A devoted Chinese father travelled 900 kilometres to his daughter’s university to open a small food stall, after learning that she missed the taste of home-cooked meals.

According to foreign media reports, the touching story from north-eastern China has drawn widespread attention. The man’s daughter, Li Bingdi, is a second-year student at Jilin Normal University in Siping, Jilin Province. For a year, she complained that the food served in the university canteen lacked quality and the familiar taste of home.

Moved by his daughter’s words, the father left his job at a barbecue restaurant in Tianjin, a city in the south, and set out on a journey across China. He spent time learning to prepare dishes such as fried rice and noodles before renting a small stall just outside his daughter’s university gate.

The stall first opened in mid-October. On the opening day, he sold only seven plates of rice, earning a small profit, while his daughter made 70 yuan that day as a private tutor—more than her father’s total earnings.

Touched by his effort, Li shared her father’s story on her university’s social media platform, describing his dedication to clean cooking and his eagerness to receive advice to improve sales. The post soon sparked a wave of sympathy and support, with long queues forming at the stall as students, teachers and local residents waited patiently to buy food.

Li said some customers placed extra orders simply to show support, and many praised her father’s hard work in the comments. As business grew, Li began spending most of her free time helping her father at the stall.

She recalled a moment last month when her father mentioned feeling cold while working in harsh weather, but now, surrounded by supportive customers, he felt warmth despite the winter chill.

Li explained that her father sought no great profit. He only wished to earn enough to live simply and remain close to his daughter.

After losing her mother to leukaemia a few years ago, Li said she and her father had become each other’s greatest support. When she hesitated about studying in another city, he quietly assured her that he would follow her wherever she went.

“He kept his promise,” she said with emotion. “Many call a father’s love great and steadfast, but to me, my father’s love feels as warm as the sun.”