Hong Kong: Markets, Street Hawkers and the Fight against Gentrification

Street markets and hawking have long been a fixture of everyday life in Hong Kong. Some markets are centuries old, and have come to serve as embodiments of Hong Kong’s rich social and cultural heritage. But now many street markets face the threat of creeping gentrification, as these vibrant community spaces are cleared to make way for bland shopping malls.

In this moving and provocative work, historian Maurizio Marinelli explores the street markets of Hong Kong, giving voice to their hawkers, traders, artists and visitors, and painting a vivid picture of communities and ways of life which face the threat of extinction. But Marinelli also looks at the ways in which these communities are fighting back against gentrification, and gives hope that Hong Kong’s markets may yet endure.