Howdopublicmarkets,asordinaryastheyseem,carrytheweightofacity’shistory?Howdosuch
everydaybuildingsreflectacity’schangingpolitical,social,andeconomicneeds,throughtheiryearslongtransformationsinforms,functions,andmanagement?Integratingarchitectureandhistory,thisbookinvitesreaderstogothroughthegrowthandgovernanceofcolonialHongKongbytracingthepastandpresentofpublicmarketsasastudyofextensivefirsthandhistoricalmaterials.AsthereaderswitnessthechangesinHongKongmarketsfromhawkerpitchestoclassicalmarkethallstocleanmodernistmunicipalcomplexes,thebookoffersanewperspectiveofunderstandingthefamiliareverydaymarketswithhistoricalcontextspossiblyunfamiliartomost,studyingmarketsasamicrocosmofthecityandacapsuleofitshistory.
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Thisbookisarobustandin-depthstudyofthemarketbuildinghistoryofHongKongsincethe1840sandcontributestoaholisticunderstandingofeverydayurbanism,publicspace,andthebirthofmodernarchitectureinthiscity.ProfessorCarmenTsuihasbrokennewgroundinpositioningmarketbuildingsassitesforsituatingarchitectureatthecentreofthesocialandeconomichistoryofHongKong.
—ProfessorHoPuayPeng
UNESCOChaironArchitecturalHeritageConservationandManagementinAsia
HeadofDepartmentofArchitecture,SchoolofDesign
andEnvironment,NationalUniversityofSingapore
Aschaoticastheymayseem,HongKong’spublicmarketshavetheirownbusinessandspatiallogicandareimportantvenuesforpeopletounderstandthecity.Toimprovehygiene,foodpeddlershavebeenremovedfromthestreetstoindoormarkets.Someofthevigorousmarketingactivitiescannotbesustainedindoors,whileotherstakeotherformstosurvive.ThisbookreconstructsthepastandpresentofpublicmarketsinHongKong.Itprovidesimportantdocumentationandanalysisofthecity’smostvibrantarchitecture.
Publicmarketsconnectpeople;theywitnessthejoysandstrugglesofseveralgenerationsoflocalpeopleandrecordthechangesinHongKong’severydaylife,culturalvalues,andaestheticsense.Despitethepopularityofonlineshoppingtoday,publicmarketsremainirreplaceablecarriersofourculture.
—ProfessorChangPingHungWallace
AssociateProfessorofDepartmentofArchitecture,
TheUniversityofHongKong
FormerMemberoftheAdvisoryCommitteeonBuiltHeritageConservation,HKSAR
HONGKONG SOCIAL KONG MARKETS ARCHITECTURE functions EVERYDAY HONG
