Garrison Collier and Alex Liu
Introduction
He Liang’s journey from Hangzhou, China to Atlanta, Georgia is one marked by resilience and pragmatism. As a former musician turned restaurant owner, he represents the sacrifices and adaptations many immigrants are forced to face as they navigate an unfamiliar environment in the pursuit of stability and opportunity. His story is not only one of cultural preservation through cuisine but also of personal transformation.
Background
He Liang was born in Hangzhou, China, and he spent the first decades of his life immersed in China’s rich tradition of music. He first came to America in 1999 with his 60 person opera troupe, where he played the dizi (笛子), eventually deciding moving there permanently. For fifteen years in China he had been a professional musician, but upon arriving in America he quickly discovered that outside of a few famous musicians, making a stable living would be incredibly difficult. After leaving the opera, he started offering private flute lessons, but struggled to pay the bills.
The turning point came in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis. His private music teaching business dried up as American families cut back on nonessential spending. He began looking for alternative sources of income and set music to the side, 音乐就是喜欢, he stated, recognizing that in America, art often must remain a hobby rather than a livelihood. He was forced to take part time warehouse shipping and delivery jobs to supplement his income. By 2009, with no promising job opportunities in Texas and supporting a young family, including his wife, whom he had married after settling in the US, he knew something had to change. Sadly, pursuing his passion for music while trying to raise his family would no longer be possible in the States.
Opening the Restaurant
In search of opportunities, eventually he moved from his original location of Texas to Georgia. In Atlanta, he met a Sichuan chef at his local church. This chef taught him how to make Sichuan dishes and the two began exploring the idea of taking over an existing restaurant. Luckily, as they were searching for opportunities, an Atlantan restaurant owner just so happened to be looking for buyers. He knew that if he wanted to attain a stable life in the US, he wouldn’t be able to turn down this opportunity-”开这个参观是没有选择“. This restaurant was the Chongqing hotpot restaurant that he owns now and before him it had over a decade long history. The previous owner had immigrated from Chongqing to America 20-30 years earlier. He Liang didn’t choose the name or the concept but out of respect for its heritage and popularity among local Chinese patrons, he preserved it.
Since taking over, He made no changes to the menu, which he says reflects the “家常菜” (home-style food) of Chongqing cuisine. “菜单基本上没有改变…很多中国人喜欢”, he explains. The menu serves as a bridge to the past and is a taste of home for many immigrants from Sichuan and Chongqing.
Despite being from Hangzhou, known for lighter and more delicate cuisine. He recognized the popularity of Sichuan food and respected the regional culinary identity of the restaurant. HIs approach reveals a common philosophy among Chinese restaurant owners when it comes to diaspora. They recognize that food is more than flavor, its a vessel of memory, identity, and community.
Reflections on Work and Life in America
Now, as a successful Chinatown business owner, He rarely has time to play the flute anymore. He works 11 hour days, from 10 a.m. to 9 or sometimes even 11 p.m, the restaurant business demands a grueling lifestyle “很辛苦”, He describes it as. He sometimes laments the fact that since he is often too busy to practice, when he is able to play, he notices his once-pro level skills decaying. He’s journey from musician to restaurant owner illustrates a common immigrant arc of passion yielding reluctantly to pragmatism.
That said, He does not seem bitter about his prospects, noting that he still loves America and the fact that he is able to make a solid living with a stable job. He emphasizes the importance of 稳定的工作 stable jobs, and he directly states, “在美国不能选你喜欢的工作，只能选赚钱的工作”. Like many immigrants, He sees America as a place of opportunity, but not necessarily of freedom in the idealistic sense. It’s a land of economic survival, where passion often takes a backseat to practicality. His attitude reflects the bittersweet duality of the immigrant experience, where one often trades personal dreams for familial security and long-term sustainability.
Cultural Identity and Community
Though not a native of Sichuan. He Liang now serves as a representative of Chongqing food culture in Atlanta. His restaurant has become a gathering place for the local Chinese community and a rare space where authentic 川菜 is preserved, and where his own story, from Hangzhou flutist to Atlanta hot-pot owner, continues to echo in every bubbling pot at Chongqing Hot Pot.
He Liang’s life story illustrates the intersections of art, immigration, and cuisine. From performing in Hangzhou to preparing hotpot in Atlanta, his journey illustrates how cultural expression adapts to economic necessity. While music remains a private joy, it is food that now connects him to his community and culture.