YouTube link: https://youtu.be/p8hvg1aaZxs
In today’s podcast, we’ll be discussing our chosen artifacts located in Central in which we’ll be exploring these with an architectural lens.
Upon our previous field trip, I stumbled upon this traditional ice cream street cart as we were walking around the central pier and I thought that it was immensely compelling and nostalgic as it’s considered as one of Hong Kong’s traditional street food vendors with over 20 years of history.
However, it is apparent that the ice cream hawking business is coming to an unfortunate end. The South China Morning Post reported that it is most likely that these hawking businesses would “die out in less than 50 years.” Which poses the question to why is it vanishing? How do we know that it will no longer exist in the near future?
Considering the traditional architectural style of the cart, it is understandable for the emerging generations to lack the sentimental connection and history with ice cream carts unlike most older generations.
Additionally, with the rapid advancement of architecture alongside technology, people can get higher accessibility to various food sources. This is especially with Central being a central business district in hong kong, where it’s surrounded with malls, skyscrapers, carnivals as well as spacious pathways enabling urban mobility to explore a plethora of areas, hence it can easily over-shadow the brief traces of ice cream carts roaming around the streets.
Who will be affected when it no longer exists?
Wily Chan Chiu wah, a food stall hawker said “There’s just a handful of such stalls now… It’s almost all gone now, and we’re the lucky ones now already.”
Which leads us to our next question – what is being done about its impending disappearance?
The vanishing of these street food carts is also due to the government’s future goals in urban space expansion. This is evident as the government has ceased issuing licenses for ice cream carts since March 2003. With that being said, no significant actions are being taken in restoring and fostering the street food hawking business, hence leaving these street food carts into an unfortunate vanishment.
Now let’s talk about the architecture of the street cart:
The design of the ice cream cart is rather simplistic where the lightweight composition of the cart enables the mobility and flexibility for hawkers to move around the streets freely. Reminiscent of the cart noodle given its similarities of sizing and the overall configuration, whereby cart noodles allow people to stock supplies at the bottom deck similar to how street food carts do, as well as an umbrella on top for shading.
It is clear that these street food carts hold great historical value to Hong Kong, however due to the high demand in novel architectures, there seems to be a lack of enthusiasm in rekindling the street food hawking business as it’s evidently reflected in the discontinuation of issue licensing. Where the majority of license holders being in their 60s and no new licenses being granted and that no policy alterations are being made to resolve this.
Another sight that you cannot miss when visiting the Central area are the 10 piers. They represent Hong Kong’s cultural identity, hosting the ferries to the islands, New Territories, and Kowloon. Even though ferries have been a beloved mode of transportation for locals and tourists for years, providing amazing panoramic views of Hong Kong, the demand for them has been decreasing in recent years. The companies operating the vast network of ferries as well as the properties of the piers have been facing financial difficulties, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions on tourism. Despite being an integral part of the current harbourfront area, we fear that some Central piers might be reduced in the future.
Why do you think they might disappear?
There are several factors that could influence this outcome.Firstly, changes in transportation and demand – according to news reports in 2023, ferry prices have increased, prompting some individuals to seek more cost-effective and efficient alternative modes of daily transportation, particularly due to the relatively distant location of the nearest MTR station. Additionally, the Central promenade itself, which serves as the city center of Hong Kong with numerous shops, hotels, and activities around, is a highly visited spot. The Central harbourfront space hosts many events such as music concerts, festivals, the recent carnaval drawing large crowds, especially around the piers where the footbridge from the mtr intersects with the ferry pier link building. It is possible that this area may be redeveloped to extend the promenade and accommodate the large volume of visitors in the area.
Are there any sustainable reasons why the piers might be demolished?
Also, with the ongoing impact of climate change, there is growing concern about the potential rising sea levels affecting the promenade and piers, although this risk is relatively low in the short term.
What is your prediction about the future of this area and its piers?
The Central piers, along with the nearby Hong Kong-Macau port, create a prolonged industrial zone, obstructing the breathtaking views of both the Kowloon skyline and Central. In light of evolving needs and considerations for urban development, there may be potential discussions about relocating the piers to a more suitable location, such as integrating them into the Hong Kong-Macao port or another site that can better accommodate modern transportation needs. While such a decision may be met with mixed feelings, it reflects the reality that cities must adapt to changing circumstances and prioritize functionality. Preserving cultural heritage is crucial, and efforts should be made to protect the legacy of the Central ferry piers while also embracing the need for progress and innovation.