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Ambrose Li

Along a narrow lane behind the vibrant street stalls of Hong Kong’s Wan Chai district, a 30-year-old shop is adorned with dozens of colourful lanterns for the coming Mid-Autumn Festival.
It is hard to miss the large sign near the entrance of Yat Sing Toys that says: “Good Bye!”
Next to it, there is a small self-portrait of the smiling owner with a message in Chinese: “I am retiring.” A notice thanks long-time customers, with a wish for them to always stay childlike.
News of the impending closure – on September 18, the day after Mid-Autumn Festival – brought a throng of customers eager to pick up a memento and bid the place a nostalgic farewell.
Some lamented that its exit would dim the shine of Tai Yuen Street, known to locals as “toy street” and which once had half a dozen toy shops. The Tourism Board website describes the street as “a treasure trove of toys”.
Others said its closure was a sign of changing times, as children had more fun with digital devices these days and shoppers preferred browsing online.
Since the mid-90s, Yat Sing has drawn parents and children looking for everything from balloons to modelling clay, stuffed toys, dolls, planes and more.
Workers from nearby government offices and commercial buildings also came to pick up festive decorations for Halloween, Christmas and Lunar New Year.
The shop of about 800 sq ft has rows of floor-to-ceiling shelves divided into sections for cars, board games, party supplies and decorations, with lanterns and other blow-up toys dangling overhead.

Prices are as low as HK$10 (US$1.30) for three polystyrene planes or several hundred dollars for remote-controlled toys, with stocks mainly from mainland China and Japan.
Gen Wong, who has been working there for more than a decade, told the Post the owner decided to close the shop as he was retiring. She said he was surnamed Choy, but declined to say more about him.
She said she had noticed “a reversal of roles” in toy-shopping over the years.
“When we were kids, we had to beg our parents for toys and really treasured them,” she said. “Nowadays, kids are glued to their phones or tablets, and parents are the ones asking their children to choose toys.”
Real estate professional Peter Pang, in his 30s, brought his 12-year-old cousin Hazel Chow when she was visiting from London late last month.
Aside from buying her some gifts, he said he also wanted to show her the type of shops once found all over Hong Kong but which were now gradually disappearing.
“My cousin has not been to a shop like this,” he said. “I want to give her the experience and nostalgic feeling of visiting these shops, and not just get toys.”
Hazel chose a stuffed toy Mofusand, a Japanese cat character in an orange garden eel costume.

Eric and May Fung, a couple in their 50s from the neighbourhood, said they were there for the second time since the shop announced last month that it was closing.
They bought a jianzi – a kicking shuttlecock – that they enjoyed playing with as children.
“I used to buy toys here for my children,” recalled May. “In the past, parents brought their children here, but now it’s frequented by adults reliving their childhood.”
Esther Ng, a housewife in her 60s, was there with her four-year-old granddaughter. She said she liked the city’s old shops and felt compelled to come and bid Yat Sing Toys farewell.
“The shop is definitely not as busy as it used to be,” she said. “I suppose the economic downturn and the rise of [e-commerce platforms such as] Taobao have contributed to this.”

After the shop closes, there will be four others selling toys in Tai Yuen Street, alongside small restaurants, boutiques and street stalls.
Shopkeeper Wong said she would miss the regular customers who often stopped by for a casual chat, some bringing their children or grandchildren.
Among the countless toys she sold over the years, an enduring favourite of customers was Aeroplane Chess, a game for up to four players in which the winner is the first to land all four of their planes at the finishing point.
She said it was a social game that kept families and friends of all ages entertained.
“The classic version is now sold out,” she said. “Perhaps what people are truly seeking, despite all that has changed, is still a connection with others.”


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