Vanished Food Culture in Hong Kong (by Shawn L.)

　Food is a central part of Chinese culture, uniting families, colleagues and friends. As most people live in relatively small apartments, restaurants are often the chosen venue for meeting and eating. Hong Kong is frequently described as a place where East meets West, a meeting reflected in its economic infrastructure, education and street culture. British rule may have ended in 1997 but Western culture is deeply ingrained in Hong Kong and coexists seamlessly with traditional philosophy and practices of the Orient. On one street corner, there may be traditional Chinese shops selling Chinese herbal medicine, Buddhist paraphernalia or bowls of synthetic shark fin soup. But around the next, one may find theatres showing the latest Hollywood blockbuster, an English-style pub, a Catholic Church or a McDonald’s. Today, I will focus on the “Dai pai dongs” culture for discussion.

 　The term dai pai dong is often used generically to refer to any food stall operating on the roadside with foldable tables, chairs and no air-conditioning. They are very much welcome by the general public for their reasonable prices and the wide choice of food provided. They are part of the Hong Kong culture. To the ordinary citizens or toiling masses, it is indeed a special flavour to sit in the open on plank stools or folding chairs, tasting homely dishes, tea with milk and egg sandwich, or an instant noodle.

　Since 1975, many dai pai dongs have been moved into temporary markets or into cooked food centres, usually located in municipal services complexes managed by the Urban Council, for easier control. In order to improve worsening public hygiene, the government began to buy back “big licences” from the licence-holders in 1983. Since most of the licensees were aged, and the licenses are only legally transferable to their spouses, many of the licensees were willing to return their licenses for compensation. Since then, the number of traditional dai pai dongs has declined rapidly.　　

　With the society ever in progress, the Government has forbidden the operation of dai pai dongs because they are considered to be poor in hygienic condition. Some dai pai dong stalls have gradually evolved into Hong Kong style cafes and restaurants, continue to be patronized by many Hong kong people. Dai pai dongs were once an important contribution to the local economy, and an unique scenic attraction on the streets of Hong Kong. Today, most dai pai dongs survive by operating in cooked food centres, while the more successful ones have reinvented themselves as air-conditioned restaurants. It was reported that revenues of dai pai dongs increased considerably in 2003 when Hong Kong was plagued by SARS; as people regarded air-conditioned places as hotbeds of the virus and patronised open-air and sun-lit stalls instead.

　If dai pai dongs really disappear some day, it will be a great pity, a page torn away from the record of our history, a sign of demise of the local street culture, and a dirge for Hong Kong.

Reference:
http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%A4%A7%E6%8E%92%E6%AA%94&variant=zh-tw