The Hong Kong cultural experiences that are disappearing

Hong Kong’s incredible cityscape owes a lot to the bamboo structures that have long been a part of our construction industry. Fast-growing, light, affordable, and easy to handle when it comes to transporting, setting up, and taking down – even in tight spaces – it’s easy to see why you often can see bamboo scaffolding outside buildings that are under construction or repair. Tourists are often awestruck at the skill and nerve of workers climbing up and down these structures, and our famous scaffolds have even been featured in Hollywood movies like Rush Hour 2 and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Unfortunately, Hong Kong’s officials have recently decided to go with metal scaffolding for all government constructions, and have urged private projects to do the same. Concerns regarding the safety of using bamboo were cited, but it doesn’t change the fact that yet another of our city’s iconic sights seem to be facing eradiction. Go take pictures of our bamboo scaffolding while you still can!

No, these are not olives that are given out as an in-flight snack. Hongkongers of a certain age will have vivid memories of aeroplane olives (飛機欖; fei gei laam), a beloved snack that was ubiquitous in Hong Kong from the 1950s to the 70s. Olives are preserved in salt, liquorice, and other herbs before being wrapped in cellophane. Vendors selling these tangy, slightly savoury treats used to roam the streets with a bright green, olive-shaped box, shouting “fei gei laam” and tooting a horn. Interested customers in the apartments above would throw money down and the olive seller would fling his wares into their open windows with great accuracy. If he misses, he will throw repeatedly until the sweets reach their target. This act of making olives fly through the air thus gave the snacks their name.

Of course, with the advent of high-rise buildings, sellers – no matter how strong their throw – were no longer able to deliver their product into windows on higher floors, and the aeroplane olive slowly began to die out. The ‘Father of the Aeroplane Olive’, Kwok Kam-kei, passed away in December 2013, having been in business for over 70 years. These days, you may be able to find the occasional olive at nostalgic Hong Kong pop-ups, but this snack which defined a generation mostly just lives on in memory.

The quintessential Hong Kong dining experience. These super local, family-run outdoor restaurants are on the drastic decline due to the government’s refusal to issue new licenses due to – let’s be frank ­– ridiculously over-fussy hygiene laws. With an inimitable atmosphere that cannot be bought by fancy dimmed restaurant lighting, food from these outdoor cheap eats does not get any more authentic. Check out our feature on Hong Kong’s best dai pai dong’s here.

Another Hong Kong dining institution. It’s shameful if you come to the SAR and don’t try dim sum. Although there’s no shortage of restaurants serving up these local assortments of delicious goodies, the traditional way of ordering dim sum from a cart is slowly being phased out, replaced by a mundane order sheet. If you want the proper trolley treatment, we suggest hitting up Lin Heung Tea House in Central or The London Restaurant in Mong Kok.

Hand-carved mahjong tiles are now considered a dying art. What’s more, there are sadly only three major mahjong carving professionals left in Hong Kong. Out of the three, Sister Mei is the only female carver in the city whose down-to-earth and chatty persona has made her something of a local legend. Visit her shop to take home a piece of cultural gem. Alternatively, you can head over to Jordan’s Bui Kee Mahjong as well. 

Surrounded by a cacophony of songbirds and traditional Chinese music in Prince Edward’s Yuen Po Bird Garden, you can meet what may well be Hong Kong’s last remaining birdcage maker, Chan Lok-choi. At the store, you’ll be greeted by a wall of old-school birdcages and see the master himself at work. Though Chan mostly does repairs these days, he welcomes visitors for a friendly chat and to watch his crafting process. 

Once ubiquitous on the streets of Hong Kong, this simple yet tasty and healthy snack has now become a roadside rarity. A small bag of chestnuts that have been roasted on a rusty roadside cart has always been synonymous with winter in the city and is a special experience that shouldn’t be missed. Chestnut stalls almost always sell roasted quail eggs as well, which are one of our favourites. Try your luck around Shantung Street in Mong Kok.

Hong Kong’s iconic lighting fixtures are slowly being stripped down and replaced by commercially savvy – and boring – printed or plastic signs that we’re are all too familiar with. Despite their decline, these neon signs still ooze a kind of old-world, grimy charisma. Thankfully, there are still a few spots around town where you can get a great snap! We also recommend just using your eyes to soak it all in. Just as good. Some spots include Jaffe Road in Wan Chai; Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui; and Cheung Sha Wan Road and Lai Chi Kok Road in Sham Shui Po.

Mak Kam-sang is the last standing minibus sign painter in the city, vying against the bland digitisation of bus signs. He single-handedly provides local drivers with beautiful hand-painted signs. Although this is a dying trade, Mak is determined to keep the tradition alive. His 200 sq ft room is hard to miss on Battery Street in Yau Ma Tei, with hand-painted souvenir signs available on request. 

Paper artisan Kenneth Mo Cheuk-kei is one of the last standing professional paper lantern makers in Hong Kong, whose incredible craft has slowly been on the decline over the years. Most people now opt for pre-packaged, factory-made options, but you can still see Mo do his thing at his cubby workshop in Yuen Long.

Hakka-style snacks are slowly fading out in Hong Kong but one lady is keeping the tradition alive with her homemade goodies that are sold in Sai Kung. The rice cakes that Hui Sai Ling sells are definitely worth a try – you can choose from a range of flavours including black sesame, orange, or even a sweet potato filling. The lasting tastes of these simple foods are sure to give you a sense of nostalgia even if you aren’t of Hakka origin. Find these rice cakes in Sai Kung Market on weekends.

Hand-painted ceramics and porcelain were once at the forefront of Hong Kong industry. In particular, Yuet Tung China Works – established in 1928 – was one of the true propagators of the craft in Hong Kong and is now sadly one of the last standing purveyors and makers. This could be the last generation that gets to see the intricate splendour of locally made, intricate handicrafts such as this, so be sure to get one if you can. 

Before Hong Kong become the all-encompassing concrete jungle as we know it today, classical veranda-style tong lau – also known as shop houses – used to elegantly fill the city streets, replete with Chinese and European-hybrid architectural character. Modernisation has meant that these historical tenements are either being refurbished or redeveloped, but a few lucky ones have managed to preserve their aesthetic essence with this tong lau from 1931 being a prime example.