Hong Kong's 'Milk Tea King' Honored with Community-Funded Funeral After Anonymous Burial
HK01 · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago3 MIN
Summary
Pan Xiang, a legendary milk tea master revered as the Milk Tea King of Hong Kong, passed away in early 2025 at age 71 with no next of kin to claim his remains. His body was interred in Shaling Cemetery under a government-assigned code number "2025-44" without any identification. Upon learning of his circumstances, several community members who had known Pan organized a crowdfunding effort, gathering over HK$30,000 from more than 100 donors to arrange a proper funeral. On July 11, 2025, Pan was cremated at Cape Collinson Crematorium in Chai Wan after an emotional farewell ceremony attended by friends, fellow milk tea craftsmen, and admirers.
Key Points
- Pan Xiang entered the food and beverage industry at age 12 or 13, working as a delivery boy at Constellation Ice Room in Tsim Sha Tsui's Champagne House before mastering the art of milk tea
- He spent 15 happy years at Constellation Ice Room, living on-site and eventually taking charge of the tea counter with a monthly salary of HK$150
- Pan was known for mentoring younger milk tea craftsmen, including Leung Hoi-hing, who recalled Pan offering personal guidance and buying tea leaves to share with neighborhood residents
- After Pan went missing following a January 2025 trip to the Mainland, friends searched hospitals and his residential neighborhood before learning he had died at home
- The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department received Pan's remains in March 2024; Shaling Cemetery, designated for unclaimed bodies, has buried 783 such remains over the past three years
- Funeral director Mark Lo, who had taken Pan's milk tea class, joined Hugo Tsang and photographer Ah Hong to organize the farewell, which required navigating complex paperwork as non-relatives
- Pan's cremation took place at Cape Collinson Crematorium on July 11, with the procession departing Shaling Cemetery at 7 AM to retrieve his remains for the ceremony in Wan Chai
Why It Matters
Pan Xiang's journey from anonymity to a dignified farewell reflects the deep respect Hong Kong's food and beverage community holds for traditional craftsmanship, and his story has prompted reflection on the vulnerability of elderly individuals living alone in the city. The mass crowdfunding response from strangers who never knew Pan personally underscores how his decades of generosity and mentorship left a lasting impression on the community, making his case a poignant reminder of the human stories behind statistics like the 783 unclaimed bodies buried at Shaling in recent years .
Pan Xiang's journey from anonymity to a dignified farewell reflects the deep respect Hong Kong's food and beverage community holds for traditional craftsmanship, and his story has prompted reflection on the vulnerability of elderly individuals living alone in the city. The mass crowdfunding response from strangers who never knew Pan personally underscores how his decades of generosity and mentorship left a lasting impression on the community, making his case a poignant reminder of the human stories behind statistics like the 783 unclaimed bodies buried at Shaling in recent years .