The word "Wenchang" in "Guangzhou Wenchang Chicken" has two historical references. First, the chicken originally used was a high-quality breed from Wenchang county in Hainan Province. Secondly, the first Guangzhou restaurant offering this dish was located on Wenchang Road in Guangzhou.

During the 1930s, Guangzhou master chef Liang Ruijiang created this ingenious dish by removing the bones before boiling, steaming and frying the chicken meat with ham and chicken liver. By doing so, he made the best use of the ingredients, circumventing their disadvantages to result in an immaculate dish.

Over the past decades, Wenchang Chicken has gained popularity in China and abroad. Today, it ranks among Guangzhou's top eight chicken dishes.