Hong Kong "street life": traditional shops and business at Shanghai Street

Abstract

Shanghai Street is one of the oldest streets in Kowloon peninsula. The street was once a main business street in the area before being replaced by Nathan Road since 1970s. As the main business centre was shifted to Nathan Road, some of traditional neighbor shops still remain at the street.

The key issue to be addressed by this dissertation is that although traditional neighbor shops and their businesses still exist at Shanghai Street, these shops have gradually diminished due to revitalization and gentrification of nearby streets. Tangible and intangible character defining elements of the street are diminishing.

This dissertation will focus on the traditional neighbor shops and their businesses at Shanghai Street, by means of cultural mapping, and analysis the street in terms of tangible and intangible character defining elements. Shanghai Street, as one of the oldest streets in Hong Kong old urban district, can reflect the spirit and characteristic of Hong Kong “Street Life”. The objective of this dissertation is to understand and document traditional neighbor shops and their businesses at Shanghai Street, before the existing characters are gone.