Can Hong Kong revive fading bazaars to bring local flavour to nightlife? Industry chiefs turn to famous markets of Bangkok, Taipei for inspiration
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It was just after 10pm on a weekday at Hong Kong’s well-known Temple Street Night Market, and clothes vendor Leung Siu-chun sighed as she counted her takings from selling qipao and tang suits at about HK$100 (US$13) apiece.
“I [made] slightly more than HK$200 … today. Tourists come to browse and bargain but they don’t loosen their purse strings,” the 76-year-old said.
The street seemed lifeless and quiet, with many other stallholders gone for the day.
“I’ve been running this stall for more than 40 years and business has never been this bad. On the worst days, I don’t even earn a cent,” Leung said.
In better times, Temple Street presented a mix of old and new and drew visitors who swarmed its numerous stalls selling clothes, souvenirs, jade, antiques, mobile phones and watches.
Traditional fortune-tellers beckoned and Cantonese opera singers performed late into the night, while dai pai dong food stalls dished out everything from chilli crab to steamed fish, prawn dumplings, deep-fried squid and roasted pigeon.