Hong Kong Girl Group Brings Veganism to the Masses

Vice food publication Munchies recently profiled an up-and-coming Hong Kong-based group called V Girls—a quintet of vegan women leading the vegan cultural charge in the Chinese metropolis. Founded by filmmaker and Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine celebrity coach Angie Palmer, V Girls create YouTube videos featuring vegan taste tests, restaurants, product reviews, and events in an effort to shift perspectives and introduce veganism to a new audience. Palmer explained that in China, vegetarians and vegans tend to be older and are associated with Buddhism and ailing health—a stark contrast to the millennial-fueled boom of plant-based lifestyles in the West. “We’re the minority of the minority,” Palmer said of China’s small but growing group of an estimated 50 million vegans. “Maybe in the States, people are more open-minded, but here when people are eating vegan or vegetarian, it’s not usually something they’re proud of.” The V Girls are aiming to change these attitudes, however, with fun videos on topics such as vegan party canapés, raw dessert classes, and lunch dates at local vegan restaurants.