Thousands flock to Mong Kok flower market after cancelation of LNY fair

Thousands of people have flocked to Mong Kok's Flower Market over the weekend to buy flowers two weeks before the Lunar New Year after health authorities canceled the traditional fairs amid the Covid-19 Omicron surge.

But shop owners at the market are not thrilled about the increased customer flow as they expect up to 40 percent loss in earnings due to strengthened law enforcement against products placed on pavements outside their stores.

Flower Market Road was filled with customers on Sunday afternoon to hand pick the most beautiful Lunar New Year flowers to decorate their homes, which many believe can bring good luck.

A housewife Tam in her 50s came to the market from her Sheung Shui home after hearing the fairs this year will be canceled.

“I buy flowers from the fair every year. It’s a tradition for me,” she said.

“After knowing there will be no fairs this year, I know I have to spare a day this weekend to come to the flower market before the good ones are sold out.” She eventually picked a pot of orchid for HK$400.

Another citizen said she visits the flower market almost every week, and the crowds this Sunday were much bigger than regular ones.

“Maybe it’s because the fair has been canceled,” she said, adding she only briefly walked around Prince Edward Road West without going to Flower Market Road.

“There are too many people. I dare not stay too long. I will only pick what I want quickly and go home,” she said.

A store owner, surnamed Cheng, said their business this year will be 40 percent less than pre-pandemic levels, as his wholesale store has lost orders from retailers who had bided for stalls in the fair.

“Now that the fairs have been canceled, many of them have canceled their orders but I’ve already booked more stocks from suppliers,” he said.

Hong Kong Wholesale Florist Association chairman Sunny Lai Wing-chun said police and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department have warned stall holders to remove flowers placed on pavements and the road outside stores or they would be fined HK$1,500 for each violation.

Another store owner said customers go to the market to look at the flowers before making purchases.

“We have to put the flowers on display, so people can see and choose for themselves,” she said. “They come and issue fine tickets to us every two days. It’s really difficult for us. I hope authorities can be more lenient in the meantime.”

Agriculture and fisheries lawmaker Ho Chun-yin worried that the crowds in the flower market would create health risks. Ho from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, asked: “Even if you cancel the fair, will it stop Hongkongers from getting flowers?”

“People just switch to Mong Kok flower market, and it could create a flower market cluster,” he said.

Meanwhile, Heung Yee Kuk has announced to follow its customs of drawing fortune sticks at Che Kung Temple on the second day of the Lunar New Year February 2, but the event will only be attended by its members who must test negative for Covid beforehand.