Ngo Thuy Trang, a senior student, speaks with Xinhua at the International Culinary Culture Festival 2025 in Hanoi, Vietnam, Nov. 23, 2025. (Photo by Vu Trung Kien/Xinhua)

HANOI, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- At the International Culinary Culture Festival 2025 held in Vietnam's capital Hanoi last weekend, Chinese dishes attracted strong interest from local visitors, with the aroma of traditional Chinese dumplings filling the air around the stall.

Ngo Thuy Trang, a senior student in Hanoi, held a bowl of dumplings and said Chinese cuisine has already become part of her daily life.

"I've always loved Chinese food. I like spicy, slightly oily dishes with soft textures," she added. "They're very delicious."

Trang said she first learned about Chinese cuisine through social media and online food-eating videos, also known as mukbang videos.

"Since then, I've often searched for places that sell Chinese-style food so I can order it for home delivery, or sometimes I go directly to the restaurant to eat," she said.

She said the climate and regional culture have shaped the diversity of Chinese cuisine, which deeply fascinates her, and she hopes to travel to China one day to taste the authentic flavors.

The growing interest among young Vietnamese consumers points to rising potential for Chinese cuisine in Vietnam, said Wang Lihui, vice chairman of China Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam.

Wang emphasized that Vietnam offers huge market potential as it has a population of about 100 million people. "For that reason, I consider Vietnam a promising starting point for Chinese cuisine to expand overseas," he noted.

As the interest in Chinese food rises in Vietnam, several major Chinese food and beverage brands have already achieved significant business growth in this Southeast Asian country.

According to the data announced by Super Hi International, Haidilao, the Chinese hotpot chain, earned about 43.6 million U.S. dollars in Vietnam in the first half of 2025, accounting for more than ten percent of its global revenue. ■

People attend the International Culinary Culture Festival 2025 in Hanoi, Vietnam, Nov. 23, 2025. (Photo by Vu Trung Kien/Xinhua)