Editorial | Hong Kong authorities risk Lunar New Year fair being politicised
- Officials should be giving a reason as to why the Democratic Party’s successful bid for a dry goods stall at the Victoria Park Lunar New Year Fair was rejected
Hardly an aspect of life in Hong Kong was unaffected by the web of measures introduced to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
Not least among highlights that were dimmed were the Lunar New Year fairs across the city, where stalls have been confined to flowers and plants. That has spurred nostalgic anticipation of the return at next February’s fairs of traditional stalls.
Evidence of that is to be found in competition for stall rights at the first fairs since anti-Covid measures were dropped. Candidates keenly contested auctions for stalls – at prices ranging from four to six figures – at 15 fairs across the city from February 4 to 10.
About 400 people turned up for an auction of 79 dry goods and eight thematic stalls for the main fair in Victoria Park, according to the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.
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Hong Kong’s Wong Tai Sin Temple revives Lunar New Year tradition after two-year hiatus
Successful bids for dry goods stalls ranged from HK$8,540 to HK$33,000 (US$1,095 to US$4,232), and for thematic stalls from HK$35,000 to HK$49,000. But lower prices compared with pre-pandemic auctions in 2019 are a reminder that confidence is still in recovery from the pandemic years.