2 Sichuan men carry on tradition, serve restaurant dishes on head

Chen Changfa and Yang Guangxiang, two men living in Hejiang County, Sichuan province, are doig their part to preserve a traditional method of serving dishes, dating back to the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). According to the tradition, servers carry dozens of dishes on their heads at one time.

Over the past 38 years, 66-year-old Chen has served over 300,000 dishes on a wooden board measuring just 2 meters long and 20 centimeters wide; never once has he spilled. The board itself weighs 10 kilograms and all the freshly cooked dishes weigh dozens more. Chen said that over the years he has carried hundreds of tons of weight. When he is working, Chen wears straw sandals and wraps his head in a white cloth in order to keep the board steady.

Yang, Chen's 66-year-old apprentice, is now the owner of a tofu pudding restaurant. He has also learned how to walk fast, make turns, squat and even stand on one leg while serving the tofu puddings from his head.

The ancient skill was traditionally displayed at big feasts to save time and to serve as entertainment. Since Chen’s children have chosen not to study the method, Chen worries that his chosen skill may be lost over time.