🌊Goodbye Lin Heung

Palates Don't Lie: Eat Chinese food, be Chinese

Aug 9, 2022

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Good morning,

I’ve been told that I need to make more ‘calls to action’ for readers especially on social media, it drives the algorithm to push us up or something.

Anyway, thank you long time reader Mary Devereux for sending us a pic of her cat Daisy for international cat day!

Harbour Times & High Tide: 🇭🇰 News @harbourtimes

Thank you long time reader @MaryMDevereux and High Tide writer Charlotte for sending in pics of their wonderful cattos for #InternationalCatDay2022 Pictured: a very awake Daisy from Mary, and a very much asleep Bee from Charlotte. Put your cats below! This is going on Tide!

— Cyril

On Today’s Tide

Culture | Near-centenarian Lin Heung Tea House closes
COVID | Flights to HK up 249%
Greater China | Taiwan has Chinese restaurants = Chinese
Events

Behind the paywall:

Politics |
- Two civil servants arrested by the National Sec. Dept
- 612 Fund plead not guilty to being a society
Media | Ombudsman investigates media invites for 1 Jul ceremonies

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Lin Heung Tea House pours its last cup

Regulars to the near-centenarian Lin Heung Tea House in Soho were shocked to find their favourite dim sum parlour closed yesterday as the restaurant unceremoniously shut down. Their Tsuen Wan branch ‘Lin Heung Tsan’ closed at the same time, however ‘Lin Heung Kui’ in Sheung Wan will reportedly continue to operate.

The news was broken first on social media by the parent company, Hong Kong Lin Heung Group. Surprisingly, not even the managers of the restaurants knew about the closure. Workers, including store managers, accuse Lin Heung Group of defaulting on close to 4 months of salaries.

The restaurant, famous with locals and tourists alike, started its life as the Guangzhou Cake Shop in 1889 in Guangzhou. In 1926, two branches opened in Hong Kong - one in Mong Kok and another in Central. The current closing branch at Wellington Street has actually only been there since 1980. It is one of the few remaining completely traditional dim sum parlours left with cart only service and traditional tea cups. They briefly closed in 2019, but sprang back up in 2020 until finally capitulating to COVID-19 measures.

K Tse @ktse852

The iconic Lin Heung Tea House 蓮香樓 closed its doors on August 8. The tea house was born in Guangzhou in 1889, and first opened in Hong Kong in 1926. The branch on Wellington and Aberdeen Street has been there for 24 years. (Photos by Hong Kong Reminiscence 香港遺美)

Hong Kong SAR Government News @newsgovhk

The Centre for Health Protection says it is investigating 3,783 additional locally acquired #COVID19 cases, of which 1,439 were directly identified through nucleic acid tests and 2,344 via verified rapid antigen tests

news.gov.hk3.7k local virus cases detectedThe Centre for Health Protection says it is investigating 3,783 additional locally acquired COVID-19 cases, of which 1,439 were directly identified through nucleic acid tests and 2,344 via verified rapid antigen tests.

COVID-19 in Hong Kong

New cases: 4045 (262 imported)
Total cases: 1,393,327
New deaths: 3
Total deaths: 9550
Compulsory testing locations: 40

Hong Kongers back in the sky

According to data from Trip.com, the number of bookings for flights into HK literally flew up by 249% as soon as the government announced a reduction in hotel quarantine from 7 days to 3 days (+4 days medical observation). The data also showed that the majority of visitors are mainland students, likely using Hong Kong as the stopover as flights into China are still rare and costly.

Palates Don’t Cheat: Taiwan is China because of Chinese Restaurants

Bit of more fun restaurant related news, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry Hua Chunying became an accident memelord a Monday when she tweeted a map of Shandong and Shangxi restaurants in Taiwan, saying that “Palates don’t cheat” and that the “long lost child will eventually return home”.

Hua Chunying 华春莹 @SpokespersonCHN

Baidu Maps show that there are 38 Shandong dumpling restaurants and 67 Shanxi noodle restaurants in Taipei. Palates don't cheat. #Taiwan has always been a part of China. The long lost child will eventually return home.

This, as expected, immediately made meme history as maps of KFC, McD branches and even curry shops in the Mainland were quickly tweeted below.

Boaz Shmueli @shmueli

Baidu Maps showing hundreds and hundreds of #Indian restaurants all over China. Palates don't cheat. Cc: @narendramodi

陳彥翰 Chen Yen-Han 🥭 @chen_yenhan

@SpokespersonCHN Jing’an and Huangpu districts are now parts of the US

Events and deals

Support Harbour Times, our friends and partners by attending these events! Let everyone know who sent you by tagging @harbourtimes

Lifeline Mental Health Livefest at The Wanch

The uncertainty from the COVID-19 pandemic has made it exceedingly difficult for the music industry, particularly live music. Indefinite restrictions have taken a heavy toll on the mental health of not only the artists, but also the thousands of people who work alongside them.

On 20th August 2022, Musicians Foundation will be conducting an afternoon of TedX-style talks focusing on raising awareness on music and mental health.

When: Sat 20 Aug, 3-5pm
Where: The Wanch
Cost: Free

Official media partner: ReThink HK returns 5-6 Oct

HT is proud to once again be a media partner for ReThink - HK’s biggest and most exciting sustainability conference. This year’s conference invites more than 300 expert speakers to share their visions and insights, covering important topics like economic progression while coexisting with nature harmoniously, efficient use of resources, transformation to a low-carbon society, and circular economy for future generations.

Sign up here using the code HTP22 for 40% off!