
Hong Kong's Mister Softee ice cream truck pioneer, Ho King-yuen, dies at 98
Ho King-yuen, a beloved figure in Hong Kong, has passed away at the age of 98. He brought the city its very first ice cream van, delighting countless residents and visitors with sweet treats over the years.
Ho and two friends introduced the first Mister Softee ice cream truck to Hong Kong in 1970, and the vehicles have since become a beloved staple and popular tourist attraction.
More than 20 people queued at one of the ice cream vans on Tuesday afternoon under the Hong Kong Observation Wheel. Most were tourists who had heard about the trucks on mainland Chinese social media platforms, while some residents described the vans as being part of their 'childhood memories'.
'With his experience at Dairy Farm, he imported the first soft ice cream van to Hong Kong from overseas with his friends and founded Mister Softee [here], which brought many precious sweet memories to many generations of Hongkongers and has become a renowned brand in the city,' an obituary published in a local newspaper on Tuesday said.
'He retired at an old age and transferred the business to another company. He then moved to Perth in Western Australia with his family.'
Ice cream that doesn't melt? New discovery means scientists are one step closer
How Mister Softee came to Hong Kong
Mister Softee was founded by William and James Conway in 1956 in Philadelphia. It is one of the largest franchisers of soft ice cream in the United States.
According to media reports, Ho and two other people bought the franchise rights after seeing a park filled with ice cream trucks during a visit to the United Kingdom.
The first Mister Softee truck in Hong Kong opened in a football field in Tsuen Wan with a cup of ice cream costing 50 HK cents, with the business making HK$800 within an hour.
In 2010, the American company reclaimed the franchise rights and the English name of the Hong Kong brand was changed to Mobile Softee.
A family joyfully buying soft ice-cream cones from a Mister Softee ice cream van on a street in Sham Shui Po in May 1995. Photo: SCMP
Memories for locals and tourists alike
The ice cream vans are famous for playing 'The Blue Danube' on repeat and have become a well-known staple in Hong Kong.
The white trucks with their red and blue pattern are also popular photo spots for mainland Chinese tourists.
On a Chinese social media platform, there are more than 10,000 posts discussing where to find the mobile truck, why it is popular and how the ice cream tastes.
Many tourists consider encountering the mobile truck a lucky experience, as it operates without a fixed schedule or location.
'I consider it a lucky day whenever I come across a Mobile Softee truck. It is a well-deserved reward after walking thousands of steps around the city,' one mainland social media user said.
Ice cream chain Baskin-Robbins launches AI lab to develop 'innovative' varieties
In tourist spots such as the Hong Kong Observation Wheel and Tsim Sha Tsui, where the truck frequently stops, its catchy music often acts as a cue for customers to form long queues.
'You can only find this ice cream in Hong Kong and it really showcases the authentic vibe of the city,' said Lili Li, an 18-year-old student who was queuing for ice cream in Central on Tuesday afternoon.
She was visiting the city for the first time with two friends from Xiamen.
Princess Chung, a 30-year-old resident who works in retail, joined the line with two friends before heading to a nearby event.
'When we were kids, we knew the ice cream van was coming when we heard its unique catchy music. I don't know why they stopped playing it,' said Chung, adding she learned about the Ho's passing from the media.
Ho King-yuen's passing marks the end of an era for the city's beloved mobile ice cream treat. Photo: Eugene Lee
Ho King-yuen's life
According to the obituary, Ho died on January 23 in Perth, Australia, and was survived by his wife, children and grandchildren. He was buried in Karrakatta Cemetery on Saturday last week.
Ho lost his father during World War II and dropped out of school at a young age. The oldest among his siblings, Ho had to take on the responsibility of being the carer for his younger brothers and sisters and worked several jobs to support them.
He later took up a major position at Dairy Farm – later rebranded as DFI Retail Group – while working a part-time job at the Hong Kong Jockey Club. He also became an auxiliary police officer and rose to the rank of inspector.
His elder daughter is a practising lawyer and his second son is an engineer.
According to the obituary, Ho had learned martial arts when he was young. He also loved Cantonese opera, Chinese literature and poetry, and could recite many famous works.
'Ho was always keen to help others and eager to help people to achieve their goals. He was a well-regarded man. He helped many of his colleagues and helped them to settle down in Australia,' the obituary read.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


RTHK
8 hours ago
- RTHK
Businessman Charles Ho dies at 75
Businessman Charles Ho dies at 75 Charles Ho was once the chairman of Sing Tao News Corporation, and served as a standing committee member of the country's political advisory body. File photo: RTHK Tobacco and media tycoon Charles Ho has died at the age of 75. In February, he revealed that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer a few months prior and he had since recovered after receiving treatment. Ho previously served as a standing committee member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). He oversaw the operations of Sing Tao News Corporation as chairman before he sold his shares in 2021. The businessman also inherited the Hong Kong Tobacco Company from his grandfather, Ho Ying-chie, who founded the firm. In 2014, Ho was awarded the Grand Bauhinia Star by the government under then-Chief Executive CY Leung. Paying tribute on social media on Thursday, Leung called the news "a shock" and said the two had met over dinner just several weeks ago. The former SAR leader had words of praise for Ho, who he called a "philosophical person". Leung added that Ho "had a keen understanding of politics and the world, and never said one thing and meant another".


RTHK
11 hours ago
- RTHK
Workers urged to report labour import violations
Workers urged to report labour import violations Chris Sun says workers can call a Labour Department hotline if they suspect they have been laid off illegally. Photo: RTHK Labour minister Chris Sun on Thursday said people who suspect they were laid off by their employer in order to be replaced by workers from outside the city should file official complaints. Sun said he is aware that some people have been making such claims recently, stressing that such moves by employers would be illegal. He added that by law, companies are required to employ two local people for every imported worker they have on their books. Sun said officials will investigate complaints made through the Labour Department's 2150 6363 hotline. The minister said more spot checks will also be conducted, especially in the catering sector. "If officials find and confirm any violation during the checks, we will consider imposing executive sanctions against the company," he told reporters after attending an event. "These include cancelling the labour import quota allocated to the firm, or that for a certain period of time going forward, we will refuse all their import applications." Sun stressed that local workers will always get priority when it comes to jobs. Meanwhile, the minister said around 100 former employees of King Parrot Group have sought help from the Labour Department over HK$9 million in unpaid wages and severance pay. The group, which owned a number of restaurants, informed staff earlier this week that it was ending its operations.


HKFP
12 hours ago
- HKFP
New head of Hong Kong's Foreign Correspondents' Club Morgan Davis vows to hold the line
The new head of Hong Kong's Foreign Correspondents' Club (FCC) has told HKFP the press club will 'stay the course' under her tenure by supporting journalists and seeking dialogue with governments. Morgan Davis, the Asia Bonds Editor at the UK-headquartered International Financing Review, stood as the sole candidate for president last month, replacing Lee Williamson of the South China Morning Post as chief following elections last month. 'We will continue the same process for issuing press freedom statements and I do not anticipate any changes to our approach this year,' she told HKFP on Thursday over email. 'I believe these are an important tool for us at the club to signal our support for journalists in the region, and we, of course, welcome an open dialogue with governments and regional leaders on these events and topics.' A Hong Kong resident of nine years, Davis was born in Illinois, US and studied journalism in New York. She served as an FCC board member for three years ahead of taking the helm, and also teaches international journalism to master's students at Hong Kong Baptist University. Meanwhile, Williamson posted a farewell messages across social media on Wednesday, saying that he was 'deeply grateful to every single member of both boards over the last two years for their support and counsel, which have been invaluable.' He said that the club had issued 21 press freedom statements over the past two years, with 14 relating to Hong Kong. The FCC Journalism Conference and Charity Committee returned under his leadership, whilst correspondent and journalist membership rose by 6.5 per cent since last year, he added. Gov't lease The club leases a venue from the government at the Old Dairy Farm Depot on Lower Albert Road in Central. After being renewed in 2022 for three years, with new national security clauses added, the agreement is set to expire at the end of this year. Davis told HKFP she was focused on ensuring the lease was renewed: 'I am confident the club has demonstrated its commitment to keeping its home as we invested HK$5.9m to maintain our heritage building. We have proven ourselves to be an integral part of the Hong Kong community through our charity work, our professional programs for journalists, and our club events, which support an open dialogue on relevant issues. ' In 2018, former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying suggested that the lease could be cancelled after the club hosted a talk by a pro-independence activist. Press freedom concerns Hong Kong has plummeted in international press freedom indices since the onset of the 2020 and 2024 security laws. Watchdogs cite the arrest and jailing of journalists, raids on newsrooms and the closure of around 10 media outlets including Apple Daily, Stand News and Citizen News. Over 1,000 journalists have lost their jobs, whilst many have emigrated. Meanwhile, the city's government-funded broadcaster RTHK has adopted new editorial guidelines, purged its archives and axed news and satirical shows. In 2022, Chief Executive John Lee said press freedom was 'in the pocket' of Hongkongers but 'nobody is above the law.' Although he has told the press to ' tell a good Hong Kong story,' government departments have been reluctant to respond to story pitches.