Kwun Tong stall owners hold farewell party as they prepare to clear out for Hong Kong’s largest redevelopment project
- More than 100 operators are expected to move out by Thursday under a compensation package, with help for those who fail to meet deadline
Residents of a crowded and aged Hong Kong neighbourhood were wrapped up in nostalgia on Sunday as stall owners edged out by the city’s biggest redevelopment project held a farewell party.
The vendors – mostly operating unauthorised stalls in Yue Man Square – were once part of the bustling heart of Kwun Tong. They are now expected to clear out from the area by Thursday after 85 per cent of them accepted a special compensation deal by the Urban Renewal Authority.
The authority has promised to work with other government departments to assist affected stall owners, even those who fail to meet the deadline.
Yuen Chi-yan from concern group Living in Kwun Tong said: “The vendors only have one very humble request. They want a proper licence so they can continue operating elsewhere in Kwun Tong.
“The clearance of stalls and the tearing down of Yue Man Square are the latest examples of a local community falling victim to urban renewal. We have seen high-rise and luxury blocks spring up on redeveloped sites, but their original communities have been purged.”
