the yearbook’s “15th Annual Conference.” (This is this site’s calculation, not the wording of the source.)
Two garments
The robe presented to Wan Li
The association’s secretary general presented Wan Li with an honorary membership certificate and a robe embroidered with China’s national flag and emblem.
Written record: People’s Daily, 30 August 1992. Presenting an honorary chef’s jacket to the head of state of the host country at each annual conference is an established custom of the association.7
The ceremonial robe put on Chen Songru
In front of everyone, the presenter dressed Chen Songru in a pristine white ceremonial robe, embroidered on the chest with the five-starred red flag and the national emblem.
Account: Liu Zihua; images: five photographs from the event.
Was the same kind of honorary jacket given to two people, or was the one for the chef a different kind? Whether the two garments are one and the same matter or two different ones is exactly what this exhibition sets out to ask.
34 years later
A yearbook from 1993 brought a new lead.
New lead · 2026-08 In August 2026, this site found the “World Master Chefs Association 15th Annual Conference” entry in the China Catering Services Yearbook 1993 — an old document newly discovered in 2026, and the first official source to set out clearly the conference’s dates and scale, the association’s charter and its Chinese members. Using it, we went back to the 1992 People’s Daily and found three reports, of 1 July, 26 August and 30 August, the two sources corroborating each other; on 27 August the results were added to the 1992 entry on the Life & Times page, in all eight languages.
- What was found The dates and scale of the conference, and its organisational background
- What it moved forward The photographs and memories placed in a clearer historical context, and a specific enquiry put to the association
- What is still missing The original wording of the distinction, a record of its conferral, and the film that may have been kept
Three letters, one deadline, no reply yet
First enquiry
Asking the association to verify whether Chen Songru received an Eastern Cuisine title at the 1992 Beijing conference, and to provide an archive number, award documents or a registration record; photographs of the ceremony attached.
Did it arrive?
A polite follow-up, asking whether the first letter had been received.
The request, reduced to a minimum
Asking only for a single written confirmation of “whether this appears in the records of the 1992 Beijing conference”; if there is a record, its number or file name; and if this is not the right address, forwarding to whoever is responsible for the archives. Reply requested by 22 October.
⏳ No reply yet As of 4 November 2026, none of the three letters has been answered.
Since the first letter was sent, we have waited 75 days Updated daily on Beijing time; 75 days on the day this exhibition opened (4 November 2026)
The letters were written in English and sent by the project lead personally; only their dates and main points are recorded here.8
With no reply, how does this site present it? As we said in our letters: until the association confirms it, Chen Songru’s 1992 award is, on this site, not yet verified by the conferring body. It is still supported by the account of a disciple who was present and the photographs from the event, and its evidence grade is unchanged; it is only that the party that conferred it has not yet spoken. Please do not read “no reply” as “denial” either — nor is it “confirmation.”
Whatever kind of reply arrives — confirmation, no record found, or a referral — this site will add its exact words and date to this exhibition and note it in the Changelog.
Searching for the certificate, the robe and the film
Why search? Put the Chinese sources beside the association’s own public material, and several things do not match. To be clear from the start: “not found” is not the same as “not there”; each item below is only a gap, not a conclusion.
| Question | What the Chinese sources say | In the association’s public material |
|---|---|---|
| A title conferred on a chef | In 1992 the Eastern Cuisine “World Master Chef” title was conferred on Chen Songru; the selection was held once a year and divided by continent (Liu Zihua’s account) | Neither the website nor Wikipedia records any title conferred on non-members |
| The ceremonial robe | At the Sichuan Restaurant, the presenter dressed Chen Songru in a ceremonial robe embroidered with the national flag and emblem | The publicly visible custom is an honorary jacket presented to the host country’s head of state; in Beijing in 1992, the robe was presented to Chairman Wan Li |
| The 1992 Beijing conference | Recorded in the People’s Daily, the yearbook and Global People | The conferences listed on the website’s events page (consulted by this site on 4 November 2026) begin in 2021; the English Wikipedia timeline also omits 1992 and 2010 |
| Chefs who had “received this distinction in earlier years” | Liu Zihua writes that chefs from France, Germany, Italy and other countries who had “received this distinction in earlier years” came to offer congratulations | These foreign chefs may simply have been association members in Beijing for the conference — this site cannot tell which, and both readings stand |
More than one explanation is conceivable: perhaps the association did have an annual distinction for non-member chefs at the time, which simply does not appear on today’s web pages; perhaps “World Master Chef” is a free Chinese rendering of some other distinction; or perhaps the award was an off-session event of the conference, arranged by the host side. There is one more, which is this site’s conjecture, without evidence: in the photograph, the Belgian chef’s jacket is embroidered with “BRAGARD,” while Bragard is a French brand of chefs’ clothing, for which the association’s founder Gilles Bragard has himself designed chefs’ clothing9; the robe, and perhaps the title itself, may have been connected with this company, which would be why nothing can be found in the association’s own material. This site does not choose among them — only the original archives can answer.
Please help us find
The certificate
The digital archive lists a 1992 honorary certificate (CE-001) with the status “to be collected”; ownership of the original is unknown.10
The robe
Pristine white, embroidered with the five-starred red flag and the national emblem. Did it stay with the family, at the restaurant, or somewhere else? This is one of the questions set out specifically in this site’s interview outline for Liu Zihua.
The film
According to Liu Zihua, under the association’s rules Chen Songru was filmed in the robe cooking mapo tofu “as a permanent record.” If it was kept, it is most likely in the hands of the association or of whoever filmed it.
The citation
The presenter read it in a foreign language, and it was then translated. How the original was worded would show how closely Chinese terms such as “Eastern Cuisine” and “World Master Chef” match what was meant.
Other recipients that year
The selection was divided by continent, so that year there may have been recipients from other continents as well. If a list exists, it too is in the association’s hands.
The photographer
The five photographs from the event are kept by the family; the photographer is unknown, and the digital archive marks them “media copyright (authorisation to be verified before use)” (PH-004).
What this site will look into next
BackgroundWhat the World Master Chefs Association is: its origins and todayClick to expand
The association’s French name is Le Club des Chefs des Chefs, abbreviated CCC — literally “the club of the leaders’ chefs.” In 1992 the Chinese press and the yearbook called it “世界名厨协会” (World Master Chefs Association); the magazine Global People in 2012 called it “御厨俱乐部” (the Imperial Chefs’ Club); the usual Chinese name today is “世界御厨协会” (roughly, “World Association of Heads of State’s Chefs”). When quoting older material, this site keeps the name used in the source.
- Founded: in 1977, on the initiative of the Frenchman Gilles Bragard. Independent source The details exist in two versions, which this site sets side by side: the association’s website says the first gathering was in Paris, with six chefs attending11, and English Wikipedia gives the founding date as 21 November 197712; Bragard himself said in a 2019 interview that it was founded on 23 November 1977, at a dinner at Paul Bocuse’s, together with eight chefs to heads of state13.
- What the founder does: in the interview, Bragard speaks of having developed a complete line of chefs’ clothing, including the “Grand Chef” model — a product of the French chefs’-clothing company Bragard (founded in 1933).14
- Who can join: the personal chef of a serving head of state; where the head of state has no personal chef, the executive chef of the venue that hosts state banquets may serve instead. One seat per country — only China has two.15 The yearbook also records that “Beijing’s Great Hall of the People sent two chefs to join the association in 1987,” which agrees with the two seats.
- Mission: the yearbook gives it as “to develop traditional food and modern culinary arts and to promote technical exchange and cooperation among members”; a 2012 report quotes one of its mottoes: “Politics creates divisions; fine food dissolves them.”16
- Today: the website says “more than 30 members” (no year given), and English Wikipedia gives 29 (2023); the yearbook records 37 formal members in 1992, and a 2012 report gives 27.17 English Wikipedia lists the president as Christian Garcia of Monaco and the vice-president as Mark Flanagan of the United Kingdom (whom the association’s website calls the Royal Chef of Buckingham Palace); the secretary general is still the founder, Bragard.18 The 2012 report names China’s representative as Sun Zhongting, executive chef of the Great Hall of the People; this site has found no public record of who holds the two seats today.
- Recent conferences: November 2025 in Macao, Shenzhen and Bangkok, attended by 14 chefs to heads of state from 14 countries, including China, France, the United States and India; September 2026 announced for Denmark, Sweden and Finland. Beyond the annual conferences, the events recorded on the website in recent years are mostly charity dinners given by member chefs.19
A few years
| Year | Conference venue | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Founding (in Paris / at Bocuse’s — two versions) | Association website; founder’s interview |
| 1991 | Bern, Switzerland | English Wikipedia |
| 1992 | Beijing, the 15th | People’s Daily; the yearbook; Global People, 2012 |
| 2010 | Beijing, a second visit to China | China.org, August 2010; Global People, 2012 |
| 2012 | Berlin and Paris, the 35th | Global People, 2012; English Wikipedia |
| 2019 | Seoul | English Wikipedia |
| 2025 | Macao, Shenzhen, Bangkok (November) | Association website; MGM China press release |
| 2026 | Northern Europe: Denmark, Sweden, Finland (September, announced) | Association website |
Light red: annual conferences held in mainland China
A few more accounts do not agree. This site sets them side by side as they are, without reconciling them: Unverified
- Who founded it: the yearbook says it was “founded on the initiative of France’s Baccarat crystal company and L’Oréal”; the association’s website and the founder’s own account speak only of Bragard founding it personally, with no mention of companies.
- Who presented the award: Liu Zihua calls the presenter “the association’s president”; the People’s Daily writes “the association’s Secretary General Gilles Bragard” (the same man under a different Chinese transliteration); and he himself is the association’s founder.
- What the title was called: most Chinese sources have “World Master Chef” of Eastern Cuisine; another article by Liu Zihua has “Asian World Master Chef.”20
Quotation and rights
- Photographs: the five original photographs from the event are kept by the family; the photographer is unknown, and the digital archive marks them as media copyright, with authorisation to be verified before use; this exhibition uses them only for research and explanation. If you took them or know who did, please write to us: this site will add a credit or deal with them as you wish.
- Newspapers and yearbook: all quotations are short excerpts with their sources given; please consult the originals for the full texts.
- Association material: the association’s name, charter and conference information are based on its website and public reports, summarised by this site with dates of access; this exhibition does not represent the association’s position.
Sources
- First-Hand ObjectFive colour photographs of the 1992 award event, provided by the family; digital archive no. PH-004 (a set of several photographs).↩
- First-hand accountLiu Zihua, “An Account of the ‘World Master Chef’ Conferment,” originally published in Beijing Evening News, 23 March 2020, page 13, in the “Five-Colored Earth · Savoring Flavor” column; reprinted by visitbeijing.com.cn on 25 March 2020 (visitbeijing.com.cn/article/47Qmg75ZDNF, consulted by this site on 4 November 2026). “The selection is held once a year, divided by continent” and “conferred on him the 1992 ‘World Master Chef’ honorary title for Eastern Cuisine” are both from the original text. This exhibition paraphrases his account of the scene and does not reproduce it at length.↩
- Unverified“The first Chinese chef to receive this distinction” is from the biography manuscript Songfeng Ruren. “The only one in China that year”: the word “only” does not appear in the original text by Liu Zihua cited in note 2 (re-checked 4 November 2026); the source found so far for this wording is “A Great Craftsman of Sichuan Cuisine: Remembering Chen Songru, World Master Chef and National-Treasure Sichuan Master (Part 3)” (川菜大工匠-记世界名厨国宝级川菜大师陈松如(三)) on the Sohu account “黎哥影视解读,” 16 January 2023, which cites no original source. The related wording on all pages of this site was corrected accordingly on 4 November 2026. See also the Corrections and Disputed Points ledger.↩
- Independent sourceChina Catering Services Yearbook 1993, entry “World Master Chefs Association 15th Annual Conference”: held in Beijing from 25 to 30 August; Wan Li met all members; the association was founded in 1977, “an international, non-profit, non-political organization”; members must be head chefs at heads-of-state residences, royal courts or internationally renowned hotels; it currently has 37 formal members; “Beijing’s Great Hall of the People sent two chefs to join the association in 1987.” The full excerpt is given in the note to the 1992 entry on the Life & Times page.↩
- Independent sourcePeople’s Daily, 1 July 1992, page 4, “World Master Chefs Association’s 15th Annual Conference to Be Held in Beijing” (conference dates “24 to 29 August”; the original can be seen at cn.govopendata.com/renminribao/1992/07/01/4/); 26 August, “World Master Chefs Association’s Annual Conference Opens in Beijing”; 30 August, “Wan Li Meets World Chefs as the 15th Annual Conference Closes in Beijing.”↩
- Independent sourceGao Feng, “The Imperial Chefs’ Club: Gatherings That Outrank Ministers” (御厨俱乐部，聚会规格超过部长), Global People (环球人物), published on People.cn, 6 August 2012 (paper.people.com.cn): the “35th annual conference” was held in Germany and France in late July; the club “has come to China twice, in 1992 and in 2010.”↩
- Independent sourceAs note 6: “each annual conference also has a small climax,” namely Bragard presenting an honorary chef’s jacket to the head of state of the host country. For Wan Li receiving the robe in 1992, see note 5.↩
- Three emails from this site’s project lead to the association (21 August, 4 September and 8 October 2026); the records are kept in this site’s working files, and the email addresses and texts are not published. No reply had been received as of 4 November 2026.↩
- Independent sourceBragard company website, “Notre histoire” (bragard.fr/histoire, consulted by this site on 4 November 2026): founded in 1933, making professional clothing for the restaurant trade, including chefs’ clothing; the “GRAND CHEF” chef’s jacket was launched in 1976. That page mentions neither the association nor Gilles Bragard.↩
- Independent sourceDigital archive CE-001, “‘World Master Chefs Association’ Eastern Cuisine Annual Honor Certificate,” 1992, A3 paper certificate; source: media reports; original yet to be collected.↩
- Independent sourceAssociation website, “A brief history of a great idea” (chefs-des-chefs.com/history), consulted 4 November 2026: founded in 1977 by Gilles Bragard; the first gathering was in Paris, with six chefs attending.↩
- Independent sourceEnglish Wikipedia, article “Le Club des Chefs des Chefs,” consulted 4 November 2026. Wikipedia is a secondary compilation and is used for reference only.↩
- Independent sourceQuentin Monereau, “Interview de Gilles Bragard, fondateur du Club des Chefs des Chefs,” Atelier TB blog, 17 January 2019 (ateliertb.com, consulted by this site on 4 November 2026): the association was founded on 23 November 1977 at a dinner at Paul Bocuse’s, attended by eight chefs to heads of state.↩
- Independent sourceFor the founding year of the Bragard company, see note 9; for Bragard’s development of chefs’ clothing (including the “Grand Chef” model), see the interview cited in note 13.↩
- Independent sourceAssociation website, “Presentation” page (chefs-des-chefs.com/presentation), consulted 4 November 2026: members must be the personal chef of a serving head of state, or else the executive chef of the venue that hosts state banquets may serve instead; one seat per country, two for China. Global People also recorded in 2012 that China was “specially allotted two places.”↩
- Independent sourceFor the mission, see note 4; for the motto, the subtitle of the article in note 6.↩
- Independent source“More than 30”: see note 11; 29 (2023): note 12; 37: note 4; 27: note 6. The figures date from different times and count on different bases; this site does not convert one into another.↩
- Independent sourceAs note 12. The president and vice-president named in the 2012 Global People report are the same; the passage on Sun Zhongting is also from that article.↩
- Independent sourceAssociation website, “Events” page (chefs-des-chefs.com/events), consulted 4 November 2026: “November 2025: annual CCC meeting in Asia (Macao, Shenzhen and Bangkok)”, “September 2026: Annual CCC meeting in Northern Europe”; most of the 2023–2026 events listed on the same page are charity dinners given by member chefs, and the page calls Mark Flanagan the Royal Chef of Buckingham Palace; MGM China Holdings press release, 4 December 2025 (14 chefs, list of the 14 countries).↩
- First-hand accountAnother article by Liu Zihua, published on visitbeijing.com.cn, has “Asian World Master Chef”; for the “Eastern Cuisine” version, see the original text cited in note 2 and the documentary subtitles (see the notes on the Committee page).↩
The search goes on
The photographs kept the scene; someone who was there kept the account.
Thirty-four years on, we hope to find the original wording and record of this distinction, and the film of mapo tofu that, by the account, was once made. The three letters have not yet been answered, and the search goes on.
If you know where the robe, any related certificate or the film may be, please add a lead to this story.