China's major tea chain "ChaPanda" (Chinese name Cha Bai Dao) is opening its first store in Vietnam's capital Hanoi in June 2026. According to an announcement on its official social media (Facebook and Instagram @chapanda.vn), Vietnam's first store will be in the commercial facility "Tasco Mall" in the Long Bien district of eastern Hanoi, with a June 25 opening announced. A Chinese-affiliated chain of a scale listed on the Hong Kong market has entered Vietnam, one more of them. For those traveling to Vietnam, those living there, and consumers watching the overseas expansion of Chinese-affiliated brands, it becomes material for divining how Hanoi's drink scene will change going forward.
1. What happened: ChaPanda's first store in Hanoi
ChaPanda Vietnam's official account announced it would simultaneously launch its "first 2 locations (2 co so dau tien)" in Vietnam in Hanoi. Of these, the one with an official address is the Tasco Mall Long Bien store.
The location is "S101A-S103A, 1st floor of Tasco Mall, 7-9 Nguyen Van Linh, Viet Hung, Ha Noi." The opening date is announced as June 25. Note that the main source of this information is the announcement posts on the official Facebook and Instagram, and it's safest to read it bearing in mind that, at this point, it's primary information from official channels.
2. Who is ChaPanda (Cha Bai Dao)?
ChaPanda is a tea chain that started in 2008 from a small shop near a school in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. Centering on fruit tea, milk tea, and tapioca drinks, it rapidly expanded a franchise network across all of China.
To put the scale in perspective, its store count in China is on the order of about 8,000. It's positioned as one of China's leading tea chains, alongside market leader Mixue and the strong contender Guming. On the financial side too, it listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in April 2024, and its operating company is a listed company. However, multiple overseas media reported that its share price on the first day of listing fell well below the offer price, and it was also discussed as a symbol of the overheating and saturation of China's premium tea market.
Why Vietnam, and why now?
China's domestic tea market is approaching saturation in store count, and price competition is intensifying. If you seek room for growth, going abroad is a natural flow. ChaPanda already entered South Korea in 2024 and has since expanded to Singapore and the West and elsewhere. Among Southeast Asian countries, Vietnam is a market with a large young population where milk tea and fruit tea are rooted in daily life. For a Chinese-affiliated chain, you could call it "the next main battleground," where both cultural closeness and rising purchasing power can be expected.
3. ChaPanda's positioning in Vietnam's tea and tapioca landscape
Vietnam's milk tea market is already a fierce battleground crowded with domestic and foreign brands. Lining up the main players to the extent that can be confirmed, you begin to see the picture of ChaPanda entering as a "latecomer Chinese-affiliated major."
| Brand | Origin | Main features in Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| Phúc Long | Vietnam | Well regarded for strong tea and coffee. A leading domestically born chain |
| Gong Cha | Taiwanese-affiliated | Established early with its classic milk tea |
| Mixue | China | A Chinese-affiliated forerunner that rapidly expanded store count with low prices as its weapon |
| ChaPanda (Cha Bai Dao) | China | First store in Hanoi in June 2026. Entering at one of China's leading scales |
The point is that among Chinese-affiliated brands, Mixue already holds the "cheap" position. Because ChaPanda is known in its home China for mid-priced fruit tea and milk tea, where it positions itself between price and quality in Vietnam too seems likely to be the dividing line for whether it takes hold. This is something to judge by looking at actual selling prices after opening, and since there's no concrete price with certainty at this point, we won't touch on it.
4. Local and social-media reactions
We introduce the reactions of Vietnam's tea-drink fans to the official announcement, paraphrased anonymously (a summary within a range that doesn't identify individuals).
"The one I drank in China and got hooked on is finally coming to Hanoi. Worth going all the way to Long Bien," a voice of anticipation from those who already know the brand.
"There are already too many milk tea chains. What makes ChaPanda different? It'll come down to the price," a cool view characteristic of a market that's getting saturated.
"I'll go along with the opening of Tasco Mall. It's nice you can drop by on the way to a new commercial facility," a voice trying to enjoy it as a set with the location. Common to many reactions was interest not in the fact that "one more milk tea shop opened" but in getting to try a brand popular in its home country at local prices.
5. What it means for Japanese readers and travelers
This is the main point. For those visiting Hanoi from Japan, ChaPanda's landing means one more "experience you can only have locally."
If you're going to drink it in Hanoi, first the Tasco Mall Long Bien store
Tasco Mall, where the first store will be, is on the east side across the Red River from central Hanoi's Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake area, toward Long Bien and Dong Anh. Since it's not on a location that connects in a straight line with Old Quarter sightseeing, heading there by ride-hailing app (such as Grab or Xanh SM) is realistic. A layout of a drink while sightseeing the new commercial facility works without strain as a way to enjoy it.
It's interesting seen in contrast with Japan's tapioca market
In Japan the tapioca boom has run its course, with settling and shakeout progressing. In Southeast Asia, on the other hand, the big difference is that milk tea is rooted as a daily beverage rather than a passing boom. Behind one of China's leading chains judging "Vietnam is next" is the depth of this market. From a traveler's viewpoint, even a genre that already feels familiar in Japan is, locally, in the very midst of a shifting landscape, and getting to savor it along with that heat is the interesting part. The experience of "trying a popular chain from its home country from the same vantage point as that country's people" makes a travel record different again from touring tourist cafes.
Enjoying it as a taste comparison
In Hanoi, Vietnam-bornPhê Laand Phuc Long, Taiwanese-affiliated Gong Cha, low-priced Mixue, and others coexist. Once you've drunk a cup of ChaPanda, ordering another brand nearby to compare the sweetness and tea strength, this "taste comparison" itself is an easy way to experience Vietnam's drink culture. When you're unsure which shops to hit and how,a thorough comparison guide to Vietnam's cafeshelps. Slotting in Vietnamese coffee (ca phe sua, egg coffee) as well makes Hanoi's drink map much more three-dimensional.
6. Ripple effects on the industry and market
ChaPanda's entry into Vietnam is, rather than a standalone event, one frame in the larger flow of Chinese-affiliated food & drink brands moving south into Southeast Asia. With Mixue already widely deploying stores at low prices, and a mid-priced major like ChaPanda joining, Vietnam's milk tea market enters a new phase of "competition among Chinese-affiliated brands."
This means an increase in choices for Vietnamese consumers, and for local Phuc Long and Taiwanese-affiliated brands, a development that steps up the demand for differentiation in price, quality, and experience. From the standpoint of watching the market from Japan, it's worth attention in that ASEAN consumption trends can be read through the concrete moves of "which country's brand, at which price band, enters from which city."
7. Practical information (Vietnam's first store)
We compile the store information to the extent that can be confirmed in the official announcement. For unconfirmed items like business hours, check the latest information on the official social media before visiting.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Store name | ChaPanda Tasco Mall Long Bien store |
| Address | S101A-S103A, 1st floor of Tasco Mall, 7-9 Nguyen Van Linh, Viet Hung, Ha Noi |
| Opening date | June 25, 2026 (official social-media announcement) |
| Area | Eastern Hanoi, Long Bien district (east side of the Red River) |
| Access | From the Old Quarter, a ride-hailing app (Grab / Xanh SM, etc.) is convenient |
| Source | ChaPanda Vietnam official Facebook / Instagram (@chapanda.vn), official website |
8. Frequently asked questions
What country's brand is ChaPanda?
It's a tea chain from Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. Founded in 2008, its Chinese name is "Cha Bai Dao." In China it's a major on the order of about 8,000 stores and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2024.
Where are the stores in Vietnam?
The first store is on the 1st floor of the commercial facility "Tasco Mall" in Long Bien, eastern Hanoi (address: S101A-S103A, 7-9 Nguyen Van Linh, Viet Hung, Ha Noi). The official social media says it will launch its first 2 locations in Vietnam in Hanoi.
Does it taste the same as Japan's tapioca?
There's no solid official information on whether it's exactly identical in taste to stores in its home country or other countries, so it's best to actually drink it locally and see for yourself. Fruit tea and milk tea are the main offerings.
Summary: your next move
ChaPanda's landing in Hanoi is an event showing that Vietnam's milk tea market has entered a new stage of competition among Chinese-affiliated majors. For Japanese readers, there are three concrete next actions. First, if you're planning a Hanoi visit, add the Tasco Mall Long Bien store to your itinerary as a combination of "seeing a new spot + a drink." Second, don't finish with ChaPanda alone; compare it against Phuc Long and Mixue to find the cup you like best. Third, before visiting, check business hours and the latest menu on the official social media (@chapanda.vn). Precisely because you can now try a popular chain from its home country at local prices, it's worth adding one to your Hanoi drink tour.
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