July 1, 2026 | Restaurant Promotions Draw Long Lines: a 40-yuan Cantonese-style tea set reduced to 28 yuan. Diners: “We’re doing great!”

To celebrate the 29th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, over 3,400 restaurants are participating in the food industry's July 1 anniversary celebration discounts.

Our reporter visited the Causeway Bay area today (July 1) and observed that shopping malls in Causeway Bay were bustling with people, and some restaurants offering July 1 discounts had queues longer than their storefronts.

Some citizens said the promotions were attractive and they would spend more today, while other tourists said the government's publicity was insufficient and suggested promoting more on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book).

Child plans itinerary based on discounts: lunch, science museum, then ferris wheel

Our reporter visited two chain restaurants in Causeway Bay around 2 p.m. today. At a chain restaurant offering July 1 discounts, the original HK$40 tea set meal now only costs about HK$28 to settle the bill, and the queue once stretched to neighboring stores.

Ms. Luo, who was queuing for afternoon tea, exclaimed "Made a fortune!" after learning about the discounts from the reporter. However, she said the free tram she took to get there was very crowded, and she would rather "pay two dollars for the ride."

Mrs. Tsang, who came specifically to "eat roast goose," praised the strong discounts, saying "it's rarely this affordable." With experience of cross-border shopping in Mainland China, she admitted that even after discounts, Hong Kong is still more expensive than the Mainland, but she will "spend a little more" today. She also plans to take the tram more in the next two days, but hopes buses will also join the promotions, as "bus fares are quite expensive on usual days." As for the free admission to M+ today, Mrs. Tsang said the weather is too hot and the crowds are overwhelming, so she does not plan to go.

Little Chen, who was with his father, is well-informed about all the July 1 discounts. He said that after lunch, he plans to go to the Tsim Sha Tsui Science Museum with his father, then ride the ferris wheel, and finally take the tram home. He believes today's discounts are more than sufficient.

Citizens urge "more," elderly lady retreats at sight of sea of people

Some citizens also hope for more generous discounts. Ms. Chan, who was dining at a restaurant, said she didn't know about it beforehand, she just "planned to come eat." She thinks the one-day discount period is too short and offers limited help to the market, and "the prices are actually similar." She believes extending the discount period would be more effective in stimulating consumption.

The weather was quite hot, and some people in line decided to leave. Granny Lau said she usually eats out, so she planned to "eat out" today, but "it's packed with people, I want to leave." When asked if she would later visit restaurants offering discounts, she replied, "I don't know where the discounts are, I have no idea at all."

Besides citizens, there were also tourists in line. Mainland tourists Miss Zhou and Miss Xie were also unaware of the July 1 discounts. They said they simply saw many people queuing and chose this restaurant. They believe the discounts help stimulate consumption, but the Hong Kong government's promotion is insufficient, suggesting more promotion on the mainland social platform Xiaohongshu. However, Miss Zhou also said the discounts actually led to excessive crowds and congestion, stating that in the future she would avoid coming to Hong Kong around July 1.

Shopping malls in Causeway Bay also saw good foot traffic. Although they did not offer July 1 discounts, some provided free coffee vouchers for members. Another mall even set up July 1 exclusive discounts at its Kai Tak branch.

In addition, there were plainclothes and uniformed police patrolling in many parts of Causeway Bay, with three to four police officers stationed at MTR station entrances and exits. At 2:30 p.m., 102-year-old "Big Uncle Wong," who had participated in social movements, appeared on East Point Road in Causeway Bay leaning on a cane. He said that after arriving in Causeway Bay today, he was happy to see "old friends" and also chatted with passersby.