The culinary tourism business of Brian Bergey and his wife Ruixi Hu has persevered in China through three years of harsh COVID-19 restrictions.
But just as excitement is mounting in global financial markets that the world's second-largest economy may finally come out of isolation next year, the two are packing their bags.
"I remain fairly pessimistic about the quote-unquote reopening of China," said Bergey. Their Lost Plate company, which has been hosting food tours in several Chinese cities since 2015, will instead veer to Southeast Asia.