According to the South China Morning Post , Mr. Ye, 40, sells fried stinky tofu on a bustling food street in Wuhan. Previously, he ran a breakfast restaurant but had to close due to losses.
Wuhan merchant dressed up as famous actor to sell stinky tofu ( Video : China Insider).
Late last year, Mr. Diep switched to selling stinky tofu - his wife's favorite food - in the hope of finding a new way to make a living. However, the business encountered many difficulties at first.
In February, a friend who sells roast duck nearby suggested that Ye wear a hat like the emperor in the movie “Empresses in the Palace” to attract attention. He was hesitant at first, but then decided to try it because “there was no other choice to save his livelihood.”
Mr. Diep is said to have many similarities with actor Tran Kien Ban (left) in the movie "Empresses in the Palace" (Photo: Seehua).
The idea unexpectedly worked. Images of Ye wearing an emperor’s hat and ancient costume, frying stinky tofu and interacting with customers quickly spread on Chinese social media.
Many people call him by the nickname “Tu Lang” - the name of the character Ung Chinh in the movie. Some people joke that the emperor has “traveled through time” to modern times to sell goods on the street.
Taking advantage of the attraction, Mr. Diep changed the name of the restaurant to “Tu Lang Stinky Tofu” and hung a wooden sign with the four words “Chinh Dai Quang Minh” – imitating the sign in the Forbidden City. On the wall, he wrote a humorous slogan: “The treasury is empty, the emperor must go to work”.
In addition to the appearance, the owner also focused on improving the counter to attract customers. He said that revenue increased about 50% in the past six months.
Thanks to an effective "strategy", Mr. Diep's stall increased its revenue by 50% (Photo: Screenshot).
“During peak hours, I can sell about 50 portions within three hours,” said Mr. Diep. Each portion of tofu is sold for 10-12 yuan (about 37,000-45,000 VND).
Many customers enjoyed interacting with him, even jokingly asking: “When will Tu Lang return to the palace?” He replied: “I don’t know, how long will it take to work hard to save up enough money.”
Despite the viral sensation, he insists that the quality of the food is what keeps customers coming back. “I am very grateful for everyone’s support. But I understand that customers come back for the food, not just because of Tu Lang’s image,” he said.
Stinky tofu is a typical Chinese street food, with a strong smell but a fatty, crispy, rich taste (Photo: Shutterstock).
Stinky tofu is a popular street food in China, made by deep-frying fermented tofu and served with sauces and spices. It has a strong smell but is considered a delicacy by many food lovers.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/trung-quoc-chu-quan-doi-doi-nho-hoa-trang-thanh-hoang-de-ban-dau-phu-thoi-20251101104318342.htm
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