今天，香港的銅鑼灣是一個購物熱點，區內百貨公司、商場、露天攤檔林立，商品由國際名牌、潮流衣服，到生活雜貨應有盡有。而在銅鑼灣中心的渣甸街，那裡是著名的食街，那裡由著傳統的港式餐廳、西式食品，但很奇怪的，那裡有一個政府街市，一個半荒廢的街市，它的名字是燈籠洲街市。
Today, Causeway Bay in HK is a shopping spot. We see Department stores, shopping malls, bazaars and boutiques everywhere. Products varies from International brands, trend clothes to daily products. In Jardine’s Bazaar, Center of Causeway Bay, there are lot of HK style restaurant and western restaurants. But strangely, In the street, there is a public market, a half-deserted market. Its name is TANG LUNG CHAU MARKET.
燈籠洲街市的名字源於燈籠洲，燈籠洲正式的名字是奇力島。奇力島原是銅鑼灣海邊對望一個沒有人居住的小島。在香港成為殖民地後，便給英國用作英軍的軍庫，並將燈籠洲的名字改成奇力島。1938年奇力島成為皇家香港遊艇會的會所，以小艇作為交具工作來往小島及銅鑼灣之間。
The name of Tang Lung Chau Market comes from a former island Tang Lung Chau Market. The official name of Tang Lung Chau Market is Kellett Island. It was a small island with no people living. In 1841, A small fort was built on it by the British for the protection of the eastern section of Victoria Harbour. And the name of the island was changed to Kellett Island. In 1938, the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club moved to the island.
本來的奇力島 Kellett Island (photo credit to Wikipedia)
後來政府興建香港第一條海底隧道並修築避風塘，在銅鑼灣一帶大幅填海，奇力島自此消失，成為香港島的一部份。1991年，皇家遊艇會在進行改建工程時，在原奇力島位置地底發現一批屬於唐宋時間的古錢幣逾2,400個，顯示1000年前已有人居住在奇力島。
Later in around 1970s, the HK government started the reclamation work and the completion of the Cross Harbour Tunnel. Kellett Island was connected to Causeway Bay. In 1991, a pottery jar containing large quantity of Chinese copper coins was discovered at the island by The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club. The coins were dated to Sui, Tang and Songdynasties (589-1279), which means there are people living in the island 1000 years ago already.
今天的奇力島 Kellett Island nowadays (photo credit to Wikipedia)
燈籠洲街市於1963年建成，當時是全港最高的公共街市，由於當時燈籠洲街市在沿海一帶，面向奇力島 (亦即燈籠洲)，故便命名為燈籠洲街市。當時政府命令附近的小販全都搬進燈籠洲街市，但當年的渣甸街一帶甚少行人，且黑幫橫行，生意甚差，小販們搬進去不久後都選擇再次走到街上無牌擺賣，可見從一開始政府在這裡興建街市的決定的錯誤的。
The Tang Lung Chau Market was built in 1963. It was the highest public market in HK at the period. At the time, Tang Lung Chau Market was closed to the sea and can see the Kellett Island (Tang Lung Chau), so it was called the “Tang Lung Chau Market”. The government ordered all the bazaars around to move into the market. But there were gangs and seldom people, the business was bad. So the bazaars all moved out again. We may see the decision of the HK Government was wrong building the market at this street.
燈籠洲街市 The Tang Lung Chau market, 1963 (photo credit to docomomo)
隨著社會發展，銅鑼灣由一個小區發展成購物都會，民居都漸漸變成商場及商廈，居民更少，但燈籠洲街市依舊存在。不過，其實自2000年開始，燈籠洲街市的空置率已經甚高，政府每年要補貼100萬來支持街市內約只有10個檔戶的經營。直到2007年，政府才開始考慮關閉燈籠洲街市，但2017年的今日，街市仍然存在。
Following the development of Causeway Bay, it becomes a shopping spot. The residential houses become the commercial buildings but the Tang Lung Chau Market still exist. Actually starting from 2000, the empty ratio of the market was already over 70%. The government needs to subsidy $1,000,000 each year to maintain the operation of the market. In 2007, the government finally planned to close the market but in 2017, the market is still here.
今天我到了燈籠洲街市，只見地下的一層只有約10戶攤檔營業，其他的攤檔都空置了，至於二樓更已被封條封住。我趁沒人留意，偷偷進入街市的二樓，街市已接近空無一物，只有幾條長梯。樓梯處放了一個小椅，相信是保安坐的，不過保安不見了，當然，每天看守著這個空無一人的地方，不往外走走真的要瘋了。
Today I visited the Tang Lung Chau Market. I could only saw around 10 bazaars on the ground floor still opening. Going to the 2nd floor, it was blocked. As there is no security, I went into it. There was already nothing but only few ladders. There was a small chair beside the stair. It should be the security but he was gone. Yes. How can a normal person keep guarding such an empty place hour by hour?
而我最奇怪的是，荒廢了的街市二樓當算乾淨，沒有太多塵埃，照理空置了10多年，理應塵埃處處，蛛絲滿佈，難道，政府在這十多年間，一直都有僱人打掃這無人的廢墟？
But I got a question. The deserted 2nd floor of the market was clean, no dust, and no spider nets. The floor had been left empty for 10 years. Did the government hire people to clean such an empty place for 10 years!?
最後一段探險視頻分享給大家
A video of my adventure for you
其實近年，很多市民都曾反映，希望將燈籠洲街市改建為食肆，甚至拿出來拍賣，讓土地得享其真正價值，可惜，十年了，政府還是一動不動，這就是今天香港政府的辦事速度。其實不止燈籠洲街市，香港至少有三四個街市，都有著空置率的問題，可惜政府就像視而不見，耳聽不聞。老實一句，這樣下去，我真的對香港的前景感到擔憂。
Recently many residents reflect that the Tang Lung Chau Market can be reconstructed to restaurant or even bid it out. But 10 years passes, the Government did nothing. This is the efficiency of the HK Government nowadays. Actually not only the Tang Lung Chau Market, there are also 3-4 public markets in HK facing the same situation. And the government see nothing and hear nothing. I am really worry about the future of Hong Kong.
謝謝你能抽空閱讀這篇文章，我平日喜歡分享香港的故事，希望大家多多支持，我會繼續努力！
Thanks for spending your time to read my articles. I like to share stories of Hong Kong. I wish you may support me and I will keep going!
