Yau Ma Tei Wholesale Fruit Market, it is well known as Gwo Laan in Cantonese. I went there on 21/11 at 11:00am to 13:00pm.
When I arrived to the fruit market, nearly 80% shops were closed, and only those retail shops opened. Since Yau Ma Tei Wholesale Fruit Market is a market that mainly for fruit wholesale, bidding, trading, transport instead of retailing. However, those activities would only conduct in midnight to early morning, which is because the retail store have to sell those products in morning so that all the fruits should be distributed before morning. Although it is more suitable to have a field-notes recored in that period of time, those shop keepers will prevent me for shooting video since they are bargaining with retailers, they mostly use the code word, to prevent other keepers know the transaction amount, so that no video recording are allowed.
However, there are some retailer which would sell the freshest fruit in the market with a relatively low price. Besides, those retailer were sell the fruits from Japan and USA commonly, which had a higher quality and price. But because purchasing price is low so that customers can buy those high quality fruit in a cheaper price compared to the other fruits shop. During my observation, costumers would like to buy a box of fruit instead of a few of fruit. The sellers there were keen on providing some sample to the pedestrian for attracting them to shop.
For sensory impression, the most noticeable element is sound. As the above mentioned, there were a lot of shops closed, so that that area was lack of people. However, when I went to the retailer area, the shop keepers would promote their products and costumers than try to bargain. The sound of the conversation between costumers and the shop keepers are mainly around the topic of which fruits are fresh or how much are those fruits. Some elderly would also chat with the keepers, in which I think they had already supported the shop for a long period of time, so that there was a close relationship between them. Of course, it was also common to hear some coarse language. Besides of sound, sight is also the major impression in the fruit market. Since the fruit market is located in Yau Ma Tei and it is surrounded by a lot of high-rise building, which have a big contrast between the modern design building and the century-old buildings. The fruit market is separated into two major parts, which is the retailing area and loading and unloading area. There is also a big contrast between these two area, since the retail area is really crowded with enough sunlight while another area is lack of people with dim light. I could enjoy the smell in the retail area as the fruits there emitted fresh smell, and some sample were provided by the shop so that I could even try those fruits.
It is my first experience of recording field-notes, which impressed me a lot. Different form other site visit, recording field-notes have to sit in a fixed position for a long period of time and record the things that happen in front of me. It is common that we would easily miss out some interesting things that happen in front of us because we are walking along the site and without paying attention on the things near us. However, recording field-notes provide me a chance that can observe the look, activities or conversation of those pedestrians in detail, which is a good way to explore the city from another viewing angle. In fact, I think this field-notes give me both familiar and strange feeling. Personally, I think the atmosphere of the fruit market do not change much, especially the when I walk into the market, which there are still smell badly because of the rotted fruits. The smell is just as same as the smell 13 years before when I walking through the fruit market for going to primary school. Besides, the site appearance almost have not changed, which kept more than a decade. With the same outlook of those stores, it seems that the no changes are made in the fruit market.
The fruit market can still continue to operate in future? Due to limited area, and a lot of urban re-development near the market, the construction of a number of new residential buildings, increased flow of people, the fruit settlement during peak hours, and there will be the risk of conflicts between vehicles and road conditions, which might lead to accidents . Noise and hygiene problems becoming more serious, have been for the Yau Ma Tei neighborhood criticized the previous government had started deciding Yau Ma Tei Wholesale Fruit Market move to Cheung Sha Wan Wholesale Fruit, subject to shop keepers dispute that the new site adverse fruit business. Therefore, relocation still pending.
When I arrived to the fruit market, nearly 80% shops were closed, and only those retail shops opened. Since Yau Ma Tei Wholesale Fruit Market is a market that mainly for fruit wholesale, bidding, trading, transport instead of retailing. However, those activities would only conduct in midnight to early morning, which is because the retail store have to sell those products in morning so that all the fruits should be distributed before morning. Although it is more suitable to have a field-notes recored in that period of time, those shop keepers will prevent me for shooting video since they are bargaining with retailers, they mostly use the code word, to prevent other keepers know the transaction amount, so that no video recording are allowed.
However, there are some retailer which would sell the freshest fruit in the market with a relatively low price. Besides, those retailer were sell the fruits from Japan and USA commonly, which had a higher quality and price. But because purchasing price is low so that customers can buy those high quality fruit in a cheaper price compared to the other fruits shop. During my observation, costumers would like to buy a box of fruit instead of a few of fruit. The sellers there were keen on providing some sample to the pedestrian for attracting them to shop.
For sensory impression, the most noticeable element is sound. As the above mentioned, there were a lot of shops closed, so that that area was lack of people. However, when I went to the retailer area, the shop keepers would promote their products and costumers than try to bargain. The sound of the conversation between costumers and the shop keepers are mainly around the topic of which fruits are fresh or how much are those fruits. Some elderly would also chat with the keepers, in which I think they had already supported the shop for a long period of time, so that there was a close relationship between them. Of course, it was also common to hear some coarse language. Besides of sound, sight is also the major impression in the fruit market. Since the fruit market is located in Yau Ma Tei and it is surrounded by a lot of high-rise building, which have a big contrast between the modern design building and the century-old buildings. The fruit market is separated into two major parts, which is the retailing area and loading and unloading area. There is also a big contrast between these two area, since the retail area is really crowded with enough sunlight while another area is lack of people with dim light. I could enjoy the smell in the retail area as the fruits there emitted fresh smell, and some sample were provided by the shop so that I could even try those fruits.
It is my first experience of recording field-notes, which impressed me a lot. Different form other site visit, recording field-notes have to sit in a fixed position for a long period of time and record the things that happen in front of me. It is common that we would easily miss out some interesting things that happen in front of us because we are walking along the site and without paying attention on the things near us. However, recording field-notes provide me a chance that can observe the look, activities or conversation of those pedestrians in detail, which is a good way to explore the city from another viewing angle. In fact, I think this field-notes give me both familiar and strange feeling. Personally, I think the atmosphere of the fruit market do not change much, especially the when I walk into the market, which there are still smell badly because of the rotted fruits. The smell is just as same as the smell 13 years before when I walking through the fruit market for going to primary school. Besides, the site appearance almost have not changed, which kept more than a decade. With the same outlook of those stores, it seems that the no changes are made in the fruit market.
The fruit market can still continue to operate in future? Due to limited area, and a lot of urban re-development near the market, the construction of a number of new residential buildings, increased flow of people, the fruit settlement during peak hours, and there will be the risk of conflicts between vehicles and road conditions, which might lead to accidents . Noise and hygiene problems becoming more serious, have been for the Yau Ma Tei neighborhood criticized the previous government had started deciding Yau Ma Tei Wholesale Fruit Market move to Cheung Sha Wan Wholesale Fruit, subject to shop keepers dispute that the new site adverse fruit business. Therefore, relocation still pending.