The operator of the dai pai dong that created 'silk-stocking' milk tea says he will consider moving out of Hong Kong if the government refuses to renew its licence.
Lum Chun-yip, the son of Lum Muk-ho who opened Lan Fong Yuen in Gage Street in the early 1950s, is seeking ways to preserve the tradition. His ideas include running classes to teach overseas visitors how to make the drink so it can be introduced to other parts of the world.
The milk tea, made using a cotton bag to filter out the impurities in the tea, has become so popular that many restaurants in Hong Kong and countries in Southeast Asia serve their own version.
Lan Fong Yuen is one of 28 dai pai dong remaining in Hong Kong. Under government policy, a licence holder of a dai pai dong is not allowed to pass the licence to another person. This effectively means that Lan Fong Yuen will have to close its little green booth when Mr Lum Snr, 83, dies.
'The government does not care about our culture and history but I do,' the son said. 'The booth represents our family's most cherished memories and I am going to do all I can to preserve it. If the government insists on closing our place down, I will not dismiss the possibility of shipping the whole dai pai dong to another place in Southeast Asia.'
He said places like Macau and Singapore had done much more to preserve their heritage and most of the famous dishes and drinks served in Hong Kong restaurants, such as wonton noodles and herbal teas, came from Guangdong.
'It is so ironic that the government allows Starbucks and other overseas chains to be opened everywhere when it so much wants to phase us out.'