A friendly and welcoming neighbourhoodWhile we were hanging around at the night market, a 40-year-old man stopped his bicycle and talked to us. He asked us whether we were students doing research for the night market. Maybe people from our age group seldom visit the night market at Sham Shui Po, which
made us standing out from the crowd. We replied with some concerns in mind because we felt uncomfortable to talk with a stranger at nearly mid-night. However, he told us about the story of the night market in a really friendly way, which made us feel better to chat with him. We started our conversation with a friendly smile. He told us that he was living nearby and he was a frequent visitor of the night market. From what he told us, people who sell goods in the night market are familiar with each other. They chat about life and experience every single night. Many of the students in Hong Kong found the night market at Sham Shui Po a worth-observing place therefore many groups of students ahve already been there. That is also the reason why he could spot us from the crowd. Although we felt awkward to talk with a stranger like him but his friendliness made us feel like home. People think that Hong Kong is a cruel city, but we found a lot of sincerity and unity here. |
Potential strengths and threatsAfter the visit and observations we figured out that there are potential strengths and threats of the Late Night Market to Hong Kong. The market is a tourist spot. foreigners who wish to see another side of Hong Kong and its everyday living reality - this area is one of the poorest districts in Hong Kong. In fact, it’s hard to say whether this would bring tourism business into the area because the goods are relatively local e.g. daily necessities, used bulky goods and second hand clothes rather than for tourists. These cheaper goods are for grass-root people – not just necessities but also entertainment such as cheap DVDs and CDs. There are possibilities of government wiping this type of late markets out, due to criminals and risks of gangster asking for a ‘fee’ although it’s not as prominent now. |