End of an era: break in fabric of Hong Kong as city mourns impending closure of historic 44-year-old textile hawker market

Name: End of an era: Hong Kong’s oldest outdoor fabric market to be torn down
Uploaded: 2023-01-13T07:30:12.000Z
Duration: 4 min 15 s
Description: End of an era: Hong Kong’s oldest outdoor fabric market to be torn down

Once an emblem of city’s status as global production powerhouse, closure of decades-old Kowloon fabric market marks end of an era

Established in 1978, the old-style bazaar is Hong Kong’s oldest operating outdoor fabric market

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End of an era: Hong Kong’s oldest outdoor fabric market to be torn down

Kylie Knott

Published: 3:30pm, 13 Jan 2023Updated: 9:49pm, 13 Jan 2023

Hong Kong fabric seller Chan Yu-tung has mixed feelings about the impending closure of the historic Yen Chow Street Hawker Bazaar in the Sham Shui Po district of the city’s Kowloon peninsula.

The youthful-looking 90-year-old has peddled his wares sold there for more than 40 years and will miss market life despite looking forward to a restful retirement. “I want to spend more time with my family.”

Established in 1978, it is Hong Kong’s oldest operating outdoor fabric market.

But the wrecking ball looms: It will be demolished to make way for a public housing development despite numerous attempts from concern groups and hawkers to preserve it.

Hong Kong’s historic Yen Chow Street Hawker Bazaar in the Sham Shui Po district of Kowloon will be demolished. Photo: Kylie Knott

In the good old days, Chan said the market bristled with shoppers from hobby sewers to design students and fashion designers.