Touching CNY reunion: Hawker couple tear up after surprise visit from Indonesia-based daughter and grandchildren

A family reunion this Lunar New Year was extra special for one hawker couple, who had a surprise visit from their Indonesia-based grandkids and daughter. 

On Friday (Feb 9), the couple's son Teo Jun Jie shared a heartwarming TikTok clip of his parents in utter shock at seeing their daughter and grandkids arrive at their hawker stall in Chinatown.

"What a beautiful love story," the video caption read.

@teojuju

What a beautiful love story ❤️

♬ original sound - Junjie Teo

Jun Jie, 28, told AsiaOne that the last time his parents, Teo Ching Hwa and Tan Quee Lan, were together with their grandchildren was during a family trip to Thailand last December.

The two 62-year-olds are based in Singapore, while their daughter, Teo Xiu Min, who married Indonesian Warren Tanudjaja, resides in Bandung with their two grandkids.

In the lead-up to this touching moment, Jun Jie noted that his parents probably "gave up hope" of seeing their grandkids.

However, what Ching Hwa and Quee Lan did not know was that the family had been planning a surprise visit months in advanced.

Jun Jie shared with AsiaOne that his Indonesia-based sister, Xiu Min, had already booked her flight ticket to Singapore last October.

The family had to then keep their lips sealed for months in order for this special surprise to work. But as Jun Jie mentioned in the video: "It was definitely worth the wait."

'Distance makes the heart grow fonder'

Jun Jie mentioned how his parents would have daily video calls with Xiu Min, and they would often suggest it might be good for Xiu Min to visit during Chinese New Year.

She would kindly reject their offer, claiming that she'd have to celebrate with her in-laws in Indonesia.

So a regular work day at the hawker centre turned into a special reunion when the hawkers caught sight of Xiu Min and her two kids, Kobe and Jordan, approaching them.

Ching Hwa broke into a smile as he dropped what he was doing to embrace his grandkids and was visibly moved by the moment.

"You can see this old man tearing up," the in-video caption read, referring to Ching Hwa.

At the time of writing, Jun Jie's TikTok video had more than 750,000 views.

This was something the Muay Thai instructor did not expect, as the initial plan was to simply create a video "out of love" for his family to fondly look back on.

He added: "Family is everything. Nothing beats celebrating Chinese New Year with the whole family."

The comments section were full of netizens wishing Jun Jie and his family a prosperous new year.

There were also a few others who had trouble keeping their emotions in check.

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amierul@asiaone.com

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