香港“街市”的死去与活来

AS GLOBAL AS IT GETS

作为著名的亚洲国际都会（Asia’s World City）,香港有着全世界最自由的经济体系。一方面,游客和学者们耳熟能详的是它的国际化：繁华的商业中心（如铜锣湾,旺角和中环等）和现代化的商业综合体（如又一城,东荟城和金钟廊）。而另一方面,国内却很少有学者探究过与香港人茶米油盐息息相关的本地＂街市＂背后的故事。笔者撰写此文的目的,就是要籍自己在香港五年的生活经历,带领读者一窥这保留了香港百年市井文化的＂街市＂的发展历程,走过的弯路,以及现时的努力。

Liu Weibin notes that Hong Kong is known as Asia’s World City not only because it is an important hub in global economic networks, but also because it boasts a robust indigenous network of street markets. On the one hand, the Hong Kong’s global mien includes prosperous commercial districts, such as Admiralty, Central and Mong Kok as well as modern building complexes that house and display internationally lauded goods and services. On the other hand, the city’s international identity as a unique and bustling city has also rested on its 'street markets', which for over 100 years have allowed farmers and small-scale vendors to participate in the urban economy as both buyers and sellers. Liu argues that Hong Kong thrives and entices, indeed, is a livable city precisely because it made space for both the global and the local. In fact, he notes that attempts to favor the global at the expense of the local-in Tin Shui Wai, for example – have not only met with local resistance, but also failed to impress foreign visitors, who come to Hong Kong to experience the exciting juxtaposition that characterizes the city’s particular global-local mix.