SINGAPORE : The founder of the global restaurant chain Din Tai Fung died at the age of 96. The eatery, known for its steamed dumplings or xiao long bao, was founded in Taiwan in 1958.
According to a statement by the company on Saturday, a statement by the company said Mr Yang Bing-yi passed away peacefully and his family asked for privacy as they arrange his funeral.
He was born in China's Shanxi province in 1927, according to Din Tai Fung's website. In 1948, while China was engulfed in civil war, the 21-year old left for Taiwan.
Mr Yang and his wife started their own cooking oil business 10 years later, and called it Din Tai Fung. Sales took a big hit in the early 1970s after tinned cooking oil became widely available.
The couple dedicated half of their shopfront to selling xiao long bao instead of cooking oil.
With the success, Din Tai Fung closed its oil business and opened a restaurant specialising in xiao long bao and other Chinese dishes.
Din Tai Fung has more than 170 locations in 13 countries and territories today.