Still Struggling to Understand What Was Happening at the Kweilin Street Lunar Markets Last Night?

Still struggling to understand what was happening at the Kweilin Street Lunar Markets last night?

Firstly, HK Indigenous issued a formal proposal to the FEHD on how they would help improve the hygiene and safety of the traditional market. (See full proposal at bottom of this post)

Despite this, the FEHD started clamping down on the hawkers in the afternoon. Many hawkers relocated to Mongkok to avoid fines and trouble.

HK Indigenous turned up with rubbish bins, brooms, fire extinguishers and volunteers to help maintain the night market for the local community.

In response the Government mobilised many police officers and FEHD, which all but killed the Lunar New Year Market for the night, as per the Governments design.

Proving that this Government will mobilise huge volumes of expensive manpower and allocate huge amounts of taxpayer’s money in order to suppress local people, but wont entertain sensible proposals to preserve or maintain local culture.

This action by HK Indigenous will happen for the next three nights. Please show your support.

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FEHD Proposal
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就桂林夜市一事，我們向食環署寫了一份建議書，內容包括有關改善衛生，人流及交通之方法，希望他們能參考建議書之內容，通融保留富有本地特色的桂林夜市。

We have submitted a proposal to the FEHD about measures to improve hygiene, pedestrian and traffic management. We sincerely hope the department could take reference of the proposal and accommodate for this local night market of indigenous blend of food and culture.
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食物環境衛生署：
『桂林夜市』建議書

To the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department:
Proposal on the temporary Kweilin Night Market

背景
桂林街（Kweilin Street）是香港深水埗區一條街道，其道路與北河街大致平行。近年起於農曆新年(從年三十晚至年初三期間)，桂林街聚集不少本地居民擺設地攤及熟食檔，繁華鼎盛，因而被稱為「桂林夜市」。可是，2014年民建聯向貴署提交一份建議書要求貴署嚴打夜市，導致極具本土特色的『桂林夜市』成為絕響。有見及此，本組織(本土民主前線) 就衛生、道路安全及保存集體回憶三方面提交此建議書，致力追求讓本土特色得以保存時，對其他市民日常生活的影響減至最低。

Background
Kweilin Street in Shum Shui Po is well known for the night market held during lunar new year eve and the first three days of it. People from the Neighbourhood gather there to set up bazaars and food stalls. The prosperous night market is thus born. However, the intervention from the Pro-Establishment Camp is threatening this indigenous tradition. In the light of preserving the night market, Hong Kong Indigenous are proposing means to minimize the side effect of the night market.

衛生
鑒於往年桂林夜市的衛生問題都令各界引起關注，垃圾堆積問題嚴重。為改善衛生問題，本組織將於年三十晚至年初三期間放置十個臨時垃圾箱，並安排義工充當衛生大使，清理囤積的垃圾，垃圾會由義工運送至元州街垃圾收集站(元州街59-63號)；另將有多名義工負責道路清潔(如掃地)，盡可能做到垃圾分類，以便減少堆填區日積月累之負擔。義工們會勸籲市民不要隨地亂拋垃圾，籍此提升港人之公德心。

Hygiene
To cope with the environmental issues produced by the stacking of refuse, we would arrange to set up ten temporary trash bin. Together with our volunteers, we would like to send the trash directly to the refuse collection point nearby. We also assign helpers to keep the road clean and sort the waste for recycling. On top of that, we would remind the crowd not to leave refuse on the street.

道路安全
據往年所見，很多地攤和熟食檔都放置於行車通道，規劃散亂，容易造成交通阻塞及易生意外，汽車駛進來的時候亦花很長時間開通道路，故此道路安全值得高度關注。本組織建議行車通道和行人通道都需預留足夠空間，以免人多擠逼產生碰撞。可於地面劃出地攤及熟食區，清晰地指引桂林夜市之檔主如何擺放，互相作出協調。本組織亦安排多名義工專門負責道路協調，疏導人流及車輛。當有汽車通過桂林街的時候，義工會安排檔主及市民在安全情況下有秩序地讓出車路，務求令人流及交通暢順。本組織亦備有滅火筒，如遇火種，可即時使用滅火筒進行撲救，減少意外發生。

Road Safety
We are aware of the need of a clear passage for emergency and traffic. We would improve by drawing clear guidelines for stalls and food trolleys and enforce them with the help of volunteers. Our road safety helpers are in charge of coordinating traffic, pedestrian and stalls. Fire extinguishers are prepared for emergency use.

保存集體回憶
香港發展急促，日新月異。社會進步帶來了不少方便及新穎感，但與此同時港人之集體回憶正逐漸被蠶蝕。就如已被商業化的各個小社區，裡裡外外都成為名店、金鋪、藥房等供應遊客購物的店鋪，真正屬於香港人的消費和娛樂的地方已所剩無幾。為保存港人之集體回憶，本組織強烈建議保留桂林夜市。

As a preservation of memories
The development of Hong Kong has washed away most of our local memories. The old local stores were tore down and replaced by chain stores. We feel the need to save some indigenous value for the Hong Kong local. The Kweilin Night Market is highly recommended to be preserved.

總結
桂林夜市只是農曆新年期間，持續數個晚上的平民活動，其存在價值在於擁有極濃厚香港本地特色，包括文化和美食，可惜慘遭無情打壓，俗語有云：法律不外乎人情，本組織還望貴署參考此建議書就衛生，交通和保留集體回憶三方面之具體建議，通融保留桂林夜市。

Summary
Kweilin Night Market is a neighbourhood activity held during a few nights of Lunar New Year. Yet it bears a strong indigenous value, with a mix of local culture and culinary. Even it is under repression now, we have to urge the FEHD to make an exception and preserve the Kwelin Night Market.

本土民主前線
2015年2月17日

Hong Kong Indigenous
17/2/2015

Images courtesy of their respective owners