page_title: Hawkers in Hong Kong
section_title: 1940–1960s: Migrant influx from rural China
hierarchical_section_title: Hawkers in Hong Kong / History / 1940–1960s: Migrant influx from rural China
caption_attribution_description: 中文（香港）‎: 1950年的廟街。
context_page_description: 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.
  For many decades, hawking has served as a means for the lower class to make a living in Hong Kong, and allowed patrons to benefit from the convenience and low cost of hawker goods. However, the government has long considered the practice to be detrimental to public hygiene, and it has therefore been controlled by the Urban Council and its successor, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.
context_section_description: Between the 1940s and 60s, there was an influx of migrants from rural areas of mainland China into Hong Kong due to political instabilities in China (influenced by the Chinese Civil War and the Cultural Revolution) as well as famine. Many of these migrants were unskilled and uneducated, and became itinerant hawkers to earn a living with low operating costs, selling daily necessities such as food and clothing to those of the working classes. At that time, the economic condition in Hong Kong was low and working-class families were large, giving rise to 'family consumption'. These families bought their basic necessities from hawkers.
  According to the Hong Kong Hawkers Association, there were an estimated 70,000 or more street hawkers in Hong Kong in 1949. At that time, while hawking provided employment opportunities, the large numbers of hawkers also led to noise pollution and congestion. In addition, it was stated that street hawking discouraged market development, since hawkers paid lower licence fees (HK$1,000-HK$3,000) than shop and stall tenants who also had to pay rents.
caption: Hawkers on Temple Street in 1950
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