On April 27, Li Xin, the owner of Jin Ji HK Restaurant, marked the 30th anniversary of her eatery in Yantian with a large birthday cake, dressed in bright red.

The Hong Kong woman has lived in the district for 34 years and spent nearly half her life turning Hong Kong-style dishes into a shared memory for generations of local residents.

Li Xin (C) celebrates the 30th anniversary of her restaurant with family and friends.

In 1993, Li came to work in Yantian after graduating from university. Three years later, she quit her stable job and opened the restaurant in Shatoujiao.

Seeing a gap in the local food market and a growing appetite among residents for authentic Hong Kong flavors, Li opened Jin Ji, the first authentic Hong Kong restaurant in the area. She hoped her restaurant would become a place for cross-border travelers to rest their feet, where locals could enjoy a hot, crispy pineapple bun and a cup of silk-stocking milk tea.

Over 30 years, Li has witnessed dramatic changes in Shatoujiao. The bungalows that once housed shops have given way to modern shopping areas and parks.

To cater to an inflow of young customers, her restaurant has also evolved. While keeping signature dishes such as pineapple buns and wonton noodles, the menu has expanded to include Cantonese clay pot dishes and local Hakka cuisine. The restaurant has also begun offering online delivery and takeout services while reaching diners via social media. Li has also started offering healthy light meal sets and uses her phone to record short videos of pineapple buns fresh out of the oven.

Sourcing ingredients both locally and from neighboring Hong Kong, the restaurant sticks to Hong Kong's fine craftsmanship while also accommodating local preferences.

The entrance to Li Xin's restaurant is decorated with balloons.

Over the years, the restaurant has built an emotional bond with many customers. One Hong Kong customer in his 70s, affectionately known as Brother Hua, visits the eatery every month for a bowl of hot wonton noodles and to catch up with old friends.

Quite a few Hong Kong youths working in Shenzhen view the restaurant as their own kitchen. They eat, chat, and become friends with the staff.

For many local residents, Jin Ji is like their "neighborhood salon." Faced with setbacks, they order a cup of milk tea and sit quietly in a corner. Old neighbors also make it a habit to meet here to discuss community affairs. Many young people new to Shatoujiao come here to seek advice on renting homes and jobs.

As secretary of the Yantian Hong Kong Natives Association, Li has been part of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong integration process. She always encourages Hong Kong youth to settle in Yantian, because she believes "the Greater Bay Area is a land of opportunity."

Jin Ji's bowl of wonton noodles has warmed countless travelers between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, giving its proud owner a sense of fulfillment that has driven her through three decades of hard work.