Iconic Lin Heung Tea House Shuts Down

One of Hong Kong's oldest dim sum restaurants, Lin Heung Tea House, has closed down.

In a social media post, the eatery's parent company said it was with regret that it had to announce the closure of the restaurant in Wellington Street, along with the Lin Heung Tsan restaurant in Tsuen Wan.

In a statement, the company said it had tried its best but was still "defeated by the pandemic".

It thanked people for their support over the years.

Lin Heung Tea House, which was formerly known as the Guangzhou Cake Shop, opened in Hong Kong in 1918.

It was one of the few remaining Chinese restaurants to keep up the tradition of letting diners choose their dim sum from a trolley, rather than ordering in advance.

Diners who'd planned to visit Lin Heung Tsan in Tsuen Wan on Tuesday morning were shocked to learn of its sudden closure.

“It’s a pity, because it has a long history, and the food is good and famous… there’s one less choice [for dim sum]. It’s sad to say goodbye,” a woman surnamed Ng told RTHK.

Another regular customer, surnamed Ku, said Hong Kong’s traditional dishes may vanish along with the tea house.

“There’s traditional food in the 'poon choi' sold in the restaurant… That’s part of our cultural heritage. The closure means traditional food may disappear as well. It’s a pity. Maybe we will only see them in a museum in the future,” he said.

Meanwhile, at Lin Heung Tea House in Central, customers also expressed sadness over the closure.

"Many tourists visited this restaurant in Sheung Wan before the pandemic. It was very crowded and it was hard to find a seat. But there were no tourists these years," said one man, who gave his surname as Yan.