港•地-消失中的金鱼街/Disappearing 'Gold FIsh' Street

读了一位Facebook面友的短文，赫然发现我打算下回到香港逛的“金鱼街”（正名为通菜街），以极快的速度，消失当中。

这，真的是，“OH MY GOD!!!”

香港《明报》的专题。取自https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=352615604829104&set=a.244073749016624.55502.238970456193620&type=1&theater

如果，你们还没到过那里的话，请看以下的地图。

“金鱼街”是在1970年代，售卖金鱼和红虫的摊主，为了避开当时港府不准在白天营业的规定，从现在的旺角东港铁站，搬迁到此。那时候开始，整排通菜街的店铺售卖金鱼的情景，为旺角竖立了一个奇特的景色。

香港和新加坡一样，在这几年面对店铺租金不断上扬的趋势，而这导致很多老店(如茶餐厅和小本经营的个性店，不是关门就是往大厦里面搬。如果，这些店铺开始卖日常用品，如：奶粉，药品，以后的“金鱼街”就是失去个性，将会变成“药方街”。

这，这，叫“恋港人士”和旅游作者，“情何以堪”（各位，请用粤曲大戏的唱法来读这四个字）~~~~

“金鱼街”的存亡，已经到了关键的时候了。

不要药房街，我们要金鱼街！

怎样去：搭港铁到太子站，从B2出口出。


I was preparing for the scheduled "Hong Kong Trilogy" segment when a Facebook status caught my attention IMMEDIATELY. 

"Goldfish Street" is fast disappearing! I never thought this unique place will be gone faster than '7 seconds'. 

Hong Kong's Ming Poh special on Goldfish Street

Nicknamed "Goldfish Street", Tung Choi Street is specialized in having shops selling goldfishes and other aquarium related goods. The hawkers shifted from their previous location at Mongkok East MTR station as they were inconvenienced by the government's rule. This was the 1970s and these shops had a home at Tung Choi Street ever since. 

30 years later, due to the rising rental costs, these shops have to make way for shops selling pharmaceuticals. It is due to the owners believe that it is more economical to rent out shops to sell these stuff, other than goldfishes. 

It is come to a point that eventually Tung Choi Street will lose its uniqueness. Imagine years down the road, travelogues will wrote "Hong Kong unique shops have converted to pharmacies as owners feel economic progress is more important than city's way of life."

My readers, do you want that?

So, if you are coming by Hong Kong these few weeks, please spend time to trot down to Tung Choi Street to take pictures of goldfishes, hanging up for sale. You may not able to see them the next time round.

Just like me. 

How to get there:
Take MTR to Prince Edward Station, come out of Exit B2.