鄧永鏘（DavidTang） 中國會、上海灘創辦人
Imissthepig-skins(豬皮).Imissthefish-balls(魚蛋).Imissthegrilled-squid(串燒魷魚).Imissthenight-market(平民夜總會).Imissthestreet-stalls(大排檔).ImissalltheChinesesignsinthestreets.Imissallthestreetoperas.Imissallthefestivalcelebrations.Imissallthesmallshops.Imissallofoursimpleandbasicenterprises.Imiss,inshort,ourHongKongidentity.
HowIwishedwecanstillcrosstheharbourinasampanorapropersailingjunk.HowIwishedpeoplewoulddressinChineseclothes.HowIwishedweareallowedfirecrackersatNewYear.HowIwishedweallbehavelikeeveryoneinthosewonderfulblack-and-whitemovies-like梁醒波or李香琴or胡楓.
Instead,wenowhavehugeshoppingmallseveninMongkok.Andsoon,allthesmallshopseveninMongkokwilldisappear---likethousandsandtensofthousandsofotherswhichcannolongeraffordtherentfromgreedylandlords.Andthat'sthetrouble:greedylandlordsunderpinnedbygreedypropertycompanies.It'snowallbigbusinesses.Everycornershopisreplacedby7ElevenorWatson's;everyrestaurantissubstitutedbyMacdonald'sorCafedeCoral;everysmalltailorandclothingshopispushedoutbydesignerlabels.
ThemonstrosityisthatHongKonghasbecomeincrediblyvulgar.Vulgarityisatotaldisregardforindividualismcoupledwithaflauntingofmaterialexcesses.WecertainlyseethatinmodernHongKongwiththeobliterationofsmallenterprises.
Perhapstheonlyvisiblesignofsmallbusinessesisthenight-marketatTempleStreetorLadies'Street.Ilovethoseplaces.TheyremindmesomuchofoldHongKong.TheyareatestamenttowhatChineserefugeesdidinordertolaythefoundationforasolideconomyandcommunity.
Everystall-ownerstilltriestostopyoutolookattheirwares;eachofthemstilllovestoripyouoffbeforesubmittingtobargain.Buttheatmosphereiswonderful:nakedlight-bulbsdanglingfromacrossmake-shiftwires;meninstringvestsandwomenwithmoney-pouchesroundtheirwaists;Cantoneseoperasingingplayingofftinnyradiosinthebackground---it'sallmarvellouslyevocativestuff.YettheHongKongTourismBoarddoesnotpromotethesequintessentiallyChineselocationsinHongKong.Buttheycontinuetodobriskbusinessandareadoredbytouristsandlocals.
IamsureIknowwhy:becauseinTempleStreetandLadiesStreet,fakeRolexesandCartiersaresoldandthat'sallillegal.
Sowhat,I'dsay.IftheGovernmentorbodiesliketheHongKongTourismBoardcannotbeseentocondonethesellingofthesefakegoods,theycanrecommendpeoplenottobuythem.HongKongissupposedtobetheworld'sFREESTeconomy!Besides,thereisagreatdealofhumbug.ThefactisthatsomuchlivelihooddependsonfakesinSouthernChina.Occasionally,asteam-rollerwillcrushapavementoffakewatchesinfrontofabatteryofcameras.Butintruth,andeveryoneknowsit,thosedemonstrationsareonlylipservices.Therewouldbeatotalsocialupheavalifthisbillion-dollarindustryofcopyingwasreallystopped.Solet'snotbenaive.TheUSAandtheEUmightaswellacceptitasareality,notwithstandingWTO.
ComingbacktoHongKong,IbemoanthegradualdeathofsmallbusinessesinHongKong.Ibemoanthefast-growingindustryofbigbusinesses.Iabhorthespreadofvulgarcommercialismwithoutindividualstyle;Idetesttheuniformityoftastes;andIresent,mostofall,theshopping-malls:alldeckedoutingleaminglypretentiousgraniteandcosilyair-conditionedunderghastlyceilinglights,withsyrupymusicplayingmonotonouslyinthebackground.
WemustsaveMongkok.Wemustsaveitsbrightandvariedlightsandneonsignsandcard-boxboxesspillingintothepavementsfromsmallunitsofshops.Wemustsavethatindividualefforttosurviveasanindividualandshunthefacelessbigbusinessesofconcreteandignorance.HongKongrunsthedangerofturningintojustanothercitythatistotallyovershadowedbythenouveauxrichesandbrand-newskyscrapersofyawningspacesinthesky,unreachableandunreachedbytheordinary,pedestrianChineserefugeewhoiscontentwithastallorasmallshoporjustbeinganindividualcharacter.It'shightimewearrestallthevulgarity.