Beyond the menu: Cha Chaan Teng owner serves up kindness to tourists in need

In a story warming hearts across social media, two mainland Chinese tourists who found themselves stranded and helpless on the streets of Hong Kong late at night were taken in by a compassionate cha chaan teng owner, whose simple acts of kindness have drawn widespread praise.

The incident began when the tourist, a woman traveling with her younger brother, was delayed by an unforeseen circumstance and missed the closing time of the Futian Port border crossing back to Shenzhen.

Left with no way to return until the next morning and with her phone battery completely dead, the situation grew increasingly desperate.

The pair attempted to borrow a portable charger from a convenience store but discovered they lacked both sufficient cash and the specific credit card required for the rental fee.

“We asked many shops if they could give us an outlet to charge our phone, and we would buy something in return, but without exception, we were all refused,” she recounted in a post on the popular platform Xiaohongshu.

Just as they were losing hope, they approached the owner of a still-open cha chaan teng. Upon hearing their predicament, the owner immediately unplugged his own POS card terminal to free up an outlet for their phone and invited the weary siblings to sit inside and rest.

Seeing the owner bring out menus, the pair assumed they needed to order something to stay. However, the owner quickly took the menus away, making it clear that his offer was one of pure generosity.

“He just wanted to give us a place to sit and charge our phone. I was so grateful I couldn’t speak,” she wrote.

After their phone had enough power to arrange a route to the 24-hour Huanggang Port, the tourists decided to leave.

In a gesture of thanks, they left behind a note written in both Chinese and English along with 10 RMB. The owner, however, firmly refused the money, “forcefully stuffing the cash back into our hands.”

Reflecting on the ordeal, the tourist wrote that despite the evening's frustrations, “there are always those warm and kind-hearted people who allow me to leave some beautiful memories in this city.”

She highly recommended the cafe to other netizens, noting the prices were reasonable and the owner was very kind.”

The story has resonated deeply online, with commenters flooding the post with praise for the owner.

“Good people meet good people!” wrote one user. “This boss deserves to get rich!” exclaimed another.

The incident also prompted helpful tips from other netizens, who pointed out public charging options in Hong Kong’s McDonald’s branches, shopping malls, and even on most double-decker buses.

(Marco Lam)