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Yang Bing Yi, the founder of popular Taiwanese restaurant chain Din Tai Fung, has passed away.

He was 96.

Yang passed away peacefully and the family has asked for privacy as they arrange Yang's funeral, according to a statement provided to Focus Taiwan,

No further details were revealed.

How Yang started Din Tai Fung

Yang was born in 1927 in the Shanxi province of China, but moved to Taiwan for better job prospects when he was 20.

His first job was a deliveryman at a store that sold cooking oil. He later rose to help manage the accounts.

However, Yang lost his job at the oil store after it suffered losses and had to be shut down.

At 31, he started his own shop selling oil.

He named the shop Din Tai Fung as an appreciation to his former boss at the oil shop, according to Din Tai Fung's website.

He started using half of his shop to make xiao long baos (mini steamed dumplings) after the demand for his oil declined, ABC News noted.

In 1972, the Yang family opened the first restaurant selling xiao long baos in Taipei.

Yang's eldest son, Yang Ji Hua, took over the business in 1995.

Top images from Din Tai Fung website and CapitaLand website.