The Dumpling Queen (simplified Chinese:水饺皇后; traditional Chinese:水餃皇后) is a 2025 biographical drama film co-produced and directed by Andrew Lau. Starring Ma Li as the titular character, the film is adapted from the entrepreneurial journey of Chong Kin-wo[zh], the founder of the Hong Kong frozen food brand Wanchai Ferry. It tells the story of Chong Kin-wo and her struggle from being a single mother who fled from mainland China to Hong Kong to becoming a well-known entrepreneur.
A Chinese-Hong Kong co-production, the film was released in China on April 30, 2025.
Synopsis
In the 1980s, at the beginning of China's Reform and opening-up when the economy was rapidly taking off, many entrepreneurs rode the rising wave of commerce. During this time, Chong Kin-wo, who had come from Shandong, was unexpectedly forced to remain in Hong Kong. To make a living, she began selling her family's traditional northern-style dumplings, gradually building what would become a globally popular dumpling brand.
With her two daughters, Madame Chong struggled to survive in a foreign place with no support. Since she had nothing, she resolved to rely on herself to carve out a new life. Despite being deceived by employers, worn down by illness, and crushed by hardship, her unyielding spirit would one day win applause from all who once doubted her. She is also supported by kindhearted neighbors such as Ms. Hung, Mr. Hua, and Uncle Tong sui.
