Small Shops Big Hearts, Christina Yung

Independent researcher Christina Yung spent two years visiting almost 100 shops across Hong Kong, chatting with the owners and taking photographs. Recognising that may of her interviewees were approaching an age when they could no longer continue their trades, she wrote down their stories, hoping to preserve the cultural heritage their shops represent.

Small Shops, Big Hearts is a collection of 33 of those stories. Yung speaks to makers of umbrellas, bamboo steamers, and PVC signs; peddlers of cakes, snakes, and salted fish; and professionals who service shoes, brands, and tax returns. Many of these shop-owners have lived through poverty and political instability. But they share a certain purity in their persistence and dedication, sense of purpose, and can-do spirit.

‘I write to show my appreciation,’ writes Yung. ‘I am trying to create a sustainable future for these trades and services that for decades—or even centuries—have been an integral part of Hong Kong life.’