Contribution

The under-stairs shops are a unique urban streetscape in Hong Kong. The owners of these shops spent half of their lives working in such small spaces to earn their living. It not only reflects the spirit of Lion Rock, but also fully reflects the wisdom of Hong Kong people in the flexible use of space….

I live in West Kowloon and I used to work in Kowloon City and To Kwa Wan before. For me, the most impressive shops were Choi Kee (closed down) and On Lok Water & Electric (closed down). Choi Kee was a department store, and On Lok Water & Electric sold Plumbing and Electrical services, but…

My impression of the under-stairs shops – although they are small, there are many treasures in them, each of them marks good childhood memories. The under-stairs shop which I often visited was the watch repair business, the one in Kowloon City was called Lee Shing Watch. Nowadays it is very convenient to check the time,…

My memory of the under-stairs shops are the small businesses in the small corner on the ground floor of the tenement buildings. I have lived near Wing Kwong Street in To Kwa Wan for decades. Choi Kee Department Store, which is now closed, was the under-stairs shop which I always visited. My mother always used…

There is a mysterious legend which travels amongst students who study in To Kwa Wan, a reclusive stationery shop is hidden in a gloomy alley. It has a magic price that is half of the market price, with half of the shop selling Zhizha and the other half selling stationeries, which adds a lot of…