Life Journey

Born December 7, 1921, into a poor farming family, the seventh child. For a long time, two notations — "1920 (lunar) / 1921 (Gregorian conversion)" — coexisted, along with a third version of "1927" from a 1987 official submission. In July 2026, a newly obtained formal biographical summary/eulogy written by his employer in the month of his death (January 1993) clearly records "born December 7, 1921," confirmed by the family. This site adopts that date accordingly.

Hunger and poverty became the enduring undertone of his life, shaping a decision-making approach that blended altruism and self-interest.

After a severe drought in Sichuan triggered a locust plague, Chen Songru organized neighborhood children to catch and roast locusts, distributing them to the starving. Later, he was beaten after stealing sorghum from a landlord's granary, but refused to betray his accomplices even under torture.

The origin of a "problem-solving plus altruism" spirit, and the prototype of his loyalty and resilience under pressure.

Left home alone before dawn, passing through Jianyang and crossing the Longquan Mountains, arriving in Chengdu after two days and one night to seek refuge with his second brother. After repeated rejections, he won over the owner of the "Taole Tian" restaurant by sweeping the front entrance clean every day for five consecutive days, earning a three-month trial period.

The core pattern — actively pursuing one's ideals, proving through action rather than words — was established from this point onward.

First apprenticed at Minsheng Restaurant under "Three-Precision Master" Zhou Guangting to learn knife skills and heat control (his motto: "steady knife, calm heart, only then can you see the ingredient's true flavor"; his teaching was famed for precision — "from the first plate to the twentieth, every dish for twenty tables had identical portions, nothing left in the wok, nothing short"). Later, at Chengdu Restaurant, he apprenticed under "Master of the Pulse" Chen Changming to systematically learn Sichuan culinary arts; Chen remarked, "This boy has fire in his eyes." He had previously trained at Taole Tian restaurant until it closed in March 1934.Exact start and end dates confirmed by Chen Songru's own autobiography (newly obtained July 2026), previously known only as the approximate "1934-1938" combined period.New discrepancy, July 2026: Two older family documents from 1987/1988 mention only "apprenticed at Taole Ju in Chengdu under Chen Changming," with no mention whatsoever of Zhou Guangting or Minsheng Restaurant, contradicting the autobiography's precise timeline of "two masters." Both accounts are presented side by side without judgment.

Solo-prepared twelve dishes including "Steamed Cabbage in Supreme Broth" (Kai-shui Bai-cai). General Pan Wenhua praised him, saying "Great skill belies an unadorned hand." Thereafter, he regularly catered banquets at the residences of Sichuan military commanders, with tips rising from fifty copper coins to two hundred.

Stricken by a severe illness from overwork and dismissed by the restaurant. During his recovery, he met Jiang Mingshu. After recovering, he formed a mobile banquet team while volunteering at military factory mess halls and field medical stations, winning over Northwest China military and political personnel with his Sichuan cuisine.

The conviction that "every citizen bears responsibility for the nation's fate" was established — cooking was not only a livelihood but also a way to serve the country.

A simple wedding in the winter of 1944. In 1947, he joined Chengdu's Duoyi Canteen, ending seven years as an itinerant chef and undergoing even more rigorous technical training (once cutting fifty jin of potatoes in a single session to hone his knife skills).

During his time at Duoyi Canteen, he cooked "Crispy Sauce Pork Hock" (Jiaopi Zhuzi) and "Braised Assorted Meats" (Hongshao Shijin) for famed Sichuan ventriloquist Zeng Bingkun, combining Master Zhou Guangting's "precise heat control" with Chen Changming's "swift hands" and adding his own researched color and flavor innovations. Zeng was so impressed that he frequently incorporated the dishes he had eaten into his stage performances and promoted them tirelessly.Chen Songru's own autobiography

Duoyi Canteen catered the Chengdu forums for representatives from all walks of life and the banquets for the First People's Congress. During the Korean War, he hosted meals for volunteer soldiers more than twenty times, each serving 1,000–2,000 men, designing a "Farewell Feast" to send troops off to battle.

Served as both manager and executive chef. Joined the Party the same year — the only recorded date of his Party membership.Independent source

The trial meal date is disputed (the autobiography states August 4; eldest son Chen Tinglong's article states August 28), but both accounts agree on the official opening of October 1. A team of 34 chefs began work that July. At the opening trial meal, Zhu De addressed them (full version newly obtained July 2026): "Qinghai and Hubei have already come to Beijing to open restaurants. Now that Sichuan has arrived, you must get the Sichuan flavors right — don't mess with them arbitrarily… Stay true to Sichuan flavors… If someone wants twice-cooked pork but can't handle chili, serve them sauce-exploded pork instead, and tell them to come see me." Guo Moruo added: "Stick to authentic flavors. Plating should be generous, not vulgar."

The transition from folk cook to founding figure of the state banquet system. The external precept "authenticity must not be lost" profoundly shaped his professional ethics.

Click to enlarge.

Per a recollection by disciple Liu Zihua: during the restaurant's trial-meal preparation, Zhou Enlai, on an inspection visit, specifically asked "Where's the dining room where ordinary people can try Sichuan cuisine?" and instructed that "while hosting banquets, don't forget to leave a place for ordinary people to try Sichuan food" — on the spot designating the "Erbei" (North Building No. 2) dining room as the walk-in area for regular customers. Chen Songru and the senior chefs used this to teach the younger cooks: "Only if you can make the à la carte dishes well can you possibly make the banquet dishes well. If you can't make fish-fragrant shredded pork properly, you won't be able to make fish-fragrant prawns; if you can't make Gong Bao diced meat properly, you won't be able to make Gong Bao chicken; if you can't make home-style squid properly, there's no way you'll be able to make home-style minced pork sea cucumber!"

A supplementary case for the "cooking mirrors character" model: care shown in the basics determines the quality of the advanced results.

Prepared "Net-Oil Lantern Chicken" (Wangyou Denglong Ji). Chairman Mao ate half and asked to save the rest for the evening. Since net-fried dishes cannot be re-wokked, Chen Songru returned to the restaurant that night to make a fresh portion, presenting it as the half-eaten leftover from lunch — all to ensure the "crispy outside, tender inside" quality was delivered as intended.

The most solid behavioral evidence of his principle "a dish reflects one's character": he would rather work through the night to guarantee quality than cut corners.

In his autobiography, Chen Songru wrote: "Chairman Mao originally planned to host King Norodom Sihanouk at the Great Hall of the People… but then it was suddenly moved to Zhongnanhai," requiring his team to urgently relocate and prepare the meal. Afterwards, "Director Li of Zhongnanhai repeatedly expressed his gratitude, saying we had 'rendered outstanding service.'"The year is disputed: the autobiography gives no precise date, loosely placing it around 1961; the official website of Quanjude Group (parent company of Sichuan Restaurant), in its "Centennial Memories" column, clearly records it as "October 5, 1964" — also the Great Hall moved to Zhongnanhai, also hosting Sihanouk — very likely the same event. Both sources have formal provenance; they are presented side by side without reconciliation.

Echoes the "action over words" pattern — after the task was completed, the action itself earned recognition.

Entered Zhongnanhai three times to cook for Mao Zedong, and regularly served Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, and Chen Yi. Zhu De's instruction: "Stay true to Sichuan flavors… If someone wants twice-cooked pork but can't handle chili, serve them sauce-exploded pork instead, and tell them to come see me." Chen Yi once scored dishes such as Pineapple Cool Fermented Rice (Boluo Liang Laocao) one by one. In 1961, hosted Indonesian President Sukarno. North Korean Chairman Choe Yong-gon, visiting Beijing in 1962, tasted "Home-Style Minced Sea Cucumber" (Jiachang Shaozihaishen) and subsequently facilitated a North Korean culinary study delegation — 32 people across two batches — on a year-and-a-half exchange visit; upon their return, North Korea awarded Chen Songru the "Order of the Thousand-Li Horse of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."New discrepancy, July 2026: Earlier records state the medal was awarded during a "third visit by a North Korean delegation in March 1986" (single source), a 24-year difference from the "1962" indicated by newly obtained materials. Both accounts are presented side by side without forced determination.

Formed a life philosophy of "neither too close nor too distant" — forthright without flattery (the cigarette incident).

When confronted with house-searches and pressure, he defused the conflict by invoking a higher rule: "Tonight's banquet guests are mostly foreign dignitaries… surely you can't refuse to serve?" — neither confronting head-on nor groveling. After the Cultural Revolution, when Yang Shangkun expressed concern about his ordeal, he simply replied, "It's in the past. All in the past."

Zhou Enlai (already ill) proposed rebuilding the Sichuan Restaurant. After an inner struggle, Chen Songru agreed to return to Beijing. The number of preparatory chefs is disputed: one account says "led more than thirty young and middle-aged chefs in preparations"; Chen Songru's own autobiography states "only need 12 chefs" —newly obtained July 2026, an article written by Chen Tinglong in 1988 gives a more detailed two-wave composition: "In February 1973, Father led Tang Wen'an, Jiang Huichao, Chen Tinglong, and more than thirty other young and middle-aged chefs to begin rebuilding; later, more than thirty young chefs were selected from Chengdu and Chongqing." None of the three accounts fully agree on the numbers; they are presented side by side without reconciliation. The restaurant had been formally dissolved at the end of 1969, with Sichuanese staff repatriated. In January 1973, Chen Songru returned to Beijing; it reopened in March of the same year, but due to political circumstances could not use the name "Sichuan Restaurant" and was instead called"Chengdu Restaurant" (Chengdu Fanzhuang), with Chen Songru still serving as executive chef — this former name had long been in doubt, but was confirmed in 2026 after cross-verification from three independent sources.Three independent corroborationsRegarding the year the original name "Sichuan Restaurant" was restored: Chen Songru's autobiography and editor's notes both record 1976 (after the fall of the Gang of Four), while other materials suggest it continued until 1978–1979. Both accounts are presented side by side.

After tasting Sichuan cuisine, the King praised it, saying "China's Sichuan cuisine truly lives up to its reputation."

Deng Xiaoping exclaimed, "Today I get to taste my hometown's tofu pudding again — it's wonderful!" The original banquet order receipt retained by the Sichuan Restaurant (header handwritten "Nov 5, 82") matches the autobiography's account and is the highest-reliability physical evidence in this archive. The dates "July 21" and "Autumn 1983" given in other family articles are likely post-hoc memory errors.New evidence, July 2026: The official publication The True Craft of China's Sichuan Cuisine Masters: Chen Songru includes a menu draft in Chen Songru's own handwriting titled "Sihanouk's 60th Birthday Menu," with the caption stating "Deng Xiaoping hosted a banquet of seven tables to celebrate Prince Sihanouk's sixtieth birthday…" — the date matches this event, confirming that "Sihanouk's 60th birthday" refers to this very banquet and was not a separate event.The earlier suspicion of an independent event in "Autumn 1983… after fourteen years apart" is now resolved.

In 1981, at age 60, he was eligible for retirement but declined a "generous salary plus housing plus family reunion" offer from the Beijing International Hotel. In 1986, at the mandatory retirement age of 65, he again declined a paid figurehead role and instead accepted the position of Culinary Director, with a monthly salary of just over 300 yuan.

The core pillar of the "indifferent to fame and fortune" narrative, though the biography does not record whether he ever wavered or hesitated.

Click to enlarge.

Together with his disciple Liu Zihua, he was personally named by Deng Xiaoping to take charge of the cooking. Both were praised — "I'm eating hometown specialties again — wonderful!" — and each received a bottle of Feitian Moutai and a Great Hall wall calendar. The year had previously existed in two versions, "1984" and "1985."New evidence, July 2026: The True Craft of China's Sichuan Cuisine Masters: Chen Songru includes a physical order receipt retained by the Sichuan Restaurant, clearly marked "January 1, 1984," hosted by "Deng Xiaoping, Hu Yaobang," 2 tables for 22 people, perfectly matching the autobiography's New Year's gathering scene."New Year's Day 1984" is now upgraded to physical confirmation; "1985" was likely a year misremembered during third-party biographical retelling. Both versions are still archived side by side.

The honorary certificate bore the inscription "Culinary work, boundless honor," recognizing his "outstanding achievements in the culinary profession."July 2026: Family provided a scanned copy of the physical certificate; the signatory was confirmed by the family to be Xi Zhongxun (then Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress).

Beijing Culinary Association Honorary Certificate, January 1986
Click image to view original full size

A 20-day engagement. Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew personally attended to taste the dishes; local media reported under the headline "National Treasure-Level Chinese Sichuan Cuisine Master." That autumn, he returned to Zhongnanhai to chef for Hu Yaobang's banquet hosting Burmese guests, and was unexpectedly asked to serve "Dandan Noodles" first — he handled it with composure.Newly added July 2026: Chen Songru's autobiography clarifies that the eight-person team comprised "six from the Sichuan Restaurant and two from the Xiangshan (Fragrant Hills) Hotel," not all of whom were his direct disciples or colleagues from the Sichuan Restaurant. The earlier default assumption that all "eight disciples" were his own students needs clarification.

Click to enlarge; more original newspaper clippings can be found on the News & Reports page under "Original Clippings."Physical reproductions

The honorary certificate recognizes his "contribution to the development of China's culinary profession over more than thirty years," issued by the China Culinary Association, elevating the honor from the 1986 municipal Beijing level to a national recognition.July 2026: Family provided a scanned copy of the physical certificate and confirmed the year is 1989. Although the year field shows signs of alteration, the family confirmed it is correct; the specific month and day characters are not fully legible.

China Culinary Association Honorary Certificate, 1989
Click image to view original full size

January 1989 — Sichuan Restaurant Cookbook (Sichuan Science and Technology Press), first print run of just over 9,000 copies — apart from his own 50 copies, all were given away by the restaurant and not sold commercially. December 1991 — 160 Authentic Sichuan Dishes (Jindun Press), reprinted 17 consecutive times, becoming a mass-market bestseller.Click the titles to view scanned digital editions on the "Craft & Legacy" page.

Click to enlarge.

Certificate No. 009, appointing "Special Grade Culinary Technician Chen Songru" as instructor for a five-year term, bearing a circular red seal.July 2026: Family provided a scanned copy of the physical certificate.The issuing authority's seal text is blurred and cannot be fully identified; this is marked as pending verification.

Certificate of Appointment No. 009, September 10, 1991
Click image to view original full size

The award ceremony was held at the Sichuan Restaurant's third courtyard. Previous award-winning chefs from France, Germany, Italy and other countries attended. Chen Songru wore a "ceremonial robe" embroidered with the five-starred red flag and national emblem. The biography calls him "the first Chinese chef to receive this honor," but both independent sources and his disciple Liu Zihua's own account state "the only one in China that year" — these are not entirely equivalent. This site adopts "the only one in China that year" as the accurate phrasing.

The above 5 photos are color images from the event provided by the family. Click to enlarge.Physical reproductions

In early 1993, after teaching a lecture at the Shenzhen Armed Police Force, he caught a cold that would not heal. He dismissed the seriousness of it and never completed a CT re-examination as scheduled. One morning, after going to the kitchen as usual to prepare ingredients, he went for a walk near the restaurant and was struck by sudden, severe chest pain. Resuscitation efforts failed. His parting words: "I hope that through my lectures and demonstrations, more people can understand Sichuan cuisine and fall in love with it." The Sichuan Restaurant held a memorial service for him at Beijing's Babaoshan. The inscription on his tombstone reads: "A selfless heart makes the world wide."

The real cost of dedication and failed health management — the biography never reflects on this, and this site does not present "working despite illness" as behavior to be emulated. See the "Inner Contradictions" section of the Wisdom & Thought page for further discussion.

Chen Songru's Sichuan cuisine cooking techniques were included in the sixth batch of Ziyang Municipal Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative Items (Traditional Skills category, applying entity: Sichuan Yanxin Agricultural Development Co., Ltd.), with the evaluation that he "absorbed widely from diverse sources, synthesized and mastered them, defied rigid formulas, and developed his own distinct school."

An official release from the Beijing Xicheng District government confirms the Sichuan Restaurant "was founded in 1959, proposed by Sichuan-native marshals Zhu De and Chen Yi, and personally named by Premier Zhou Enlai." Distinct from the entry above: this recognizes the "Sichuan Restaurant" as an institution, a different tier and applicant from Chen Songru's own municipal intangible-heritage listing — this site records them separately and does not conflate the two.