The story behind a large part of Taiwan's present-day beef and noodle business has an unlikely beginning on the impoverished and war-torn China mainland a few decades ago.

Tang Hai-yen was born into a traditional farming family in 1930 in Szechwan province. Incensed by foreign encroachments into China, he left home to enlist in the army. After the war the government arranged for the courageous but uneducated boy to go to high school.

In 1949, when the situation on the mainland worsened, Tang dropped out of school before he had obtained his diploma to fight the Communists. He was subsequently captured, and after refusing to be tempted by enticements to join the Communist ranks, he was sent back to his hometown for "reeducation". There, he was dismayed to find that his father had been arrested, and a sign reading "home of anti-revolutionaries" was nailed on the front door. Neighbors, afraid of being labeled "unstable elements", dared not greet him openly. Tang lamented, "Why can't we have a free life with open conversations? Why have my family and friends left?"

In the reeducation camp, Tang was chained hand and foot and forced to do heavy and demeaning work such as carting stones and spreading manure. Most of Tang's colleagues, undernourished, overworked and lacking his physical stamina and determination, eventually succumbed. Tang's will to live and to drive out China's enemies gave him the strength he needed. He played his cards shrewdly by being a model prisoner. This enabled him to win the confidence of his guards, who relaxed their vigilance. He was given positions of responsibility, and the chains and leg-irons were removed. During the 11 years he was working in labor camps, Tang had been planning his escape. The usual route was through Canton to Hong Kong. The ultimate destination, of course, was Free China on Taiwan. One night he and his fellow prisoners fled the camp and hid in the woods, only to be captured by guards who had been alerted. Tang was sent back to camp for further reeducation and hard labor.

Tang recalls how he tried to argue rationally with his guards. But the more he did so the more he was punished. His mother told him: "The time is not right for you to talk. Be smart and play dumb, patiently awaiting your opportunity." He followed her advice. Even while being tortured, he would only sputter out nonsensical syllables, pretending to be mute. His tormentors couldn't decide what to do with him.

Tang vividly remembers another of his escape attempts when he jumped over a wall and hid in a haystack. The cadres came with a pitchfork, and jabbed into the hay close to Tang's chest. He still breaks into a cold sweat when he recalls this incident. Tang was sent to prison 31 times over the following three years, but each time he was placed closer to freedom.

Finally, with the aid of a Taiwan-based freedom group, Tang's dreams came true, and he was able to come to Taiwan. While working at a school in the southern part of the island, he met and fell in love with a mute female student. There was a touch of irony when, in 1965, the real and play-acting mutes were married.

Although his life in Taiwan was better than anything imaginable on the mainland, Tang was still not satisfied. One day he remembered one of his mother's beef and noodle recipes, and decided to make it on a commercial basis. Eventually, however, he was stopped by the police for vending without a license. Even though the officer was a native of Tang's hometown, he felt obliged to give him a ticket. Later he helped him find a legal place to sell his noodles.

He worked harder than ever, improved the quality of his product, and sought advice from customers. Soon, his business was booming. He saved enough money to give up his push-cart and open up a restaurant, which he named Old Tang's Noodle Shop.

Now there are Old Tang's Noodle Shops in more than six major cities throughout Taiwan. There is also an Old Tang's factory which produces and markets noodles, beef, condiments, and other related products. If this weren't enough, the man from Szechwan who found freedom and happiness on Taiwan, also has hopes to set up an international franchise, and make "Old Tang's" a household word throughout the world.

A bowl of piping hot, delicious noodles.

One of the main factories producing food for distribution to restaurants.

One of SINORAMA's personnel enjoys a bowl of Old Tang's noodles.

Tang uses sign language to communicate with his wife.

The Tang family.