One of Sheung Wan’s most iconic buildings, the Western Market, is slated to close towards the end of May for renovation. The revitalisation work by the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) is expected to take at least two years to complete.
Currently, the late Victorian era-style, red brick building houses approximately 20 fabric and textile shops, a couple of Chinese desserts and drinks stores, a handful of curio stores, and a restaurant and dining hall. These tenants, some of which have been conducting business from the premises for decades, will have until October to move out before the renovation work commences.
Most of these fabric stores were relocated into Western Market in 1991 from Wing On Street – then nicknamed Cloth Street – when the old buildings underwent redevelopment. Now run by elderly proprietors, it is unsure if the fabric businesses will reopen elsewhere, especially given the low demand for the textile and tailoring industry in modern-day Hong Kong. Many are now selling their wares at discounted prices, so if you’re into sewing and textiles, now is a good time to stock up on yards for cheap.
Honeymoon Dessert, a popular Cantonese-style dessert chain that originated from Sai Kung, will also close its Western Market location on May 26. This is the brand’s last remaining branch on Hong Kong Island – their other locations can be found in Sai Kung, Mong Kok, and Sham Shui Po, with sister brand Sweetish available in Tseung Kwan O and Sha Tin. According to the closure notice at their Sheung Wan branch, however, Honeymoon has hinted they will be reopening elsewhere.
Western Market is Hong Kong’s oldest surviving market building. The current structure that we now have, completed in 1906, is actually just the North Block, while the former South Block used to be where the Sheung Wan Municipal Services Building now stands and was demolished in 1981. It served the citizens of Sheung Wan as a wet market for 80 years and was declared a historical monument in 1990, before being reopened as the Western Market in 1991. The last time the building was refurbished was back in 2003.
More than two decades on, the Western Market is due another facelift, but it will be another few years before we see it in its full glory again, so take the chance now to visit and snap some photos for posterity!
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