Shoppers turn out for Hong Kong’s first Lunar New Year flower market since border reopening but no budding sales mood among vendors
- Visitors to Lunar New Year Fair at Victoria Park include shoppers travelling from mainland China to Hong Kong following nationwide rollback of Covid-19 policies
- But vendors say bids for stalls have become more expensive in recent years and express pessimistic outlook amid period of economic uncertainty
Hundreds of shoppers on Monday flocked to Hong Kong’s largest seasonal flower market, the first since the border with mainland China reopened, but vendors said they were pessimistic regarding sales amid a period of weak economic outlook.
Visitors turned out for the first day of the week-long Lunar New Year Fair at Victoria Park despite the chilly weather, including mainland arrivals who came to the city after the resumption of quarantine-free travel last week.
“I just came here after the mainland-Hong Kong border was reopened. My husband is obsessed with the Lunar New Year flower market here, so I came with him this year,” said Shu Xin, 41, a Shenzhen-based financial officer.
More than 40,000 visitors from mainland China to Hong Kong since border rules eased
The trip to Hong Kong was also a day of firsts for Shu, since she had never visited the fair before and was also celebrating the holiday in Hong Kong with her husband and child for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic began in January 2020.
“I usually spend 2,000 to 5,000 yuan (HK$2,300 to HK$5,800) in Shenzhen on flowers over Lunar New Year, but we decided to spend only 1,000 to 2,000 yuan this year because our home in Hong Kong is smaller,” she said.
Lunar New Year fairs are being held at 15 locations across the city and under pandemic restrictions only wet goods stalls for vendors to sell flowers have been permitted for the fourth year in a row.
Stalls offered a range of flowers that traditionally signify good fortune including chrysanthemums, daffodils, lilies and nipple fruit, as well as items more popular with the younger crowd, such as starflowers and tulips.
But vendors at Victoria Park, who outbid competitors to set up stalls there, expressed a less-than-optimistic outlook over sales.
Trader Tommy Fung Ming-hang said he had spent HK$65,000 (US$8,322) to secure two stalls, an increase of almost 30 per cent compared with his bids over the past two years.
“I am pessimistic about business performance at the fair because of the prevailing poor economy,” Fung said, adding he was not confident about boosting his prices for signature products such as nipple fruit and orchids.
“I sold steak and fish balls in a commercial centre earlier this year, but the revenue was not ideal,” Fung said.
Fellow vendor Angela So Man said she paid HK$50,000 for a stall and described it as her most expensive bid since the pandemic started.
The resumption of quarantine-free travel on January 8 had stirred up competition between traders, she said.
“There have been a lot of newcomers this year … It is more competitive than before,” she added.
Hong Kong, mainland boost daily cross-border traveller quota to 65,000 in holiday lead-up
So also said some vendors were selling cheaper flowers from Yunnan province while she had pinned her hopes on mainland shoppers and opted for wares sourced locally and from overseas.
Elsewhere in Victoria Park, Ngai Mei-Fong said she had made the most expensive stall bid this year at HK$69,000 but was not feeling confident about her sales.
“I just sold very few peach trees this morning,” she added.
The veteran vendor said she had sold her flowers at the fair for more than 30 years and always set up her stall at the same spot. Her husband, Lau Hoi-tau, has been dubbed “King Peach Blossoms” by the industry and local media.
“I have not changed the price too much, even with the highest bid,” Ngai said.
The fair is open to visitors until 2am on January 22 at no cost but patrons must abide by the city’s mask mandate.
