Tin Sau Bazaar
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Tin Sau Bazaar (), initially called
Tin Shui Wai Tin Shui Wai New Town is a new towns in Hong Kong, satellite town in the northwestern New Territories of Hong Kong. Originally a ' () fish pond area, it was developed in 1980s in Hong Kong, the 1980s as the second New towns of Hong Kong, new tow ...
Bazaar, is opposite
Tin Fu Court Tin Fu Court () is a Home Ownership Scheme court developed by the Hong Kong Housing Authority in Tin Shui Wai, New Territories, Hong Kong, near Tin Yan Estate, Tin Yat Estate, Tin Yuet Estate, Light Rail (MTR), Light Rail Tin Fu stop and Tin Sau ...
on Tin Sau Road in
Tin Shui Wai Tin Shui Wai New Town is a new towns in Hong Kong, satellite town in the northwestern New Territories of Hong Kong. Originally a ' () fish pond area, it was developed in 1980s in Hong Kong, the 1980s as the second New towns of Hong Kong, new tow ...
,
New Territories The New Territories (N.T., Traditional Chinese characters, Chinese: ) is one of the three areas of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory, and contains around half of the population of H ...
,
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
. Occupying approximately 3,800 square metres, the bazaar is operated and managed by the
Tung Wah Group of Hospitals The Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (), with a history dating back to 1870, is the oldest and largest charitable organisation in Hong Kong. It provides extensive education and community services through 194 service centres spread across Hong Kong. ...
(TWGHs), a non-profit non-governmental organisation (NGO). Construction began in January 2013 and the bazaar officially began operations on 8 February 2013.


History

On 1 September 2012, the
Chief Secretary for Administration The chief secretary for administration is the second-highest government official in Hong Kong, right after the Chief Executive of Hong Kong. When the chief executive is on leave, the chief secretary for administration will act on their behalf ...
Carrie Lam Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor ( Cheng; ; born 13 May 1957) is a retired Hong Kong politician who served as the fourth Chief Executive of Hong Kong from 2017 to 2022, after serving as Chief Secretary for Administration for five years. After g ...
announced that the
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
government had agreed to allocate a piece of vacant 3,800-square-metre land for the purpose of setting up a flea market in Tin Shui Wai. The government would provide funding of HK$10 million to support the establishment of a bazaar there. The bazaar would comprise around 200 stationary stalls. The government started a consultation procedure the same month and expected the bazaar would service the public after half a year. On 21 October 2012, the representatives of Tin Shui Wai Hawkers Concern Group expressed that the proposals delivered by the TWGHs failed to take care of the needs of the local community, hoping the government to set up a bazaar management committee to allow the participation of experienced hawkers. As for the TWGHs, the spokesperson replied that they would continue mutual communication by launching an estate-wide consultation. On 1 November 2012, the government opened a nearly one-month application for the license of operation. According to the relevant documents submitted by the
Home Affairs Department The Home Affairs Department is an executive agency in the government of Hong Kong responsible for internal affairs of the territory. It reports to the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, headed by the Secretary for Home Affairs. Purpose The d ...
, over 3,800 applicants applied—24 applicants competing for one stall on average—meaning the competition for the license was stiff. Selection procedures took place on 14 December, and the results of offerings would be announced in January 2013. On 5 January 2013, the Community Development Alliance of
Tin Shui Wai Tin Shui Wai New Town is a new towns in Hong Kong, satellite town in the northwestern New Territories of Hong Kong. Originally a ' () fish pond area, it was developed in 1980s in Hong Kong, the 1980s as the second New towns of Hong Kong, new tow ...
, the
Hong Kong Institute of Planners The Hong Kong Institute of Planners (HKIP, ) is a professional body for Urban planning, town planners in Hong Kong. It officially began operation in 1978. It became a statutory body in 1991 when the Legislative Council of Hong Kong enacted the Ho ...
and other organizations launched a workshop discussing issues about internal stall design and managerial ways, followed by submitting reports to the TWGHs and the relevant government authorities. On 1 February 2013, Tin Sau Bazaar began pilot operation. The official opening up of Tin Sau Bazaar took place on 8 February.


Objectives

As suggested by the government and the TWGHs, the expected outcomes of Tin Sau Bazaar include improving the quality of life of local residents by providing more alternative shopping options; revitalizing and rejuvenating local economy by creating more job opportunities; improving local noise and hygiene problems by stopping the morning hawking behaviors in Dawn Market in Tin Shui Wai; and ultimately helping local disadvantaged residents to become independent and self-sufficient.


Problems

Since its opening, shopkeepers in Tin Sau Bazaar have reported that there is a lack of consumers. This makes it hard to earn a living, and some suffer losses. Some vendors complained that the government did not give enough support. The arising problems of Tin Sau Bazaar include the following.


Location

Tin Sau Bazaar is on a plot of land on Tin Sau Road, near
Tin Fu Court Tin Fu Court () is a Home Ownership Scheme court developed by the Hong Kong Housing Authority in Tin Shui Wai, New Territories, Hong Kong, near Tin Yan Estate, Tin Yat Estate, Tin Yuet Estate, Light Rail (MTR), Light Rail Tin Fu stop and Tin Sau ...
and
Tin Yat Estate Tin Yat Estate () is a public housing estate in Tin Shui Wai, New Territories, Hong Kong, near Light Rail Tin Yat stop Tin Yat () is one of the MTR Light Rail stops. It is located at ground level at the centre of Tin Shui Road and Tin Sau Road ...
, that had lain unused for many years. Tin Sau Road is in Tin Shui Wai North, very far from the Tin Shui Wai town centre. The bazaar is mainly convenient to those living in Tin Yat Estate or Tin Fu Court. Citizens living in other public housing estates may find it difficult to find the bazaar, and it is inconvenient for them to buy daily necessities. This may lower the accessibility of Tin Sau Bazaar and this is why not many people are attracted by the bazaar.


Transport

For people living in
Tin Shui Wai Tin Shui Wai New Town is a new towns in Hong Kong, satellite town in the northwestern New Territories of Hong Kong. Originally a ' () fish pond area, it was developed in 1980s in Hong Kong, the 1980s as the second New towns of Hong Kong, new tow ...
, the public transport that can reach Tin Sau Bazaar are
Light Rail Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...
and bus. No shuttle bus is provided. After getting off the bus or
Light Rail Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...
, it is a five-minute walk to Tin Sau Bazaar. Therefore, not many Tin Shui Wai residents are willing to go there and purchase items. For residents from other districts,
West Rail The West Rail line () was a commuter rail / rapid transit line that formed part of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) system in Hong Kong until 27 June 2021. Coloured magenta on the MTR map, the line ran from Tuen Mun station, Tuen Mun to Hun ...
is the fastest transport to get to
Tin Shui Wai Tin Shui Wai New Town is a new towns in Hong Kong, satellite town in the northwestern New Territories of Hong Kong. Originally a ' () fish pond area, it was developed in 1980s in Hong Kong, the 1980s as the second New towns of Hong Kong, new tow ...
. After alighting from the
West Rail The West Rail line () was a commuter rail / rapid transit line that formed part of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) system in Hong Kong until 27 June 2021. Coloured magenta on the MTR map, the line ran from Tuen Mun station, Tuen Mun to Hun ...
, there is a 15-minute ride from
Light Rail Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...
or bus to Tin Sau Bazaar. It is not very convenient for visitors.


Design

The design of Tin Sau Bazaar has many problems. Firstly, the entrance does not face the housing. The nearby facilities are some basketball courts and parks. If residents want to enter the bazaar, they have to walk for a long way to find the entrance, which is troublesome. Residents may prefer to patronize local supermarkets or markets instead. On the other side of the bazaar, there is a long, tall wire netting encircling the area. That means everyone should enter the bazaar only by that entrance. Secondly, the facilities are far from enough. Tin Sau Bazaar has poor covering, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems. When it rains, few are willing to go there and purchase goods. When it is summertime, the high temperature and scorching sunshine make buyers feel uncomfortable. The design of the bazaar is inconvenient and that deters consumers.


Promotion and publicity

The government is mostly responsible for the funding of setting up the stalls and construction procedures, rather than the promotional issues. In other words, the TWGHs is responsible for the publicity efforts and the related expenditure. There are not many promotional activities especially around the few months after the opening up of Tin Sau Bazaar. Another inadequacy is about the issue of banners. The banners are far from enough, and they are difficult to be noticed.


Business strategies

The hawkers are largely low-skilled grassroots; most of them lack business acumen. Although some of their goods sold are generally a bit cheaper than those sold in local supermarkets, their products (which include clothing, footwear, foodstuffs and grocery items) lack distinguishable and distinctive features. This discourages local consumers and consumers outside
Tin Shui Wai Tin Shui Wai New Town is a new towns in Hong Kong, satellite town in the northwestern New Territories of Hong Kong. Originally a ' () fish pond area, it was developed in 1980s in Hong Kong, the 1980s as the second New towns of Hong Kong, new tow ...
District from purchasing in the bazaar as they find the items unattractive.Tin Sau Bazaar: Milestone for City of Sadness, 2013, 4, 26
/ref>


Transport

The market is roughly 250 metres from the
Tin Sau stop Tin Sau () is an MTR Light Rail stop. It is located at ground level at the junction of Tin Sau Road and Tin Kwai Road, near Vianni Cove, in Tin Shui Wai, Yuen Long District Yuen Long District (Hong Kong Government Cantonese Romanisation, f ...
and
Tin Yat stop Tin Yat () is one of the MTR Light Rail stops. It is located at ground level at the centre of Tin Shui Road and Tin Sau Road in Tin Shui Wai, Yuen Long District, Hong Kong. It began service on 7 December 2003 and belongs to Zone 5A. The stop has ...
of the
Light Rail Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...
. These stops are a 12-minute ride from
Tin Shui Wai station Tin Shui Wai () is an MTR list of MTR stations, station on the , located in Ping Shan near Tin Shui Wai New Town, Yuen Long District. It is the only heavy rail station serving Tin Shui Wai, which has a population of around 300,000. History ...
of the
West Rail line The West Rail line () was a commuter rail / rapid transit line that formed part of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) system in Hong Kong until 27 June 2021. Coloured magenta on the MTR map, the line ran from Tuen Mun to Hung Hom, with a to ...
.


See also

*
Hawkers in Hong Kong Hawkers in Hong Kong () are vendors of street food and inexpensive goods. They are found in urban areas and new towns alike, although certain districts such as Mong Kok, Sham Shui Po, and Kwun Tong are known for high concentrations of hawkers ...
*
Link REIT Link Real Estate Investment Trust (, or ), previously known as The Link Real Estate Investment Trust (, or ), is a wholly-owned private real estate investment trust managed by Link Asset Management Limited. It is the first real estate investme ...


References


External links

* {{official website, http://tsb.tungwahcsd.org/
Tung Wah reports on Tin Sau Bazaar at the Legislative Council Meeting

The opening of TWGHs Tin Sau Bazaar
Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Tin Shui Wai