Hong Kong’s Elderly Fabric Shop Owners Face Uncertain Future as Historic Western Market Faces Renovation
Chan Sun, the owner of a fabric store in Hong Kong, started cutting prices when he learned last month that the iconic Western Market building, where his shop has been located for thirty years, was set to undergo renovations and force him to relocate soon.
” HK\$500, 2 Yds,” the elderly man penned on a placard placed outside his store, which was situated on the ground floor of the historic redbrick colonial building.
Chan has up until the end of October to vacate the premises to accommodate the URA’s redevelopment project. This extensive renovation is expected to last for a minimum of two years.
The impending eviction aligns with the decreasing demand in the fabric market, a trend that has persisted for decades. The once-thriving textile and tailoring sectors of the city have become mere remnants of what they used to be, their prime days far behind them.
“At our height, we handled one-fifth of an English manufacturer’s operations,” Chan remembered regarding their import levels.
Check over there,” he said, gesturing towards the piles of wool and camel hair blends displayed outside the shop, located behind the cash register. “They were priced at HK$600 per yard before. Nowadays, I have to offer two yards for HK$500.
The elderly man mentioned that it would be challenging to market the remaining fabrics, especially the premium cashmere material priced at HK$6,200 per yard.
In 1991, eighteen fabric stores, such as Chan’s Lee Loy Piece Goods, relocated to the Edwardian-style market building in Sheung Wan. This move occurred following the actions of the Land Development Corporation, which was the precursor to the URA.
redeveloped
ancient structures located on the close-by Cloth Street, which is referred to as “Wing On Street.”
This time, there’s significant ambiguity. As the deadline approaches within six months for the fabric stores to vacate the Western Market, many of the predominantly older occupants wonder about their future relocation options and doubt they’ll be able to resume their operations successfully.
“They’re stating that the repairs will require two years, but I’m unsure whether I’ll still be here by then,” Chan said with a sigh, mentioning he hasn’t planned what to do when the deadline arrives.
From gofer to shopkeeper
Sixty years ago, Chan started his journey at Lee Loy, where he initially cleaned floors and delivered messages for just HK$40 per month. At that time, the store was located on Wing On Street in Central.
Later, he took over the four-story store from his uncle and grew its operations by supplying fabrics to textile mills. After relocating the shop to a space on the first floor at the Western Market in Sheung Wan, he had to reduce the scale of his business because he was given a repurposed wet market stall that measured only about 80 square feet.
Despite facing losses for most of the past 33 years, Chan continues to operate his store at the market. A dedicated group of regular patrons keeps the business alive by consistently purchasing suiting materials.
The sellers of fabrics have cultivated strong and amicable connections throughout the years, noted an additional older vendor who preferred to share just his last name, Chow, for personal privacy reasons.
On that April afternoon, he was overseeing a nearby shop as the owner was away having lunch.
He mentioned that this feeling of community was beneficial for business as well.
“If we separate,” he explained, “we won’t be able to buy our suit materials in large quantities together anymore.” He gestured towards the bolts of British, Italian, and German suiting fabrics displayed in his shop, which Chan also carries at Lee Loy.
Chow’s store, Three Geniuses Furnishing Fabrics, along with numerous other shops in the marketplace, offer vibrant textiles such as jacquard fabrics and brightly colored prints in shades of red, magenta, and various vivid tones. These stand out dramatically against the somber blacks and grays displayed at Chan’s booth.
Their primary customers include nearby fashion students and designers. Additionally, film production teams visit the market for various textiles. Nonetheless, due to more affordable supplies being accessible online, these groups now frequent local shops much less often, as mentioned by Chow.
Oldest surviving market building
Completed in 1906, the Western Market stands as Hong Kong’s oldest remaining market structure. For over eight decades, it functioned as a wet market until it was significantly refurbished and relaunched in 1991.
The edifice, designated as a historic site in 1990, underwent renovation in 2003 — over twenty years past. Many years subsequent to this refurbishment, ordinary deterioration has rendered the construction due for another update.
“We recognize the necessity of addressing this issue. Notice how the rain is penetrating the bricks and causing leaks in the ceiling nextdoor,” stated Chow, aged 73, just following a rainy April morning.
The URA mentioned that they will reach out to the fabric market tenants at an appropriate time to discuss the renovation work and offer support. However, they have not specified if they plan to provide additional compensation or specific relocation options for the stall owners.
The statement said, “Regarding the cloth merchants, when the Land Development Corporation (LDC) redeveloped Wing On Street in Sheung Wan several years back, they provided compensation to the impacted cloth traders based on the policies in effect at that time.”
Besides tackling the water seepage, the URA’s revitalisation works will also address the historic building’s ageing electrical and mechanical equipment, roof tiles and timber components, as well as its facade, doors and windows.
“To enable the start of the work and for safety purposes, all commercial tenants will be required to relocate,” the authorities stated in their email response to HKFP’s inquiry.
The only thing Chan has left is the fabric store. “I don’t have other hobbies; I neither drink nor gamble, and I’ve lost touch with my friends,” he stated.
Many people my age have passed away, so I wonder how I’ll manage once the store is gone. Our plan is simply to spend whatever time we have left.
As the vendors prepare for the expected displacements, visitors remain oblivious to the plans concerning the historic red-brick structure and those who live and work within it. During HKFP’s visit, people were seen taking pictures of the cloth shops; however, most did not make purchases and departed without buying anything.
‘Can’t see a future’
Katy, who runs a flower shop on the market’s lower level, has located a new spot for her business just a short distance down the street. Due to privacy reasons, she chose not to share her complete name.
“We’re leasing the new location at a similar cost, but I’ll regret missing out on the market,” she remarked. “It has always been an iconic spot, and we’ve lived here for three decades,” she added.
Under a separate lease arrangement with the building owner, the Telford Recreation Club, she is one of the Western Market tenants who must relocate by the end of this month.
Katy mentioned that she felt emotionally connected to the historic market building because it was where her son spent his childhood years.
“We’ve witnessed Hong Kong’s ascent and decline. Nowadays, there aren’t nearly as many tourists as before. In the past, we could easily chat with them, but those chances have become scarce,” she remarked.
Katy’s most recent two lease agreements at the market lasted merely two months each, rather than the usual two-year duration.
The URA suggests it might offer “flexible arrangements” or facilitate intermediary services to help tenants relocate their businesses, or explore options for transferring these enterprises to other commercial spaces overseen by the authority.
Hong Kong appears to be slowing down. Without a clear future ahead, I lack the motivation to take any action, including setting up an Octopus card reader,” she explained. “I wish to spruce up the store and make it look more appealing, yet I simply don’t feel motivated enough.
Chan expressed dissatisfaction with the present political climate, mentioning he did not feel inclined to contact legislators or district councilors for assistance.
“The times have evolved,” he stated. “See how calm things are nowadays? Protests against such issues were common before, but they’ve disappeared now.”
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