Samosas, naan and curry from Khana Khazana, and noodles from Loving Hut
October 17th 2018 marked the day of Chung Yeung Festival, the annual VegFest held at Adventist University, and a wonderful opportunity I had to meet new people and try new food. I didn’t realize that there were so many vegans residing in Hong Kong until I entered the school campus and was greeted with the sight of hundreds of local people crowding around the many booths selling vegan treats and more. The event-goers ranged from three year olds to 60 year olds, and to say the least, the atmosphere was thriving.
The only intention I had when kickstarting my Instagram account was to share the food I was eating with vegans and non-vegans alike, to demonstrate that going vegan is an achievable goal - even in Hong Kong. What I didn’t expect was to build connections with so many like-minded people and make friends who would be willing to trek two hours away from the city with me to attend a vegan festival. Although it only lasted for a few hours, VegFest encapsulates a much larger sense of community that exists through shared perspectives, and because of that, it deserves a post on its own.
Between the various stalls of faux meat by Green Common, raw chocolate by Pana Chocolate, and Indian food by Khana Khazana, there were plenty of stores that showcased the different facets of veganism and sustainability - such as an animal cruelty-free shoe stall, a reusable container rental stall (for those who forgot to bring their own containers like me), and an animal costume stall - which was run by a lady and her adorable cow-dressed child. Throughout the festival, there were also representatives from small businesses walking around to sell their handmade chocolate and gluten-free pasta. Additionally, there were ongoing performances which you could enjoy while indulging in your zero-waste vegan food and lying on the grassy courtyard with friends and family.
Some food that we ate (and enjoyed) at the fair (ALL VEGAN):
An eggless egg tart
Noodles from Loving Hut
Vegetable curry, naan, and samosas from Khana Khazana
‘Chicken’ wings from Green Common
A chocolate Oreo cupcake
A slice of chocolate cake from some charity stall
Oreo-topped cupcake and a slice of chocolate cake
Chocolate cupcake and a decadent slice of chocolate cake
Hong Kong Veg Society Instagram poster: Cheryl, Grace, and me
Aside from the decadent slice of chocolate cake pictured above, my favorite part about the festival was being able to spend time with Cheryl from @6thshare, Grace from @thefueltank, and Agnese from @oursimplecottage (not pictured). After admiring each other’s Instagram posts from afar for months, I never expected us to become acquainted in real life. It took us less than an hour to feel comfortable enough to un-ironically photograph ourselves with stuffed cows and engage in lengthy conversation under the shelter of Adventist University - a testament to the strength of bonds created through the congregation of loving vegans. I titled this post Vegfest, but it’s really just a letter of gratitude towards the people I have met through this platform. I have yet to encounter someone who isn’t ridiculously kind, down to earth, and the complete opposite of what you’d expect from the typical vegan stereotype. I am so lucky to have been exposed to all these opportunities to interact with so many passionate souls, and I can’t wait for many more of these instances to arise!