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Shop Talk
Catherine Man charts the fall and rise of traditional Hong Kong stores
I have been living and working in Sai Kung since I was 24, which was quite a long time ago. The difference between Sai Kung and other areas of Hong Kong is most definitely the strong personal touch; people are so friendly in this part of the world and care about their neighbours. Casual conversations with shop owners and passersby always brighten up my day. I grew up on a public housing estate in Kwun Tong and in those days, there weren’t any supermarkets at all in the area. There were only tiny shops selling essential items for families including drinks, rice, dried goods, toilet paper, pens, newspapers and so on. We called it the “Store士多”. Back then, an accounts book in the store was used to record customer debts. This was the 1960s and most people were blue-collar workers employed in typical industries like construction and manufacturing. It was a wonderful neighbourhood to grow up in as everyone knew each other and it was an era of great human touch. Times have changed. Nowadays, people no longer know their neighbours and with the arrival of supermarket chains, everyone needs to pay immediately for what they have purchased. The Store士多 is an icon of Hong Kong’s remarkable culture. Some have survived and they can be found on many local hiking trails. The little shop is a welcome sight on a hot 22 | SAI KUNG
and humid day and usually provides drinks like water, Coke and lemon tea. My personal favourite is a Chinese herb tea called Five Flowers Tea 五花茶. It helps to lower your temperature and cool you down; the flavour is delicious too. Located at the junction of Po Lo Che Road and Pak Kong Au Road, “Keung Hei Store 強記士多” in Hung Fa Village is a slightly bigger shop than average. A villager named Keung opened it in the 1960s and he passed the business to his son. When he went to pursue other opportunities, the store subsequently closed down for more than 20 years but was re-opened last year by Connie Ma, the girlfriend of Keung’s son aka Sai Kung Ma Ma. She had returned from the UK and thanks to her enormous efforts, this store was reborn. Although it’s only open at weekends, it is definitely growing in popularity, with more customers from enthusiastic hikers to those who live nearby. There’s also a lovely garden behind it, known locally as the Secret Garden, where Ma occasionally teaches people how to make real Hong Kong rice dumplings.
facebook.com/saikung Keung Kee Store
Keung Hei Store was originally constructed from a few sheds that were used for livestock, pigs and chickens and I personally wish that the animals were still there so that our younger generations can see what a live chicken looks like.
Want to learn more?
Catherine Man is a Cantonese and Mandarin teacher and also runs small-group mahjong lessons at the venue of your choice. Contact her at
