The godfather of internet memes, “Hide the Pain Harold”, was on Friday continuing his visit of Hong Kong, much to the delight of local fans.

András István Arató became a worldwide internet sensation in 2011 and is best known for his facial expression that captures suppressed pain or discomfort while trying to force a seemingly fake smile.

Over the past couple of days, the retired Hungarian electrical engineer has been posting photos of himself in Wan Chai and the Central harbourfront, as well as videos of him greeting Hong Kong fans in Cantonese.

Local netizens were thrilled about the legend’s visit to the city, with many leaving comments on András’s social media page.

“Welcome to Hong Kong!” some wrote. “Will there be any fans meeting? I will definitely love to join."

"I think this will be more successful than any other HK tourist promotion," another fan said.

The Hungarian rose to fame after he became a model for stock images. The photographer who took his stock photos reportedly asked him to smile, but this was perceived by many as a face that masked sorrow, ultimately giving him the internet name of “Hide the Pain Harold”.

The most famous picture of him shows him in front of a laptop with a cup of coffee in hand, which is still used in memes today.