嘉越．飛越

Despite Hong Kong’s status as a modern international city, we can identify many traditional shops in building clusters if we observe carefully. Some of these street markets, wet markets and old shops may have more than half a century of history and represent part of Hong Kong’s cultural heritage. These traditional shops are one of the attractions for local residents and tourists who would like to experience the city’s culture and history. Although Hong Kong has increasingly emphasized modern shopping experiences, family-run traditional shops are definitely offer a warm and personal touch that connected with their customers.

This book shared photos and stories of traditional shops covering various kinds of shops such as Dai Pai Dong (a type of open-air food stall) which was one of the essential aspects of the local cuisine, Zi Dor (stores, small shops serving a variety of daily necessities), the State Theatre (a traditional cinema, a Grade I historical building) etc. Each of these traditional shops had its own story. This book serves as a means of cultural conservation on the distinctive characteristics and contributions of these traditional shops to the local culture of Hong Kong.

Readers may explore the city’s traditional shops and the life of Hong Kong’s early inhabitants by following the footsteps and the photos in the book. This book helps preserve the collective memories associated with these traditional shops in Hong Kong and the photographs serve as valuable references to historians and researchers on Hong Kong’s history and culture.