Central Market, Hong Kong
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Central Market is a fresh
food Food is any substance consumed by an organism for Nutrient, nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or Fungus, fungal origin and contains essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, protein (nutrient), proteins, vitamins, ...
market Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: *Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand *Market economy *Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market *Marketing, the act of sat ...
in Central,
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
and the first wet market in the city. It is one of only two existing
Bauhaus The Staatliches Bauhaus (), commonly known as the , was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined Decorative arts, crafts and the fine arts.Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 4th edn., ...
market buildings in Hong Kong, the other one being
Wan Chai Market The Old Wanchai Market Building was constructed in 1937. It is located at 264 Queen's Road East, at the Wan Chai Road crossing, opposite Stone Nullah Lane in Wan Chai, Hong Kong Island. It is a Grade III Historic Building. Its architectur ...
. It is located between Jubilee Street, Queen Victoria Street,
Queen's Road Central Queen's Road is a collection of roads along the northern coast of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong, within the limit of Victoria, Hong Kong, Victoria City. It was the first road in Hong Kong, constructed History of Hong Kong (1800s–1930s), by ...
and
Des Voeux Road Central Des Voeux Road Central (Traditional Chinese characters, Chinese: 德輔道中) and Des Voeux Road West (Traditional Chinese characters, Chinese: 德輔道西) are two roads on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. They were named af ...
. By its side is the first public
female An organism's sex is female ( symbol: ♀) if it produces the ovum (egg cell), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the male gamete (sperm cell) during sexual reproduction. A female has larger gametes than a male. Females and ...
toilet A toilet is a piece of sanitary hardware that collects human waste (urine and feces) and sometimes toilet paper, usually for disposal. Flush toilets use water, while dry or non-flush toilets do not. They can be designed for a sitting p ...
and first above-ground toilets in Hong Kong.


History


Earlier structures

The precursor of the market was Canton Bazaar, which was established in 1842 on Queen's Road Central between Cochrane Street and
Graham Street Graham Street () is a street in Hong Kong and the location of Graham Street Market, one of the oldest continuously operating street market (place), markets in Hong Kong. It was named after former Home Secretary and First Lord of the Admiralty Si ...
. In 1843, it was also known as the Middle Bazaar. The Chinese population were later forced to relocate from Central to the Tai Ping Shan area due to a series of fires. The market was then replaced by residential houses for
European European, or Europeans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe and other West ...
s. The
bazaar A bazaar or souk is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, Central Asia, North Africa and South Asia. They are traditionally located in vaulted or covered streets th ...
was moved to Queensway, where the present-day High Court stands. It housed Chinese furniture dealers, joiners, cabinet makers and curio shops. Due to its proximity of Naval Yard and the construction of
cantonment A cantonment (, , or ) is a type of military base. In South Asia, a ''cantonment'' refers to a permanent military station (a term from the British Raj). In United States military parlance, a cantonment is, essentially, "a permanent residential ...
, the bazaar, shops and civil tenement had to be moved. In the 1850s, it was moved to its current location on Des Voeux Road (then known as The Praya). Its name also changed to Central Market (). The market was rebuilt in 1858, then completely replaced with a Western marble structure in 1895. The rebuilt market was a three-storey
Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...
-style structure with a tower in the middle.


Current Bauhaus structure

The market was demolished again in 1937, this time replaced with a
Bauhaus The Staatliches Bauhaus (), commonly known as the , was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined Decorative arts, crafts and the fine arts.Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 4th edn., ...
structure. Construction was completed in 1938, and cost
HK$ The Hong Kong dollar (, sign: HK$; code: HKD) is the official currency of Hong Kong. It is divided into 100 cents. Historically, it was also divided into 1000 mils. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority is the monetary authority of Hong Kong an ...
900,000. The market re-opened on 1 May 1939. During the
Japanese occupation of Hong Kong The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong began when the governor of Hong Kong, Mark Aitchison Young, surrendered the British Crown colony of British Hong Kong, Hong Kong to the Empire of Japan on 25 December 1941. His surrender occurred after Batt ...
between 1941 and 1945, the Chinese name of the market was changed from (chung wan kai shi) to (chung yeung shi cheung). The Chinese name displayed at the Des Voeux Road Central entrance was not restored until 1993. Central Market was the biggest meat market in
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
and the then-
Governor of Hong Kong The governor of Hong Kong was the representative of the United Kingdom, British The Crown, Crown in British Hong Kong, Hong Kong from 1843 to 1997. In this capacity, the governor was president of the Executive Council of Hong Kong, Executiv ...
David Trench Sir David Clive Crosbie Trench (; 2 June 1915 – 4 December 1988) was a British Army officer and colonial governor who served as the Governor of Hong Kong from April 15, 1964 to October 19, 1971 and was High Commissioner for the Western Pacif ...
made a visit to the market in 1967. The importance of the market attracted another Governor
Alexander Grantham Sir Alexander William George Herder Grantham, GCMG ( zh, c=葛量洪; 15 March 1899 – 4 October 1978) was a British colonial administrator who governed Hong Kong and Fiji. Early life, colonial administration career Grantham was born on ...
to pay another visit. In 1994, the western part of its second floor was converted into the Central Escalator Link Alley Shopping Arcade, an access way between the
Central Elevated Walkway The Central Elevated Walkway is an extensive footbridge network spanning Admiralty, Central and parts of Sheung Wan, near Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong. The system was built in phases by the Hong Kong Government and various developers, such a ...
and Central–Mid-Levels escalators. It was managed by the
Urban Council The Urban Council (UrbCo) was a municipal council in Hong Kong responsible for municipal services on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon (including New Kowloon). These services were provided by the council's executive arm, the Urban Services ...
until its dissolution in 1999. The market was then closed in March 2003.


State of disuse, 2003–2017

The building was largely abandoned from 2003, with few stores along a renovated pedestrian corridor inside, Central Escalator Link Alley Shopping Arcade (). The corridor linked by two
footbridge A footbridge (also a pedestrian bridge, pedestrian overpass, or pedestrian overcrossing) is a bridge designed solely for pedestrians.''Oxford English Dictionary'' While the primary meaning for a bridge is a structure which links "two points at a ...
s to
Hang Seng Bank Headquarters Building The Hang Seng Bank New Headquarters Building is a skyscraper at No. 83 Des Voeux Road Central, Central, Hong Kong. It houses the headquarters of the Hang Seng Bank. History The List of fire stations in Hong Kong, former Central Fire Station p ...
and
Central Elevated Walkway The Central Elevated Walkway is an extensive footbridge network spanning Admiralty, Central and parts of Sheung Wan, near Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong. The system was built in phases by the Hong Kong Government and various developers, such a ...
, and another footbridge to the
Central–Mid-Levels escalator The Central–Mid-Levels escalator and walkway system in Hong Kong is the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world. The system covers over in distance and traverses an elevation of over from bottom to top. It opened in 1993 to p ...
. Shops in the arcade included tailors, cleanser, collectors and other trades. On Sunday, one side of the corridor was a popular gathering place among Filipino domestic workers. Prior to the redevelopment, the building was temporarily redecorated on the theme o
Central Oasis


Renewal and current status

From 2017 to 2021, the building underwent significant works for preservation and revitalization, including major rehabilitation to the aging building structure. This was being overseen by the
Urban Renewal Authority The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) is a quasi-governmental, profit-making statutory body in Hong Kong responsible for accelerating urban redevelopment. History The authority's predecessor, the Land Development Corporation (土地發展 ...
. The pedestrian corridor continued to provide access through the site during the majority of the redevelopment works. It was reopened to the public on August 23, 2021 as a new centre for retailers, eateries and public areas. The renovation retained some original architectural structures, such as some market stalls and its iconic stairwell. The market is currently operated by the
Chinachem Group Chinachem Group () is a corporate group established in Hong Kong by Teddy Wang's father Wang Din Sin (). The early years of the group were dedicated to exploration of and investment in agricultural projects and chemicals. In the 1960s, the G ...
on a ten-year lease.


Structure

The market is housed in a 4-storey reinforced concrete structure, and contains 200 booths inside. The market is spacious with a central court, high ceiling and window walls for natural light and ventilation. There are two entrances of the market. The Des Voeux Road Central entrance is on the ground floor while the Queen's Road Central entrance bridges the first floor. In the early days, the root floor were offices and quarters of hygiene inspectors and other staff.


Conservation

Central Market is listed as a Grade III historic building.List of the 1,444 Historic Buildings in Building Assessment
(as of 27 December 2013) It is part of the
Central and Western Heritage Trail The Central and Western Heritage Trail is a Heritage Trail in Hong Kong, that was designed by the Antiquities and Monuments Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. It covers the Central and Western District of Hong Kong and consist ...
.


References


Further reading


A Study on Historical and Architectural Context of Central Market
The Hong Kong Institute of Architects. July 2005 *


External links

*
Antiquities Advisory Board The Antiquities Advisory Board (AAB) is a statutory body of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region with the responsibility of advising the Secretary for Development, Antiquities Authority on any matters relating to antiquities and monum ...
. Historic Building Appraisal
Central Market No. 80 Des Voeux Road, CentralPictures
* * * * {{Heritage conservation in Hong Kong , state=autocollapse Central, Hong Kong Retail markets in Hong Kong Grade III historic buildings in Hong Kong British colonial architecture in Hong Kong Streamline Moderne architecture 1842 establishments in Hong Kong