The 2026 Inaugural Melbourne Asian Food and Cultural Festival Concludes Successfully at Box Hill Town Hall

Jun 3
3 min read

On 29 March 2026, Melbourne welcomed a remarkable celebration of Asian culture and community.

Hosted by the Victorian Shandong Association and the Victorian Shandong Chamber of Commerce, and co-hosted by CCOEI, the 2026 Inaugural Melbourne Asian Food and Cultural Festival was held in grand style at Box Hill Town Hall.

Set within this century-old heritage venue, the festival brought together the rich aromas of Asian cuisine and the vibrant spirit of multicultural celebration, attracting thousands of community members, civic leaders and business representatives to take part in the even

A Grand Opening

Showcasing the Diversity and Energy of Asian Culture and Enterprise

The festival adopted a dual-format model, combining indoor cultural showcases with outdoor food experiences, offering a comprehensive display of the vitality of Asian business and culture.

A Feast for the Senses: The indoor main stage featured a rich and dynamic program, opening with a powerful Indigenous performance. This was followed by traditional Chinese arts and energetic Indian dance performances, highlighting the deep integration and shared resonance of Asia’s diverse cultures.

Culture and Brand Showcase

Brand Empowerment: Leading enterprises including CHERRY HILL, Joyoung, LingoAce, HungryPanda and Capital Airlines showcased their products and services, highlighting the deep integration of technology, lifestyle and community services.

Outdoor Exhibition Zone: Culinary and Cultural Heritage Showcase

Diverse Flavours: Featuring renowned Asian culinary brands including Shan Dong Mama and Kanto BBQ, the outdoor precinct was filled with the vibrant aromas and lively atmosphere of authentic Asian cuisine.

Opening Ceremony

Distinguished Leaders Gather to Celebrate Culture and Community Trust

The opening ceremony was attended by a distinguished group of political, business and community leaders, including Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Melbourne, Fang Xinwen; Federal Member for Menzies, Gabriel Ng MP; State Member for Box Hill, Paul Hamer MP; Members of the Victorian Legislative Council Richard Welch MP and Aiv Puglielli MP; Whitehorse City Councillor Peter Allan; Chief Representative of the Shandong Provincial Department of Commerce in Oceania, Wang Shenjun; Consul Zhang Bowen from the Chinese Consulate-General in Melbourne; Mayor of Manningham, Jim Grivas; Deputy Mayor of Manningham, Deirdre Diamante; Melbourne City Councillor Gladys Liu; former President of the Victorian Legislative Council, Bruce Atkinson; overseas exhibitor representative and General Manager of Dezhou Braised Chicken Group, Cui Chen, together with representatives from multicultural community organisations, business sectors and cultural institutions.

Chen Guangbao,

President of the Victorian Shandong Association and Victorian Shandong Chamber of Commerce

Paul Hamer MP,

State Member for Box Hill

Fang Xinwen

Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Melbourne

Gabriel Ng MP

Federal Member for Menzies

Bruce Atkinson

Former President of the Victorian Legislative Council

Peter Allan

Whitehorse City Representative and Councillor

Richard Welch MP

Member of the Victorian Legislative Council

Aiv Puglielli MP

Member of the Victorian Legislative Council

Wang Shenjun

Chief Representative of the Shandong Provincial Department of Commerce in Oceania

Jim Grivas

Mayor of Manningham

Gladys Liu

Melbourne City Councillor

Cui Chen

Overseas Exhibitor Representative and General Manager of Dezhou Braised Chicken Group

Bwe Thay and Heena Sinha-Cheung

President and Vice President of CCOEI (Council for Community of Ethnic Interests)

Group Photo of Guest Speakers

Festival Highlights

Immersive Experiences and Shared Community Connections

Consul-General’s Pavilion Tour: Accompanied by the organising committee, Consul-General Fang Xinwen visited the exhibition booths and held warm exchanges with representatives from Dezhou Braised Chicken, Qingdao Foods and other exhibitors, witnessing the growing global presence of Chinese brands.

Cultural Heritage and Nostalgic Flavours: Dezhou Braised Chicken showcased its time-honoured technique of “falling off the bone with a single shake”. Liuting Pork Trotters, Qingshi peanut butter, calcium milk biscuits, Qingdao Mingyue Haixiang nutritional products, including soft cheese rolls and low-calorie seaweed powder, as well as Liangliang Noodles’ green chilli sauce, all attracted large crowds of food lovers. Together, they offered a rich taste of China, filled with hometown memories and childhood nostalgia.

A Vibrant Crowd: The outdoor area of Box Hill Town Hall was filled with visitors, with long queues forming for cultural heritage food tastings. The lively atmosphere reflected the Melbourne community’s strong enthusiasm for Asian culture.

Cultural Connection: Warm scenes of multicultural families enjoying Asian delicacies together captured the spirit of the festival, reflecting its founding vision of fostering understanding, building connection and creating shared value through collaboration.

Cultural Resonance: Traditional cultural experience zones featuring calligraphy and paper-cutting attracted strong public interest, bringing together participants from diverse cultural backgrounds and age groups to experience the beauty of traditional arts. Beyond exhibition and display, these interactive experiences fostered meaningful cultural understanding and emotional connection.

Towards a Brighter Future

Building Connections, Sharing Success

Across cultures and across borders, the Melbourne Asian Food and Cultural Festival was more than a celebration of flavour — it was a powerful expression of community spirit and collective participation. By fostering understanding, strengthening connections and creating value through collaboration, the festival reflected a shared vision of harmony, growth and mutually beneficial partnerships for the future.