Reopening of Hong Kong’s Temple Street night market could be delayed until end of November, as organisers and officials hammer out final details
- Organisers say original hopes of mid-November launch for revitalised night market under threat due to power supply and cart storage concerns
- ‘We want to turn this [site] into a Hong Kong staple for tourists visiting the city, the same way the Shilin Night Market is for Taipei,’ they add
The much-awaited reopening of Hong Kong’s Temple Street night market could be delayed for several weeks as organisers and officials struggle to finalise renovation details such as ensuring the site has an adequate electricity supply.
Under the government’s “Night Vibes Hong Kong” campaign, organisers had initially hoped to kick off the relaunch’s first phase, which would span up to five months, from mid-November, but said the remaining hurdles could push back the reopening until the end of the month.
Yaumatei Temple Street Association of Hawkers and Shop Operators chairman Raymond Chan Kam-wing last week said organisers were still also discussing how to use the space during the day.
“We are still in talks with the government about this, but we are hoping for a scenario in which roads will remain open to vehicles, but also does not require us to push the carts away every day once the market closes,” he said.
“It is dangerous for us to move the stalls around, and where would we keep them?”
Chan said organisers had considered moving the stalls to a nearby government sports ground during the day, but felt occupying a public space was far from ideal.
The most feasible option was to leave the stalls and carts at the roadside, he added.
