Historic Hong Kong umbrella stall is torn down for preservation
Emotional moment for sons of late maker and mender Ho Hung-hee as Central workplace dismantled to be taken in by museum
Atop the slopes of Central’s Peel Street, a modest crowd stood admiring a historic umbrella street stall for the last time on Wednesday as it was dismantled to be taken away for preservation.
The stall was the workplace of the late umbrella maker and mender Ho Hung-hee, who died last year at the age of 87 after working there for almost 70 years.
Along with the tools and umbrellas inside, the stall will be taken in by the Hong Kong Museum of History and may become part of a permanent exhibition on local history.
“It’s quite emotional. My father worked here for over 60 years,” said Ho Hee-kee, the umbrella master’s 58-year-old son.
“After working, we would go down the street and drink cane sugar water together before going home.”
The stall was removed because it did not meet the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department’s fire safety requirements for hawker shops. Ho said it will be replaced with a similar shop run by himself.