By Xinhua writer Gong Yidong
BEIJING, Oct. 1 (Xinhua)-- Located barely 10 kilometers from each other,
the two restaurants stand in a sharp contrast, in terms of appearance and
ambience.
The single-storey Yuebin (Pleasing Guests) is hidden in a shabby hutong
named Cuihua, while the imposing Qiaojiangnan (SouthBeauty) is embraced by the
thriving Central Business District (CBD), steps away from Rem Koolhass's
controversial Central China Television (CCTV) Tower.
But Yuebin and Qiaojiangnan have one thing in common: both are pioneers of
China's catering business -- one has been China's first private restaurant
opened after China started the reform and opening up 30 years ago; the other the
first Chinese restaurant to open branches in foreign lands and to make a
brandname out of the Chinese foods everywhere in the world.
STARTING FROM SCRATCH
It never occurred to Guo Peiji that the opening of Yuebin would reverberate
throughout China for many years to come, winning recognition in parallel with
Xiaogang Village in south China's Anhui Province for the historic household
land-contracting in 1978.
The reason is simple: Yuebin was the first private restaurant in China
after the Cultural Revolution came to an end in 1976.
Guo, who had worked as a chef in state-owned hotels, enterprises and
government organizations, decided to make a dramatic change of life in the
autumn of 1980.
"My wife, Liu Guixian, and I were considering opening a restaurant of our
own, as it was hard to maintain a living for a big family," recalls the
76-year-old Guo, sipping a cup of jasmine tea, and ensconced in an old-fashioned
wooden armchair.
A father of five sons and one daughter, Guo found it difficult to find jobs
for his two youngest sons after they graduated from senior high school. "I was
neither manager nor official, securing no wealth or influence. By opening a
restaurant, I guaranteed them a living, at least."
At that time, there were only a very limited number of cafeterias in
Beijing, owned and operated by the state. The market supply was haphazard, and
the main distribution channel of daily necessities and food was through coupons
or stamps.
The outspoken Liu Guixian resigned from her 'iron-rice bowl' at a research
institute affiliated to the State Administration of Environmental Protection and
put her heart and soul in the brand-new business.
It worked out smoothly in the beginning. "To my surprise, my work unit, the
Beijing Motor Factory, supported me by sending a truck loaded with tables and
chairs," says Guo.
Even more exciting was that Cuihua hutong was packed with people on the
opening day of his business. Guo recalls, "I had never seen such a large crowd,
except in Dashilan (a well-known business district in old town of Beijing). I
could hardly push my bicycle into the narrow lane."
The couple fixed reasonable prices. Customers paid less than one Chinese
yuan for a fancy meal composed of a meat dish, a vegetable dish and a bowl of
rice. "Yuebin quickly became a magnet in Beijing, attracting people from all
walks of life."
The tiny restaurant signaled a significant social transformation and
nascent personal wealth. When the Guos finished the first day of business, they
were happy with their takings of 38 yuan RMB, equivalent to the monthly income
of a senior worker at that time.
In a short time, Yuebin's name spread around the diplomatic missions in
Beijing. One day, a US diplomat visited and requested a meal worth ten RMB, ten
times more expensive than the standard order.
"We searched the whole market for duck and turtle, and we made it." Guo
says.
Satisfied, the American drew dozens of table-sized maps showing Yuebin and
distributed them in diplomatic circles.
