“走鬼”,我们该拒绝吗?

Legalization of Vendors Questioned

“走鬼”一词流行于香港、广州等城市，是人们对流动小摊贩的一种叫法。在一座城市中，“走鬼”们往往是最为活跃的经济细胞。他们的生存现状和社会问题，也一直是引发热议的焦点。

Street vendors belong to the disadvantaged group in society. Most of them are poor and struggle to make a living. However, they often cause much trouble to the traffi c and sanitation in the city. Therefore, their living conditions and related social issues have always been the hot topics of public discussion. On May 20, 2009, the modif ied Management Regulation of the City Appearance of Nanjing as adopted by the Standing Committee of Nanjing People’s Congress was officially approved by the 9th session of the 11th People’s Congress of Jiangsu Province. Nanjing thus became the f irst city to lift the ban on street vendors by local laws in China. The conflicts between chengguan and the street vendors boil down to the issue of 'face' (that is, the image of the city) and 'stomach' (that is, the living of the street vendors). Which is more important? Should street vendors be legalized? A new debate is underway.