Many areas of Hong Kong as a post-industrial city are going through the process of gentrification. In 1980s, local manufacturing industries moved to mainland China or other developing areas and the economic structure changed that Hong Kong has to rely on finance, business, tourist industry and creative industry for economic development. Many old areas, like Wan Chai, Mongkok, Shau Kei Wan and North Point, are being redeveloped and are gentrifying. Yau Mai Tei is also one of those areas that is facing the problem of gentrification.
The buildings surrounding Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market are the signs of the gentrification of Yau Ma Tei. 8 Waterloo Road and Prosperous Garden, middle-class estates are the signals of the process of gentrification, replacing the old residential buildings in the area of Yau Ma Tei. Prosperous Garden is the project of real estate in 1980s, which was a new style of residential building at that time. 8 Waterloo Road was built next to the Yau Ma Tei Theatre in 2004, which is part of the redevelopment plan by Urban Renewal Authority. ‘New Urban Elite’ is gimmick for the promotion of this project. These real estates mismatch the old buildings around them, becoming a big contrast between the middle-class residential areas and grassroots’ residential areas, and also Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market. These projects imply the displacement of the pre-gentrification population, grass root people in Yau Ma Tei.
Moreover, Yau Ma Tei Theatre and Red Brick House, as the activity centre for Cantonese Opera, are also the signs of gentrification in Yau Ma Tei. Yau Ma Tei Theatre used to be a theatre for the working class, especially those male workers working in the fruit market, to watch blue films. But now the building is renewed as a centre for Cantonese Opera and it seems that the culture of what working class did in the theatre was regarded as deviant and was replaced by the culture of Cantonese Oprea, elite culture. Red Brick House used to be Engineer's Office of the Former Pumping Station in 1897 and then became post office until 1967. After the closing down the post office, it became the shelter for Street Sleepers and now become part of the Yau Ma Tei Theatre for Cantonese Opera. Now these places which used to be the places for grassroots’ activities become the places for the middle-class people’s entertainment.
The current development of the nearby districts, Mong Kok and Jordan, should not be neglected because the gentrification of those places also puts the pressure on redevelopment of Yau Ma Tei. For example, Langham Place (as specified in the figure), a shopping mall, and West Kowloon Cultural District (as specified in the figure), are also the symbols of gentrification respectively in Mong Kok and Jordan. Also near the cultural district, there are a few real estates, Sorrento Tower, The Waterfront Block, The Arch, The Harbourside, The Cullinan Li, and a shopping mall, Elements, transforming the area for middle-class residential use and leisure consumption.
One of the shopkeepers in the Fruit Market told us that the government wanted the market to move to Cheung Sha Wan. The district councilor discussed the possible plan of moving Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market with the representatives from Kowloon Fruit and Vegetables Merchants Association in 2010. However, the association disagreed on the plan and refused to move to other places. Also there are residents from 8 Waterloo Road, the middle-class residential building, complaining about the noise from the market in the morning and the residents want them to move out (To learn more, please refer to here and the cultural criticism from a Chinese book 九評地產黨(jiu ping di chan Dang), p.88). Here, we can see Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market are facing the pressure from the gentrification of Yau Ma Tei and the urban redevelopment.
The buildings surrounding Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market are the signs of the gentrification of Yau Ma Tei. 8 Waterloo Road and Prosperous Garden, middle-class estates are the signals of the process of gentrification, replacing the old residential buildings in the area of Yau Ma Tei. Prosperous Garden is the project of real estate in 1980s, which was a new style of residential building at that time. 8 Waterloo Road was built next to the Yau Ma Tei Theatre in 2004, which is part of the redevelopment plan by Urban Renewal Authority. ‘New Urban Elite’ is gimmick for the promotion of this project. These real estates mismatch the old buildings around them, becoming a big contrast between the middle-class residential areas and grassroots’ residential areas, and also Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market. These projects imply the displacement of the pre-gentrification population, grass root people in Yau Ma Tei.
Moreover, Yau Ma Tei Theatre and Red Brick House, as the activity centre for Cantonese Opera, are also the signs of gentrification in Yau Ma Tei. Yau Ma Tei Theatre used to be a theatre for the working class, especially those male workers working in the fruit market, to watch blue films. But now the building is renewed as a centre for Cantonese Opera and it seems that the culture of what working class did in the theatre was regarded as deviant and was replaced by the culture of Cantonese Oprea, elite culture. Red Brick House used to be Engineer's Office of the Former Pumping Station in 1897 and then became post office until 1967. After the closing down the post office, it became the shelter for Street Sleepers and now become part of the Yau Ma Tei Theatre for Cantonese Opera. Now these places which used to be the places for grassroots’ activities become the places for the middle-class people’s entertainment.
The current development of the nearby districts, Mong Kok and Jordan, should not be neglected because the gentrification of those places also puts the pressure on redevelopment of Yau Ma Tei. For example, Langham Place (as specified in the figure), a shopping mall, and West Kowloon Cultural District (as specified in the figure), are also the symbols of gentrification respectively in Mong Kok and Jordan. Also near the cultural district, there are a few real estates, Sorrento Tower, The Waterfront Block, The Arch, The Harbourside, The Cullinan Li, and a shopping mall, Elements, transforming the area for middle-class residential use and leisure consumption.
One of the shopkeepers in the Fruit Market told us that the government wanted the market to move to Cheung Sha Wan. The district councilor discussed the possible plan of moving Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market with the representatives from Kowloon Fruit and Vegetables Merchants Association in 2010. However, the association disagreed on the plan and refused to move to other places. Also there are residents from 8 Waterloo Road, the middle-class residential building, complaining about the noise from the market in the morning and the residents want them to move out (To learn more, please refer to here and the cultural criticism from a Chinese book 九評地產黨(jiu ping di chan Dang), p.88). Here, we can see Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market are facing the pressure from the gentrification of Yau Ma Tei and the urban redevelopment.
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