Deep in the maze of Beijing's hutong (alleyways), inside a lived-in siheyuan (enclosed courtyard), the air is thick with steam and the steady crackle of fire. A wok flashes over an open flame. Oil shimmers, spits, and releases a familiar, irresistible aroma.
Leaning toward a slightly trembling phone camera, a nearly 70-year-old chef speaks in a warm Beijing drawl:"Watch this step carefully — this is called coating. Don't lose focus."
To millions online, he is simply "Second Uncle". In real life, he is Sun Lixin — once the executive chef of the century-old restaurant Bianyifang, best known for its Peking duck, and a veteran of countless state banquets.
In 2019, alongside Zheng Xiusheng, the former executive chef of the Beijing Hotel, he co-founded "Lao Fan Gu", a moniker meaning veteran master chefs. The duo's account has since amassed a Douyin (a social media platform) following of more than 16 million.
But Sun's journey to internet fame was anything but overnight.
Born in 1956, Sun stepped into the kitchen straight out of middle school. His formative years were shaped by Tuo Dailiang, a revered Sichuan cuisine master who once oversaw a massive national banquet marking the 10th anniversary of the People's Republic of China (in 1959).
At 16, Sun learned his first dish, Kung Pao Chicken, and never strayed far from its disciplined principles: a balance of numbing spice, heat, savoriness, freshness, and a subtle sweet-sour finish; precision in knife work; and harmony in texture.
"My master cooked for top leaders, but he was always extremely low-key," Sun recalls. "He told me not to chase fame, just focus on making every meal well."
That philosophy would later define Sun's own career. By his 20s, he had already risen to head chef at one of China's earliest foreign-affairs hotels. Over decades, he became known not only for preserving tradition but also for quietly pushing its boundaries.
