Kowloon City Stories / Shop

Chu Kee Staircase Store

At the intersection of Tam Kung Road and Ma Tau Kok Road, you’ll see an 80 years old elderly lady sitting on the staircase , arranging fresh vegetables on the ground every morning. She is Granny Chu, and she always hunches over, going up and down the narrow staircase. This little place has a name too, it’s called Chu Kee.

Granny Chu has been operating this staircase store for over sixty years. Despite her old age, she still insists on opening the store sharp at 7 am every day. However, the small store struggles against chain stores, and Granny Chu mentioned that business has been very slow lately.

What does the store sell? You’ll find it hard to categorize – it can be considered a general store of sorts. Here, you can find various items like towels, slippers, red envelopes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, potatoes, ginger, and more. Granny Chu said that she’s quite spontaneous and easygoing, so everything sold here is what comes to her mind on the spur of the moment.

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