The traditional dim sum bakery, Golden Fung Wong Bakery, with over sixty years of history in Chinatown, New York, has announced its closure at the end of July. On July 31st, a pink sign was posted on the storefront saying “Golden Fung Wong Bakery is retiring. Thanks everyone for your love and wishes for peace and health.” Upon hearing the news, many customers rushed to make their final purchases, expressing their sadness. Some customers even brought flowers, and the staff had friends help out on the last day of operation, marking a memorable moment in the shop’s history.
Located at 41 Mott Street in Chinatown, Golden Fung Wong Bakery, which first opened at 30 Mott Street in 1961, specialized in traditional pastries such as wife cakes. Even after changing ownership, the bakery continued to preserve its traditional recipes, offering a variety of traditional treats like red bean cakes, sesame cakes, mooncakes, hometown pastries, hot and cold drinks, attracting a steady stream of customers on regular days.
This bakery is also one of the few in New York that still makes “xi bing” (bridal cakes), a traditional Chinese pastry used as part of the traditional engagement gifts in Cantonese and Fujianese weddings. After the bride’s family reciprocates the gift, the remaining bridal cakes are distributed to relatives and friends, symbolizing the joy of the daughter’s marriage, hence the name “xi bing.”
The shop still displays some colorful flower baskets used for “jyu loong beng.” In the past, in Hong Kong, families facing financial difficulties couldn’t afford expensive mooncakes, so they joined “mooncake clubs” to make installment payments. As a gift for purchasing mooncakes, these clubs would give out “jyu loong beng,” which are mooncake crusts molded into pig shapes and placed in baskets or bamboo cages, loved by children. The staff mentioned that these flower baskets were imported from Hong Kong and are now used to hold different pastries as a commemorative item, based on customer demand.
On the final day of operation, the bakery owner and her husband were busy. The owner mentioned that the first owner of the shop was from Hong Kong, and she had been running the shop for nearly 35 years, preserving traditional techniques passed down through generations, maintaining the flavors of pastries enjoyed by the older generation. Although no one will be inheriting the shop for now, she plans to discuss with her husband and pass on her skills to someone interested in pursuing this line of work.
The bakery still retains a set of traditional wooden tools used in pastry making, which are considered family heirlooms originating from Hong Kong. These tools will be preserved in a Chinese history museum as a testament to the heritage of Chinese pastry culture.
A former female staff member who worked at the shop ten years ago expressed her nostalgia for the place, saying many, including herself, felt sentimental as the shop closed. She volunteered to help the owner on the final day of business, reminiscing about how her journey started there and how the shop had witnessed significant moments in her life, from working there to getting married and having children.
A customer from Hong Kong, Ms. Xie, learned about the closure of the bakery and made a special trip on July 20th to purchase the renowned red bean cakes, buying ten in one go. She heard about the famous freshly baked egg cakes in the shop but unfortunately, they were not ready by the morning, leaving a sense of regret. She lamented the closure of the bakery, noting that the pastries had a nostalgic taste reminiscent of old Hong Kong.
Ms. Zeng, who had lived in Hong Kong and tried various traditional bakeries there, was a frequent patron of Golden Fung Wong Bakery. She praised the bakery’s red bean cakes for their soft, sweet, and chewy texture, reminiscent of authentic Hong Kong flavors. Additionally, traditional pastries like wife cakes, preserved egg pastries, and chicken biscuits are rare finds at the bakery, showcasing traditional craftsmanship. Ms. Zeng believed that the flavors of this bakery were on par with traditional Chinese bakeries in Hong Kong.