The 36th HKTDC Food Expo, along with the Beauty & Wellness Expo and Home Delights Expo, opened today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the three fairs run concurrently from 13 to 17 August, showcasing a wide range of food, lifestyle, and wellness products. The Food Expo PRO (13–15 August) is open exclusively to trade buyers for the first two days, while the final day welcomes both trade and public visitors. The Hong Kong International Tea Fair (13–15 August) is fully open to all visitors this year. The International Conference on the Modernization of Chinese Medicine & Health Products (ICMCM) also commenced today, running until 15 August.
The opening ceremony was officiated by Paul Chan, Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong SAR Government, alongside Dr Jonathan Choi, HKTDC Council Member, and Sophia Chong, HKTDC Executive Director. Dr Choi highlighted the fairs’ central theme, ‘Live Well. Stay Well,’ emphasizing the growing integration of wellness into daily life. He noted that the event brings together over 1,850 exhibitors from more than 30 countries and regions, creating a vibrant marketplace spanning food, tea, home living, beauty, and wellness. Ms Chong underscored Hong Kong’s role as a key food trading hub, facilitating cross-border collaboration and connecting the Chinese Mainland with international markets.
Five Themed Days Promote Quality Living
The fairs feature five themed days designed to encourage healthy and fulfilling lifestyles. The first day, ‘Happy Eat Happy Life,’ focuses on balanced nutrition, showcasing wellness products such as cistanche health drinks, ready-to-eat bird’s nest, and organic dried blueberries from the Changbai Mountains. The Home Delights Expo features a high-speed food processor for texture-modified meals, aiding the elderly and those with swallowing difficulties. The Beauty & Wellness Expo offers complimentary health assessments, including traditional Chinese wellness consultations and skin/scalp evaluations.
The second day, ‘The World in Blink,’ highlights global delicacies, including South African honey, Finnish chocolates, Peruvian cacao nibs, and a creative Chiu Chow-style foie gras toast. Asian flavors include pandan chiffon cakes from Singapore, Thai tea, and Korean probiotic yogurt. The Beauty & Wellness Expo showcases innovative beauty devices and clear aligners, alongside cultural activities like embroidery workshops and ethnic dance performances.
The third day, ‘Coffee or Tea?,’ features the return of the ‘Coffee Zone’ with exhibitors from Yunnan Province, China’s largest coffee-growing region, offering unique products like truffle mushroom drip coffee. The Hong Kong International Tea Fair presents rare teas, including purple bud raw Pu’er tea from Yunnan and ceremonial-grade matcha from the new Chinese Mainland Matcha Pavilion. The inaugural Yixing Zisha Teaware Pavilion highlights traditional purple clay teaware, while a new ‘Tea Lifestyle’ zone integrates tea culture into contemporary living with innovative beverages like Pu’er coffee tea and LockCha beer.
Fresh Produce and Relaxation Focus
The fourth day, ‘Stay Fresh, Stay Ahead,’ emphasizes premium fresh produce. Hong Kong’s Fish Marketing Organization and Vegetable Marketing Organization introduce their new unified brand, ‘Hong Kong Harvest,’ showcasing local fishery and agricultural products. The Chinese Mainland pavilion, organized by the Agricultural Trade Promotion Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, presents hundreds of regional delicacies, including Yunnan ham, Xinjiang wines, and Hainan coconut water. The Gourmet Zone celebrates its 15th edition with 15 star chefs demonstrating exquisite dishes.
The final day, ‘Let’s Chill,’ introduces the ‘Stay Relax’ zone at the Beauty & Wellness Expo, featuring red-light therapy pods and medical wellness products. The Home Delights Expo hosts the new ‘Go Sleep Exp,’ exploring the sleep journey through immersive experiences. The Food Expo also debuts a Dessert and Gelato Theme, offering over 100 desserts and specialty ice creams, including handmade fresh milk mochi and sourdough mille-feuille.
Trade Highlights and Chinese Medicine Conference
For trade visitors, Food Expo PRO introduces a new ‘Meat Zone’ showcasing premium meats from the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, Brazil, Korea, and the United States. The ‘Food Science and Technology Zone’ focuses on wellness trends, featuring alternative foods and innovative health products, such as a ready-to-consume formula incorporating Gastrodia elata from Guizhou. Pet food products are introduced for the first time, using patented packaging technology for room-temperature storage. The halal food and beverage label expands for the third consecutive year, with over 130 exhibitors from various markets.
The ICMCM, supported by the Chinese Medicine Development Fund, focuses on ‘Clinical Translation, Regulatory Policies and Global Innovative Pathways of Traditional Medicine,’ promoting international exchange and the ‘bringing in’ and ‘going global’ of Chinese medicine.