1 Introduction

This article introduces the author's field research experience in Chinese restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City and explores the phenomenon of flow and diversity in Chinese cuisine in Ho Chi Minh City. The Chinese cuisine culture in Ho Chi Minh City presents a diverse appearance, with the Chaozhou and Cantonese cuisine from the Fifth District being the main dishes, while other regional cuisines are mostly found in emerging urban areas. The author uses Apadoule's theory of cultural global mobility, combined with historical surveys and field experiences, to analyze the flow process and diversification trend of Chinese cuisine in Ho Chi Minh City. The diverse Chinese cuisine landscape in Ho Chi Minh City reflects the process of multiple "de territorialization" and "re territorialization" intersections, reflecting the flow and diversity of identities in the context of globalization. The Chinese catering ecosystem in Ho Chi Minh City has brought about unique taste choices, which is closely related to the influx of immigrants after the 21st century and challenges the assumption of global homogenization.

2 Historical Roots: The Rise of Chinese Restaurants during the Colonial Period

In the 1930s and 1940s, many large Chinese restaurants emerged in the Bund District of Ho Chi Minh City, among which Aihua Restaurant is one of the few restaurants still in operation today. Since its establishment in the 1930s, Aihua Restaurant has undergone multiple name changes and transfers, witnessing the political changes and social unrest in Vietnam. The Chinese restaurants in the embankment area are not only places for dining, but also centers for social, cultural heritage, and clan activities, reflecting the needs of the Chinese community in terms of food, festivals, and socializing. From the end of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century, a large number of Chinese immigrants poured into French **, forming a diversified Chinese social structure in the coastal area. The rise of Chinese restaurants is closely related to the accumulation and flow of Chinese capital, and they played an important role in the colonial financial landscape. During the French colonial period, the Chinese business community played an active role in trade, mining, and handicrafts. The catering industry became an important part of Chinese business investment and a direct reflection of the Chinese community's impact on Vietnam's socio-economic development.

3 Fracture and Restructuring: Flow and Integration in the Postcolonial Era

Globalization has led to cultural and social structural fragmentation, and the socialist reform and assimilation policies of the Chinese industry after Vietnam's reunification have caused a large number of Vietnamese Chinese to flee, resulting in a refugee wave. These Chinese people are reshaping their cultural traditions overseas, such as showcasing the fusion of Chinese and Vietnamese cultures in Chinatown in Paris and Chinese restaurants in Seattle. The Chinese who stayed in Ho Chi Minh City localized and improved traditional cuisine in the new political and economic environment, such as combining Chinese dishes with Vietnamese flavors to form new local cultural symbols. After 1975, Chinese cuisine challenged ethnic boundaries in the Vietnamese food market, with high-end Cantonese restaurants and street side eateries showcasing different flavors. Political turmoil has opened up a new process of re territorialization, where Chinese people maintain their traditions through food and recreate them in a new environment, continuing their culture while blurring ethnic boundaries.

4 Confluences of Multiple Re territorialization

The Chinese dining landscape in Ho Chi Minh City can be seen through the Vietnamese food app Foody.vn, which filters "Chinese cuisine", including traditional Chinese restaurants, Cantonese international chains, and other Chinese regional cuisines. Although the proportion of Chinese cuisine in Ho Chi Minh City is relatively low, only 1.02%, traditional Chinese settlements such as the Fifth District and emerging urban areas such as Pingsheng District and the Eleventh District gather many Chinese restaurants. As a commercial and tourism center, the first county has a high degree of commercialization, but the number of Chinese restaurants is higher than the average level. In the context of globalization, Chinese cuisine has been redefined and recreated in different social, economic, and cultural contexts, and quantitative analysis is difficult to capture its complexity. Field investigations are crucial for individual dining experiences, flavors, meanings, and other details, revealing the diverse trends of Chinese cuisine in different regions. The Chinese dining landscape in Ho Chi Minh City is shaped by various social spatial flows and symbols, reflecting the complexity of different socio-economic levels, cultural needs, and global capital flows. The Chinese restaurants in the first county showcase a high-end image, serving business banquets and middle-class dining needs, becoming an important place for urban elites to socialize. The Chinese restaurants in the fifth county are relatively large in scale, serving local residents, with diverse menu designs and incorporating moderate localized innovation. Small Chinese Vietnamese restaurants on the street are characterized by authentic or homely flavors, becoming a part of the daily lives of local residents. The Chinese cuisine in Ho Chi Minh City mainly consists of Cantonese cuisine, Chaoshan cuisine, and Hainanese cuisine, which are closely related to the historical immigrant background and geographical proximity. In recent years, more regional cuisines and popular dishes such as hotpot and barbecue have emerged in international metropolises, and Ho Chi Minh City has gradually diversified. Chinese catering establishments in non city center areas are closely related to urbanization and internationalization, reflecting the construction of cross-border networks. These dining establishments emphasize authenticity, offer special ingredients, and primarily cater to Chinese expatriates. The dining landscape of Ho Chi Minh City is the intersection of multiple cultural flows and territorial redefinition processes, presenting a dynamic and constantly changing cultural ecosystem.

Conclusion 5: A new pluralism

Through the Apadulai theory of global cultural mobility, this study analyzes the flow and diversification trends of Chinese cuisine in Ho Chi Minh City, revealing the intersection process of de territorialization and re territorialization. The diversity of cuisine in Ho Chi Minh City demonstrates a new pluralism in the context of globalization, challenges the traditional assumption of homogenization in globalization, and demonstrates the adaptability and inclusiveness of Vietnam, especially Saigon Ho Chi Minh City, in the process of globalization. Apadoule's theory emphasizes the transnational flow of cultural phenomena, and the reconstruction and adjustment of local culture and traditions through territorialization between different places, forming new forms of cultural expression. New pluralism emphasizes that local and global interactions are multidimensional and complex, and cultural identity constantly evolves with changes in social, political, and economic environments. The diversity of Chinese cuisine in Ho Chi Minh City indicates that globalization is a dynamic process involving the interaction and interweaving of different cultural elements. The map of Chinese cuisine in Saigon Ho Chi Minh City illustrates the complex mechanism of cross-cultural mobility, and since the French colonial era, the localization process of Chinese cuisine has been in line with urban development. The global cultural flow is multidimensional, and the rise of local cuisine represents this new trend in the emerging high-end Chinese restaurants in the city center. Ho Chi Minh City has gradually become a city that adapts to the challenges of globalization, demonstrating its unique cultural resilience and innovation capabilities, breaking through the boundaries of traditional food geography, and transforming Chinese cuisine into a dynamic negotiation field across cultures, economies, and politics.