'Bungeo-woo' Out, 'Bap Eun-woo' In? The Incredibly Handsome Young Man Who Took Social Media by Storm Selling Rice Bowls

[Financial News] A young man born in the 2000s who sells chicken rice bowls at a night market in China is enjoying explosive popularity on social media thanks to his heartthrob looks, which evoke those of a celebrity. As customers flock to his stall, sales have surged at least 30-fold from just three or four bowls a day, bringing a corresponding boost to business across the entire night market—a clear case of the 'handsome-guy effect.'

Local media outlets including Sina Finance, Haibao News and The Paper reported on the 30th that Wang Zhi, a young man born in the 2000s who runs a stall selling Hainan-style chicken rice bowls at a night market in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China, has recently been setting social media abuzz.
Wang Zhi first caught the public's attention after a customer visiting the night market happened to film him and post the video online. The camera captured him quietly slicing chicken and carefully preparing food at his humble night-market stall.
The person who posted the video described it as “how he really looks, with absolutely no retouching filters.” Local social media users who saw it flooded the comments with reactions such as, “He looks like an idol or a model,” “A night-market version of the popular Chinese actor Yu Shi,” and “The contrast between the shabby stall and his unreal good looks is astonishing.”
Since the video spread, young people in particular have been flocking to the night market to see Wang Zhi in person and buy his food. Word of mouth sent sales of his chicken rice bowls—of which he initially sold only 3–4 servings a day—soaring in no time to as many as 130 servings.

Wang Zhi's sudden popularity is also breathing new life into the once-sluggish businesses nearby. The crowds coming to see him are bringing customers into neighboring shops, creating what is known as a 'trickle-down effect.'
A representative of the night-market business district described the mood: “The market used to take in 130,000–150,000 yuan a day (about 26–30 million won), but since Wang Zhi became famous, revenue has risen by around 30,000–40,000 yuan (about 6–8 million won). Thanks to Wang Zhi alone, the entire night market is thriving.”
A vendor selling pancakes right next to Wang Zhi's stall also expressed gratitude, saying, “Since Wang Zhi became a hot topic, I've been selling more than 100 pancakes a day too.”

Wang Zhi, the young man at the center of the buzz, studied a nuclear-related field at university before starting his own business after learning a special recipe directly from a Malaysian Chinese chef. He now runs the stall with his girlfriend.
Behind his stylish clothes and neat appearance is his girlfriend's support. She reportedly fixes his hair and even applies light makeup for him every day before they start work.
His girlfriend said, “Wang Zhi is introverted (an 'I' on the MBTI), so he sometimes blushes quickly when strangers talk to him.” She added, “I don't see the attention he gets from his looks as negative at all, since it's part of earning an honest living through the business.”
Despite his sudden fame, Wang Zhi has remained composed. “I wasn't deliberately trying to become famous by playing up my looks. I'm just a vendor who works hard to sell food,” he said. “I'll always serve every customer who comes by food that's prepared with care and tastes delicious.”
Meanwhile, South Korea and China have recently seen a series of cases in which unexpectedly handsome street vendors attract attention and help revive ordinary street-market areas. In South Korea, a bungeoppang vendor dubbed 'Bungeo-woo'—a lookalike of singer and actor Cha Eun-woo—once drew crowds and became a local attraction in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province.
[email protected] Moon Young-jin Reporter