The Kwun Tong Town Centre Redevelopment Project has been in progress for more than ten years, and nearby shops and hawkers have been relocated one after another.
As a result, some craftsmen who relied on Kwun Tong's unique street culture in the past have gradually declined. Among them, a watchmaker missed the one-time registration of artisans by the FEHD that year, so he had to wait for many years before he was licensed by the authorities. , the only "three-no" craftsman in the district, namely no registration, no licensing and no placement.
At present, the watchmaker Mr. Sheh, who is over 60 years old, only wants to seek a relocation, so that he does not have to move again and again, but the FEHD only points out that the watchmaker did not operate the unlicensed artisan on the street that the department conducted 13 years ago. The business vendor registered in the investigation and did not mention the post-mortem resettlement case, so the other party could only commit himself to the construction site that was being demolished and struggle to survive.
It has been more than ten years since the redevelopment of Kwun Tong, and nearby shops and hawkers have been relocated one after another.
Some craftsmen who came into being relying on Kwun Tong's unique street culture in the past have gradually disappeared.
Among them, a watchmaker missed the one-time registration as a craftsman from the FEHD, so he had to wait for many years before being issued a license by the authorities. He became the only “three no” craftsmen in the district, namely, no registration, no entry to Yumin Market and No flowing cards are dealt to make it turn to operate.
(Photo by Zeng Fengting)
Another watchmaker in Yue Man Fang is assigned to operate other craftsmen to retire or to be placed in the market
Buildings in the vicinity of the old Yu Man Square in Kwun Tong city center have been demolished one after another. Some of the buildings are intended to be leveled and enclosed with barbed wire, while others are still being demolished. The exterior is sealed with hoarding boards, and temporary steel-framed stone piles are erected for pedestrians. walk by.
At present, there are two watchmakers still in operation at the above site, one of them is Mr. Luo who is located at No. 76 Yuminfang Road, and the latter is Mr. She who is in the sidewalk of Tongren Street.
A document issued by the Kwun Tong District Council last month pointed out that the watchmaker located at No. 76 Yu Man Fang's outer pedestrian road is to be licensed and will be relocated to the pedestrian road under the pedestrian overpass at 93 Xie Wo Street. At that time, the watchmaker will have an area of approximately The 0.2-square-meter fixed stall continues to operate, but Mr. Sheh's resettlement plan is not mentioned at all, making him the only "three-no" craftsman in the area, that is, no registration, no licensing and no resettlement.
Don't miss the registration deadline in Hong Kong. Hidden craftsmen are listed here.
Mr. Sheh, who was over 60 years old, felt helpless and pointed out that the FEHD had not contacted him in recent years.
He recalled that when the FEHD registered a craftsman in Kwun Tong in 2009, he missed the registration deadline because he had something to do and was not in Hong Kong.
Although the department has been seeking registration and licensing in the past, there has been no response so far.
With the redevelopment of Kwun Tong, Mr. Sheh has moved again and again over the years. He has moved no less than 4 times in 2 years due to the influence of nearby projects. After the demolition of the old Yu Man Square, his business was even more affected. There are a large number of minibuses and bus stops in the square, and many customers pass by, but now the station has moved into the new public transport interchange of Yuminfang, which is currently on the ground floor of Kaihui, and the flow of people has dropped significantly. Even putting me in the Yumin Market would be better than nothing!"
Mr. Sheh, who was over 60 years old, felt helpless and pointed out that the FEHD had not contacted him in recent years.
He recalled that when the FEHD registered a craftsman in Kwun Tong in 2009, he missed the registration because he was not in Hong Kong because he had something to do at the time.
At present, Mr. Sheh only hopes to get a license from the authorities: "Even if you let me go to Yumin Market, it would be better than nothing!" (Photo by Zeng Fengting)
Yuan Zhiren, the moderator of "Living in Kwun Tong" who has been concerned about the reconstruction of Yumin Square for many years, said that in 2017, there were 5 craftsmen in the center of Kwun Tong, including cobbler Fusao, watchmaker Mr. Luo, watchmaker Mr. Sheh and two others. A now retired craftsman.
Mrs. Fu was relocated to Yumin Market last year; Mr. Luo plans to be licensed; Mr. Sheh has not yet been relocated.
Yuan Zhiren said that Mr. Sheh had met with the FEHD many times in the past and had contacts, so he must be aware of the existence of Mr. Sheh. In addition, in the 2019 District Council, he had passed a motion requesting the FEHD to report to the artisans in the city center. Licensing, including Mr. She who is a watchmaker, but the department has repeatedly used the one-time craftsman conducted in 2009 as the statistical standard, and has not issued a license for many years on the grounds that Mr. She has not been registered in the survey and proper placement.
Yuan Zhiren: If you can't register in time, do you think craftsmen don't exist?
He pointed out that the authorities have not officially counted the number of craftsmen for many years: "As long as it's a day and a person, it doesn't exist." Both the EPD and the urban renewal department leading the redevelopment are responsible for relocating Mr. She. In particular, Mr. She knows how to repair antique clocks. This technique is rare in Hong Kong and the industry is unique. The authorities should take it seriously.
Since the vacancy rate of Yumin Market has reached 30%, and there is a precedent for the cobbler Fusao to move in earlier, we urge the authorities to issue a license as soon as possible and properly resettle it.
Regarding Mr. Sheh, a watchmaker in Kwun Tong, who has not been relocated, the FEHD stated in its reply to the enquiry that the FEHD is now following up on the licensing of unlicensed street artisans (including watchmakers) with nostalgic local cultural characteristics.
After obtaining the support of the District Council and approval from other departments, licensing will be considered at the original site or other locations suitable for setting up fixed pitches, allowing registered artisans to apply for fixed pitch (artisan) hawker licences, so that after the licences are issued, they can Continue to operate legally where appropriate.
According to the records, the watchmaker referred to in the enquiry was not registered in the fact-finding investigation conducted by the Department in 2009 on unlicensed artisan traders on the streets of various districts.
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