The five-day 2026 Food Expo remained busy through its final day on Monday, with exhibitors reporting strong sales and praising the fair as a prime platform for global exposure and business matching, and many returning consumers spending thousands of Hong Kong dollars on gourmet selections.

On the sidelines, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Chinese mainland deepened cooperation on agricultural products and food, signing cooperation documents and holding introduction meetings between businesses to leverage Hong Kong’s international reach and professional services for expanding mainland farm exports globally.

A flagship event hosted by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the expo returned for its 36th edition from Thursday through Monday, accompanied by four concurrent fairs covering beauty, wellness, home delights, tea, and traditional Chinese medicine and health products.

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The fairs together attracted more than 1,850 exhibitors from over 30 countries and regions and hundreds of thousands of visitors.

Even on its final day, the Food Expo drew large crowds. By just after 11 am, visitors had already flocked to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, many carrying trolleys or large bags for bargain-hunting.

The venue buzzed with lively chatter and the aroma of food, while exhibitors canvassed attention with promotions like lucky bags. Long lines appeared at many booths, and shopping visitors were in a lively mood.

South Korean brand Nongshim — renowned for its spicy instant noodles — sparked a buzz on social media over its ramen‑themed shopping bags. A company representative told China Daily that Nongshim had given away all of the 3,000 bags prepared for customers by Saturday morning, while visitors kept asking for them, even on the last day.

She said the brand has participated in the Food Expo about 10 times, offering generous discounts and new product tastings each year. She rated this year’s sales as “satisfactory”, expecting a double‑digit growth compared with last year.

Wenchang Must Select Supply Chain, an exhibitor from Hainan province, brought its patented self‑heating Wenchang chicken soup to the fair. Returning after a positive response last year, the company reported strong sales, with some flavors sold out.

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Speaking to China Daily, an employee praised the expo as an excellent platform for exposure, helping the brand reach a wider audience including many foreign visitors. In addition, he said the large‑scale event can also help them identify potential business partners.

Many residents returned to the expo multiple times.

A retiree, surnamed Lam, from Yuen Long visited the expo with his wife on Thursday and Monday. The couple spent over HK$2,000 ($255) on Monday on abalone, wine and seasonings.

A Wan Chai resident surnamed Chan came on Sunday and Monday and spent about HK$3,000, mainly on wine and frozen food. The 38-year-old especially looks forward to seeing more food from other countries around the world.

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Apart from shopping enthusiasm, the expo also saw that Hong Kong and the mainland enhanced agricultural and food trade cooperation.

In its fourth year, the Chinese Mainland Premium Agricultural Products “Going Global” Exchange and Matchmaking Event was organized on Friday by Hong Kong’s Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB), the Agricultural Trade Promotion Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and the HKTDC.

At the event, the EEB signed memorandums of understanding on agricultural and food products cooperation with representatives from Hunan province, the Xizang autonomous region, and Shandong province. The deals cover premium product market access, industry exchanges and joint overseas market exploration.

Hong Kong SAR Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki told the event that expanding mainland premium food exports overseas needs “an efficient international trade platform, professional marketing services, and seamless alignment with international standards” — areas where Hong Kong excels.

Tse Chin-wan, the SAR’s secretary for environment and ecology, said this year’s introduction event set records for both scale and outcomes, fully reflecting the potential of global food trade and highlighting Hong Kong’s role as a superconnector.

Contact the writer at amberwu@chinadailyhk.com