In the past, there is a street in Wan Chai called the Wedding Card Street. Today, the name of the street is Lee Tung Street. It’s because, we cannot see wedding cards in the street anymore.
昔日，香港的灣仔有一條街，叫囍帖街，今日，它重新命名為利東街，因為，我們在這條街再也見不到一張囍帖。
History of Wedding Card Street 囍帖街的歷史
The official name of the street is Lee Tung Street. In around 1950, for better monitoring of publication by the HK government, print shops are gathered in the street. Later the print shops of the street started the publication business of wedding: wedding cards, red pockets etc. Since the 1980s, the street was well known in HK. Every prospective couple visited the street to choose their expecting wedding publication. Even foreign tourists liked to visit the street to buy some Chinese style publication.
這條街的官方名稱是利東街，位於灣仔，大約在1950年代，香港政府為了方便監管印刷品的製作，將印刷店集中到這條街道，自此整條街都是印刷店。後來利東街的印刷店慢慢以印刷婚嫁物品為主，例如喜帖、利是封等。由八十年代開始，全香港都知道這裡有一條囍帖街，幾乎每一對將會結婚的新人，都會到這條街走一走，看一看，甚至很多外國人都會來到囍帖街，欣賞及購買富中國味道的印刷品。
The old wedding card street 當年的囍帖街
(photo from wikipedia)
In 2004, HK government announced the renewal project of the street and finished the property acquisition of the street. The project caused the demonstrations of HK citizens. In one of the demonstrations, 3 male and 4 female demonstrators were forced naked cavity search by the police due to the suspicion for drugs. Was it a kind of intimidation? I don’t know.
直到2004年，政府開始實行囍帖街的重建計劃，並於2006年完成整條街道的業權收購，正式重建。這個舉動曾引起大批市民投議示威，更曾爆出三男四女示威者被警察以懷疑藏毒為理由裸體搜身。
All shops were closed since the renewal project
自重建後，重門深鎖…
(photo form Wikipedia)
Demonstration seems useless in front of the government
示威抗議根本毫無作用
(photo from apple daily)
10 years passed. The renewal project is finished. There are no more wedding cards but a European street. The street is really beautiful. I believe everyone agrees with me. But is it meaningful? A street full of character and culture is destroyed. A community attracting every prospective couple disappeared. And all these are not the most important. The most important is, we are cheated by the Urban Renewal Authority.
10年過去，利東街重建完成了，再也沒有囍帖，變成了一條歐陸小街。老實說，我覺得現在的利東街真的很美麗，很多遊客都會被這歐陸風味吸引，拍照留念，但，有意思嗎？曾經一條富有特色、文化的街道，一下子就被推倒，一個新人必到的地方，充滿喜慶情懷的小社區，就這樣消失了，但這都不是最重要，最重要的是，香港市民被市區重建局欺騙了。
It becomes a European street 變成了歐陸街道
Urban Renewal Authority, the liar 市區重建區，騙子
The old look of Wedding Card Street. We can never see it again
囍帖街的舊觀，我們再也不能見到了
(photo from apple daily)
In the early stage of the renewal project, the Urban Renewal Authority promised that the street will be renewed as a themed street of wedding and will invited the old wedding print shops back to the street. They even planned to rename the street as “囍歡里” (which means love you). I believe everyone who know Chinese will agree that the name is very old-school. Under the strong rejection by the citizens, the old-school name disappeared quietly. At the same time, the promise of the themed street disappeared quietly. There is nothing related to wedding in the street. There are only luxury brands. And the print shops all disappeared already.
在重建之初，市建局宣佈會將利東街打造成以婚嫁為主題的特色街道，更會邀請當初的印刷店回來重操故業，更打算將新街道命名為「囍歡里」，對，很土的名字，在市民的強烈反對下，「囍歡里」這個名字悄悄地消失了，同樣的，所謂婚嫁主題的街道也悄悄消失了，變成了現在與婚嫁毫無關係我歐陸小鎮，而當年的婚嫁印刷店，早已消失無踪了。
Luxury Brands replacing the wedding print shops.
名店，香港還不夠多名店嗎？
I really don’t understand the usage of this bridge. For the old residents to jump to death?
我實在不明白這橋蓋來幹什麼？讓老居民來跳樓嗎？
If the Urban Renewal Authority didn’t make the promise, we won’t be so disgusted. But it made a promise and broke it. It just treated us as kids? I can never imagine a public organization can work like this.
我有時會想，如果市建區只打著重建的名義，市民都不會那麼反感，偏偏它許下這樣的承諾郤又反口，那是視全港市民為何物？原來政府公營機構是那麼的兒戲，可以將說過的話拋諸腦後。
All excuses, all promises only have one purpose: building new residential house
說到尾，都是地產作怪
In 2008, HK famous lyricist Wyman Wong wrote the lyric of the song “Wedding Card Street”. The song was sung by Kay Tse and it was the most popular song of the year in HK. 2015, Korea famous singer IU came HK for her concert and sang the song again. Let us listen to the song as the end of this article.
2008年香港填詞人黃偉文以囍帖街重建事件為題，創作了歌曲《喜帖街》的歌詞，由謝安琪主唱，這首歌成為了那一年香港最受歡迎的歌曲。2015年韓國歌手IU來港開演唱會，亦以粵語唱了這一首歌，就讓我們一起再欣賞這一首歌，為這一篇文章作結。
Lyric of the “Wedding Card Street” 喜帖街 (With English Translation)
忘掉種過的花 重新的出發 放棄理想吧
Forget the flowers you planted
Begin a new journey
And let go of this dream
別再看 塵封的喜帖 你正在要搬家
Stop staring at the dusty wedding invitations
You’re in the middle of moving house
築得起 人應該接受 都有日倒下
If it can be built, one should accept that
It can also be demolished
其實沒有一種安穩快樂 永遠也不差
In reality, there isn't a continual happiness
That remain the same forever
就似這一區 曾經稱得上 美滿甲天下
Just like this district
It was once called the paradise on earth
但霎眼 全街的單位 快要住滿烏鴉
But, in a blink of an eye
The buildings along the street are now home of the crows
好景不會每日常在 天梯不可只往上爬
Good times won’t last forever
Ladders don’t extend upward forever
愛的人 沒有一生一世嗎
大概不需要害怕
You need not be afraid
When a lover doesn’t stay forever
忘掉愛過的他 當初的喜帖金箔印著那位他
Forget you used to love him
He, whose name was foiled in gold on the wedding invitations,
裱起婚紗照那道牆及一切美麗舊年華 明日同步拆下
The wall that hung the wedding picture,
and the good old days will be torn down the next day
忘掉有過的家 小餐枱沙發雪櫃及兩份紅茶
Forget the place you called home
The table, the sofa, the fridge, and two cups of black tea
溫馨的光境不過借出到期拿回嗎
This heartwarming place is but rented
It will be taken back when the lease ends
等不到下一代 是嗎
The next generation would not see it
忘掉砌過的沙 回憶的堡壘 剎那已倒下
Forget the sand you had piled
Like the memory castle
Both had collapsed in an instant
面對這 墳起的荒土 你註定學會瀟灑
Faced with this barren land
You're meant to learn to let g
階磚不會拒絕磨蝕 窗花不可幽禁落霞
Tiles won’t resist erosion
Window frames can’t cage the sunset
有感情 就會一生一世嗎
And bonding may not bind two together for a lifetime
又再惋惜有用嗎
Nor would it helps to feel regret
忘掉愛過的他 當初的喜帖金箔印著那位他
Forget you used to love him
He, whose name was foiled in gold on the wedding invitations,
裱起婚紗照那道牆及一切美麗舊年華 明日同步拆下
The wall that hung the wedding picture,
and the good old days will be torn down the next day
忘掉有過的家 小餐枱沙發雪櫃及兩份紅茶
Forget the place you called home
The table, the sofa, the fridge, and two cups of black tea
溫馨的光境不過借出到期拿回嗎
This heartwarming place is but rented
It will be taken back when the lease ends
終須會時辰到 別怕
When the time comes, don't be scared
請放下手裡那鎖匙 好嗎
Simply put down the keys in your hand
Lee Tung Street 利東街
Address: 200 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Opening hour: 24 hours
地址: 香港灣仔皇后大道東200號
開放時間: 24小時
!steemitworldmap 22.2756686 lat 114.1701815 long d3scr
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!
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