China News Service, Hong Kong, August 12 (Reporter Wang Jiacheng) The 31st Hong Kong Food Expo opened on the 12th at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center.
In order to prevent the new crown epidemic, for the first time this year, the Food Expo stipulated that tastings could not be provided.
Regarding the relevant arrangements, some citizens said in an interview with a reporter from China News Agency that although the inability to try to eat will affect the purchase, they understand that epidemic prevention and safety are the first, so that everyone can buy with more peace of mind.
On August 12, five exhibitions attracted citizens to enter.
Photo by Li Zhihua
The Hong Kong Food Expo is organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and is one of the largest food exhibitions in Asia.
Since the exhibition opened in the late 1980s, it has been deeply loved by gourmets.
However, affected by the epidemic, the exhibition was forced to postpone last year, and it has only revisited the public until now.
It is reported that the Hong Kong International Wine Fair (Special Exhibition), Hong Kong International Tea Fair, Home Appliances·Houseware·Expo and Beauty and Health Life Expo will also be held at the same time.
The five exhibitions will gather around 900 international exhibitors this year for a period of 5 days and will showcase local cuisine and trendy products.
Although there are no tastings, exhibitors have made various tricks to attract customers, such as launching "1 yuan (HK$, the same below) Wagyu Fubao", "1 yuan seafood package", "1 yuan moon cake" and so on.
In order to grab these 1 yuan delicacies, some "foodies" lined up at the scene two hours in advance, and rushed into the venue to buy them when the exhibition opened.
The 30 "One Yuan Seafood Concentration" heated instant buns launched by Hongxing Group only opened the door for 1 minute. There were long queues in front of the booth, and the staff at the booth had to cut out the first 30 lucky ones.
Duria, a brand that specializes in durian and "durian surroundings" products, also launched the "1 yuan Musang King Mooncake" this year, which is limited to 100 copies every morning.
Today these 100 copies have been sold out in only 15 minutes.
The person in charge, Mr. Ji, said that on the first day of the launch, the passenger flow was almost as expected. The government-issued consumer vouchers released a certain amount of purchasing power, and buyers were very enthusiastic.
Poon Choi is a traditional delicacy of the residents of the Wai Village in the New Territories of Hong Kong. It has a history of hundreds of years. It is one of the preserved delicacies of Hong Kong people during the festive season. In previous years, diners would directly make reservations with restaurants.
However, the epidemic has forced many families to choose to cook their own food at home, and making traditional Poon Choi is complicated and takes time.
Ms. Chen, the person in charge of Yuen Long Yongnian Store, said that the company has specially launched Poon Choi products. In this Food Expo, it has prepared 10 "1 Yuan Poon Choi" quotas every day. "I hope everyone will have fun together. , Have fun."
Ms. Lin and her son came to the exhibition early that day.
They said that when they knew that the food expo was going to be held, they had planned to come over, wanting to buy good things and also help businessmen.
“It’s a good thing that there is no tasting, it helps prevent the epidemic and allows everyone to shop safely.” Ms. Lin said.
An 8-year-old child surnamed Wu came here with his parents and brother. He shyly said that what he wanted most was potato chips.
Father Wu told reporters that the family will also participate in the food expo in previous years, mainly buying soup materials such as fish maw and winter mushrooms, which can be stored for a longer period of time. The trailer brought this time has already been loaded with rice, drinks and snacks.
Compared with previous years, people could not walk in the past. This year, due to epidemic prevention restrictions, there are fewer people.
Although it's a pity that I can't try it, I understand that it is for epidemic prevention and to protect the safety of the public.
The Director of the Bureau of Commerce and Economic Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Yau Tenghua, said at the opening ceremony that trade is facing many challenges under the epidemic. Even if this exhibition is resumed, Hong Kong will still need time to resume international business. Provided by the Anti-epidemic Anti-epidemic Foundation Support, including funding of no less than 1 billion yuan for exhibitions to be held in the coming year.
He emphasized that Hong Kong's ability to hold major exhibitions did not come easily.
Hong Kong has good public health and anti-epidemic measures. The COVID-19 vaccination rate in Hong Kong has gradually increased. Currently, it has exceeded half of the population, but we must continue to work hard. The public also abides by public health measures, demonstrating that even in the epidemic, there is still a way to return to normal.
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