Hui Lau Shan
Corporate brand
UnclaimedHui Lau Shan is a Hong Kong dessert-shop chain known for tong sui, herbal drinks, fresh-fruit desserts, and mango-based specialties.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Hui Lau Shan is a Hong Kong dessert and casual food-service brand whose history began with a small herbal-tea outlet in Yuen Long during the 1960s. Founded by Hui Chi-Yuk, the business originally focused on traditional Cantonese-style herbal products, including turtle jelly and cooling herbal teas. It later broadened its menu to include snacks and sweet dishes, helping it move from a traditional herbal outlet toward a modern dessert-shop format. During the 1980s, Hui Lau Shan added items such as turnip cake, coconut-milk preparations, and other snacks and sweet foods. The brand’s most important change came in the 1990s, when its third generation introduced mango sago, a dessert built around mango and sago pearls. The chain subsequently developed a broader mango-centered product identity, using fresh fruit in drinks, dessert soups, puddings, and related offerings. Mango pomelo sago and other mango desserts became closely associated with the brand and helped distinguish it within Hong Kong’s competitive tong sui and dessert market. Hui Lau Shan’s expansion relied on franchising and regional operations. By the 1990s and afterward, the brand expanded beyond Hong Kong and was reported to have more than 260 outlets across mainland China, Malaysia, the United States, and South Korea. Its products combined familiar Cantonese dessert traditions with tropical-fruit presentation, making the chain accessible to customers seeking both traditional tong sui and contemporary fruit desserts. The business reportedly used up to approximately one thousand tonnes of carabao mangoes annually at the height of its operations, although this figure is not independently quantified in the available reference material. Ownership and franchise arrangements became a significant part of the brand’s later history. In July 2007, the third-generation owner sold the Hong Kong franchise to Malaysian investment firm Navis Capital Partners. A dispute involving the new Malaysian shareholder and an existing franchise agreement between Hui Lau Shan Hong Kong and Hui Lau Shan Guangzhou led the Guangzhou operation to adopt the alternative name Tang Lau Shan. In 2015, Royal Dynasty International Holding Company, a mainland Chinese catering group, acquired the franchise for a reported RMB 524 million. The Hong Kong business later encountered serious operating difficulties. In 2020, a winding-up petition was filed against the Hong Kong business. Hui Lau Shan attributed declining customer traffic to the social unrest and protests in Hong Kong during 2019–20. A settlement was reached and the petition was withdrawn in July 2020. Later reports described the closure or disappearance of Hong Kong outlets, but the available material does not establish the precise status of every domestic or overseas operation. Hui Lau Shan therefore remains best understood as a historically prominent Hong Kong dessert brand with a substantial regional expansion story, rather than as a clearly active or clearly defunct global chain.
History
Hui Lau Shan originated in Yuen Long in Hong Kong’s New Territories during the 1960s. Its founder, Hui Chi-Yuk, established the business as a traditional herbal outlet rather than as the fruit-dessert chain for which the name later became known. Early products included turtle jelly, a Cantonese herbal preparation, and herbal teas. This initial format placed Hui Lau Shan within Hong Kong’s long-standing tradition of shops selling cooling drinks and herbal foods. The business diversified during the 1980s. In addition to its herbal offerings, it began selling snacks and sweet foods such as turnip cake and coconut-milk preparations. This expansion gradually shifted the brand toward a broader restaurant and dessert-shop model. The menu increasingly reflected the Cantonese tradition of tong sui, a category covering sweet soups and related desserts, while retaining links to the brand’s herbal origins. A major product and identity change occurred in the 1990s. The third generation of the Hui family developed mango sago, helping establish fresh fruit as a central ingredient in the chain’s desserts. The brand subsequently became particularly associated with mango pomelo sago and other mango-based products. Fresh fruit, fruit purées, sago, coconut-based components, and chilled dessert preparations gave Hui Lau Shan a more contemporary visual and culinary identity than a conventional herbal-tea shop. The brand reportedly consumed very large volumes of carabao mangoes for its desserts, reflecting the importance of mango products to its operating model. From the 1990s onward, Hui Lau Shan expanded through a combination of company and franchise operations. Its reported network eventually exceeded 260 outlets across Hong Kong, mainland China, Malaysia, the United States, and South Korea. The overseas and mainland presence made the brand a recognizable example of Hong Kong-style dessert retail, although the precise number and status of outlets varied over time. Ownership arrangements became increasingly complex in the 2000s. In July 2007, the third-generation owner sold the Hong Kong franchise to Navis Capital Partners, a Malaysian investment firm. Disagreements concerning an existing franchise agreement involving Hui Lau Shan Hong Kong and Hui Lau Shan Guangzhou led the Guangzhou business to operate under the name Tang Lau Shan. This episode illustrates the difficulty of maintaining a unified brand identity when territorial franchise rights and ownership interests diverge. Royal Dynasty International Holding Company acquired the franchise business in 2015 for a reported RMB 524 million. The transaction placed the brand within a mainland Chinese catering group and represented the highest-profile ownership transition in the supplied history. The available material does not provide a complete account of Royal Dynasty’s subsequent store strategy, product development, or international management. The Hong Kong operation later faced financial and trading pressure. In 2020, a winding-up petition was filed against the business. Hui Lau Shan attributed reduced customer numbers to the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests and the surrounding disruption. The petition was withdrawn in July 2020 after the parties reached a settlement. Subsequent reporting referred to the closure of Hong Kong outlets and treated the development as the retreat of a longstanding local food brand. However, the supplied sources do not conclusively document the status of every outlet or franchise in mainland China and overseas markets. The brand’s historical significance rests on its transition from herbal-tea shop to dessert chain, its popularization of mango-based tong sui, and its regional expansion through franchising.
- 2020
Hong Kong winding-up petition and settlement
[1]The Hong Kong business faced a winding-up petition amid declining customer traffic. The petition was withdrawn in July after a settlement.
- 2015
Acquisition by Royal Dynasty
[1]Royal Dynasty International Holding Company acquired the franchise business for a reported RMB 524 million.
- 2007
Hong Kong franchise sold to Navis Capital Partners
[1]The third-generation owner sold the Hong Kong franchise to Malaysian investment firm Navis Capital Partners.
- 2007
Guangzhou operation adopts Tang Lau Shan name
[1]A franchise-rights dispute led the Hui Lau Shan Guangzhou operation to change its trading name to Tang Lau Shan.
- 1990
Development of mango sago
[1]The third generation of the family introduced mango sago, beginning the brand’s strong association with fresh-fruit and mango desserts.
- 1990
Regional and international expansion
[1]Hui Lau Shan expanded its outlet network across Hong Kong, mainland China, Malaysia, the United States, and South Korea, later being reported to have more than 260 outlets.
- 1980
Expansion into snacks and desserts
[1]The business diversified beyond herbal products and began offering items including turnip cake, coconut-milk preparations, and other snacks and sweets.
- 1960
Founding in Yuen Long
[1]Hui Chi-Yuk founded Hui Lau Shan in Yuen Long as an herbal outlet selling turtle jelly and herbal teas.
Products and positioning
A Hong Kong dessert-chain brand combining Cantonese herbal and tong sui traditions with fresh-fruit desserts, especially mango-centered products.
Traditional herbal drinks
Herbal teas
Herbal teas were part of Hui Lau Shan’s original Yuen Long shop format. They connected the brand to Hong Kong’s traditional herbal-drink retail culture and remained an important marker of its early identity before the business became primarily associated with contemporary desserts.
Traditional herbal dessert
Turtle jelly
Turtle jelly was one of the founding outlet’s core products. This bitter herbal jelly helped define Hui Lau Shan’s early positioning as an herbal outlet rather than a specialized fruit-dessert chain.
Fruit dessert
Mango sago
Mango sago was developed by the third generation of the Hui family in the 1990s. Its combination of mango and sago helped shift the brand toward fresh-fruit desserts and became one of the defining products in Hui Lau Shan’s modern identity.
Fruit dessert soup
Mango pomelo sago
Mango pomelo sago is a chilled Cantonese-style dessert combining mango with pomelo and sago. The dish became closely associated with Hui Lau Shan and helped establish the chain as a specialist in mango-centered dessert soups.
Desserts · 1990
Fresh-fruit desserts
From the 1990s, Hui Lau Shan increasingly used fresh fruit in dessert soups, drinks, puddings, and other sweet preparations. This product direction differentiated the chain from more traditional tong sui shops and supported its regional franchise expansion.
Cantonese snacks · 1980
Traditional snacks
The chain broadened its menu in the 1980s with snacks including turnip cake and coconut-milk preparations. These items supported the transition from herbal outlet to a wider casual dessert and snack business.
Brand decisions
2020
Settle Hong Kong winding-up petitionOtherBackground
The Hong Kong business faced a winding-up petition after customer traffic declined during the period of the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests.
Action taken
Hui Lau Shan reached a settlement, resulting in withdrawal of the petition in July 2020.
Aftermath
Subsequent reporting described the closure of Hong Kong outlets, while the status of all remaining overseas and mainland operations is not established by the supplied sources.
2015
Acquire the franchise business through Royal DynastyM&ABackground
Hui Lau Shan’s franchise structure had become commercially significant across Hong Kong and mainland China.
Action taken
Royal Dynasty International Holding Company acquired the franchise business for a reported RMB 524 million.
Aftermath
The transaction placed Hui Lau Shan within a mainland Chinese catering group, although the supplied material does not document the buyer’s full subsequent operating strategy.
Reported acquisition price. RMB 524 million (2015)
2007
Sell the Hong Kong franchise to Navis Capital PartnersM&ABackground
The family-owned brand had expanded through franchise arrangements and maintained operations across multiple territories.
Action taken
The third-generation owner sold the Hong Kong franchise to Malaysian investment firm Navis Capital Partners.
Aftermath
A dispute over franchise rights contributed to the Guangzhou operation adopting the Tang Lau Shan name.
1990
Introduce mango sago and emphasize fresh-fruit dessertsProduct launchBackground
Hui Lau Shan had expanded beyond its original herbal-tea format and was developing a broader dessert and snack proposition.
Action taken
The third generation introduced mango sago and built a wider menu around fresh fruit, particularly mango.
Aftermath
Mango desserts became central to the brand’s identity and supported its later growth as a regional dessert chain.
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Reported
Landlords sue Hui Lau Shan over unpaid rent[4]
Multiple Hong Kong branches of the dessert chain Hui Lau Shan faced actions by landlords at the Hong Kong High Court seeking recovery of unpaid rent.
- Unconfirmed
Jiedian signs an exclusive partnership with Honeymoon Dessert[5]
Jiedian announced that it had signed an exclusive partnership with Honeymoon Dessert. Jiedian had already entered more than 200 of Honeymoon Dessert's stores, with coverage of more than 400 stores planned.
Sources5 sources
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