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You are listening to Round Table, I am Niu Huling, joined by Steve and Yuxuan.
Have you ever paid extra for your meal for the following reasons?
A tip for the waiter, a service fee,
maybe a charge for that brand new pack of tissues, or the freshly disinfected tableware.
Now, how about a tea per seat fee?
Yes, not per pot, not per person ordering the tea, per seat.
What would you think if you saw that on your bill?
are talking about this on today's show.
And we'll welcome the Heart to Heart segment,
where we take your voice memos and emails, unpack your questions, and share our thoughts.
You talk, we listen, no topic is too big or too small.
What's important is what's on your mind today.
But before that...
In Guangdong province, sitting down for a pot of tea with dim sum is quite the pleasure.
It involves sipping, eating and chatting, as well as tradition and atmosphere and everything.
And, as many tourists discovered, it also includes a little something extra on the bill,
cha wei fei in Chinese or the tea per seat fee in direct translation.
That is sometimes charged even if your cup stays perfectly dry.
This long-standing practice rooted in the region's morning tea culture has now become a topic of online debate about transparency and consumer rights.