Wuxi eatery offers 'soup wontons for the soul'

The elderly residents in Lixinlu community can eat for free at the restaurant thanks to a policy encouraging diners to buy extra bowls of wontons for those in need. [photo/www.wxrb.com]

"Residents above 70 years old can enjoy a bowl of wontons for free, and the disabled and cleaners can too," said Lin Shuifang, the Party secretary of Lixinlu.

Warm Home Taste's policy was inspired by the "coffee on the wall" system that originated in cafes in working-class neighborhoods in Naples, Italy. Diners at the cafes would often pay for two cups of coffee, but pin the receipt for the second cup to the wall for someone else to redeem later.

This system based on random acts of kindness has since caught on all over the world, including in small communities in Wuxi.