When Chestnuts Start Roasting on the Streets in Hong Kong…
- 82newsbulletin
- Nov 26, 2020
- 2 min read
Written by Karrie Lam
When the streets of Hong Kong waft with the aroma of crackling chestnuts and plump, and sweet potatoes lay snugly in their toasty compartments, Hong Kongers know that it’s a sign of winter approaching.
These chestnut hawkers appear only for a few months per year to accommodate the wintertime. During their ‘off-season’, some hawkers switch to other professions. One shared that his summertimes are spent maintaining air-conditioners instead.
Since the 1970s, the Hong Kong government has banned issuing of new licenses for street hawkers and implemented severe limits on their transfers. Notably, itinerant hawker licenses may not be transferred or ‘inherited’ even if the license holder has passed away. As a result, a licensing black market has fostered, according to Yip who has been fighting for hawkers’ rights since 2011.
The Hong Kong Hawkers Association estimated that there were 70,000 hawkers in Hong Kong and Kowloon in 1946 but as of December 2018, there are only 387 itinerant hawker license holders with only 20 still in business. One street hawker shared the sentiment that chestnut roasting on the streets might not last even the next 10 years.
Given the current pandemic situation, one wonders whether business has been further offset because of hygiene concerns. Nonetheless, there are ones who remain strong in spirit and diligent in the pursuit of preserving Hong Kong’s street food culture. Look out for them when you’re lucky enough to spot them on the streets of Hong Kong.
Locations of Street Hawkers in Hong Kong - Screenshot from Apple Daily
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