Historical Yau Ma Tei Wholesale Fruit Market At Reclaimation Street In Hong Kong 香港最古老, 上百岁的水果批发市场, 油麻地果栏

Sandwiched between Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong, Yau Ma Tei has long lived in the shadow of its more brash and touristy neighbours. However, this often neglected area was in fact the first urban centre that the British colonial government developed on the Kowloon side in the 19th century. A storied boat community, artisanal trades, heaving markets, as well as crime and vice gradually grew out of this deliberate attempt to transform this piece of once-barren land into a habitable district.

Hong Kong’s cityscape has changed radically over the past few decades as the population and economy boomed. Low-rise buildings go, traditional industries disappear, and old shorelines morph into landlocked roads thanks to the city’s special relationship with reclamation. While Yau Ma Tei isn’t immune to the forces of modernisation, one can fortunately still find colourful traces of the past as well as plenty of vibrant community life in the area’s narrow, shop-filled lanes and banyan-shaded public spaces of great historical importance.

The historic Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market which turned 100 years old last year, was founded in 1913. It’s the oldest fruit market in the city, which was also once a haven for poultry and vegetables before the government decided to move those industries to a nearby spot in 1965. Today, it remains at the centre of the industry, providing around 70 percent of Hong Kong’s fruit supply. Over the past century, it has witnessed the drastic changes of its neighbourhood but remained what it looked like decades ago. The timeless business model also remains largely the same: bring in fruit and sell it. The site is also listed as “Grade III historic buildings” by the Hong Kong Government.

一百年前, 香港油麻地果栏临海而生, 新填地名字来自该地是填海而来. 因为码头, 果栏正式落地. 凌乱却神秘, 陈旧却带有浓厚的文化气息, 新鲜水果的果香与糜烂水果的果臭混合, 恰是香港独有的味道. 香港油麻地新填地街有个地方叫 “果栏”, 全名其实就是 “油麻地鲜果批发市场”. 顾名思义, 就是指水果的批发场地. 所谓 “栏”, 是水果批发商的旧称. 其实, 这个地方最初并不是只经营水果, 还有家禽, 鲜鱼, 果菜, 杂货等货物, 可算是九龙区的主要食品批发市场. 

这个历史悠久的食物批发地, 的确保留了不少重要的历史建筑, 见证了 “果栏” 的变迁. 由于 “果栏” 有历史地位, 于 1990 年已被香港古物谘询委员会列为三级历史建筑; 到了 2009 年12月, 更升格为二级历史建筑, 足以证实 “果栏” 的历史地位. 我喜欢这里, 因为在这高度城市化的香港市区之中, 还可以见到一遍蓝天. 你也可以在果栏, 感受到香港人为生活而拚博的精神.

走出油麻地站, 会发现在密密麻麻的高楼大厦中, 有一群破破落落的铁皮屋, 中间又夹杂一些二次世界大战前的石建筑, 那里就是油麻地果栏了. 这个屋簷下, 存在着多个小栏档. 在遍地摩天高楼, 霓红灿亮的城市下, 果栏显得格格不入, 活像纪录片中的九龙城寨. 参差不齐的僭建簷蓬, 用铁皮帆布或木板搭建而成, 还有那些佈满腐烂生果的狭窄小巷, 都在诉说着果栏的历史.

The Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market is a large complex made of one or two stories of small brick or stone buildings. The pre-war structures have carved stone signs showing the names of the individual fruit stalls that have been in operation for generations. The wire fences enclosing the stalls, the dark alleys, the dogs barking, and the subtle sound of mahjong tiles being shuffled evokes an image of menace and mystery. There are mobsters running these fruit stalls and it’s time to pay the piper. 

果栏早于 1913 年已经有人在这一带进行食品交易. 这里之所以能成为九龙区的主要食品批发市场, 是源于交通网络之便: 附近有油麻地避风塘 (即后来填海而成的渡船街一带), 尖沙咀又有火车站, 可算是水陆运输的交通枢纽. 当时, “栏” 的规划很简陋, 多数只是草棚, 直至1920年代起, 香港政府陆续批地让批发商兴建固定楼房, 多幢一, 二层高的砖石的建筑物逐渐落成, 成为今日的面貌, 至今尚可见到不少具战前特色的装潢. 昔日这里不只售卖水果, 还卖蔬菜, 鸡, 鱼, 杂货及米等. 直至六十年代, 菜栏及鱼栏迁至长沙湾, 七十年代连鸡栏也拜拜. 七十年代，香港经济起飞, 水果需求大增, 八九十年代时, 水果转口生意蓬勃, 但近年生意大不如前, 全盛时期, 果栏有三百多栏, 现在生意萎缩, 只有二百多档还经营着. 

油麻地果栏走过一百年, 草根美学在一排老房子之间流露出来. 白天, 工人都归家了, 闸门锁上了, 门顶风格各异的字号招牌就是主角, 一竖一横是美; 斑驳的外墙, 陈旧的吊扇, 也是美.

When i decided to venture out to the Yau Ma Tei Wholesale Fruit Market, i was warned against this ‘foolish move’ by many Hongkongers who grew up nearby. For them, this place has always been a symbol of violence and crime. We’re told tales of kung fu masters hiding behind the stalls, trying to forget their battle-bound pasts. There are stories telling of Triads and other gangsters who frequented the market, demanding protection cash from stallholders and initiating brutal attacks on the venue’s residents. And we hear about the shady drug dealers who 
live in the shadows between the mahjong tile-like fruit shops and in the back alleys. Crime everywhere. Secrets. Danger.

'福生栏' 旁边长了一棵石墙树, 红字配绿树, 撞得出色.

Instead, however, my visit to the market – during the daytime – is anything but an interesting experience. What i found is a sleepy, almost abandoned, pretty dilapidated village where most of the shops have closed for the day. There are few workers here and even fewer buyers. A faint smell of fermented fruit floats in the air. Everything is quiet. Some of the grumpy-looking marketers i do encounter look like they may be gangsters – but the whole place is merely a quiet spot for business, instead of a haven for crime. However i soon discovered it’s always this still during daylight. The venue fully bursts into life in the darkness of the night, when the trucks arrive, the workers pile in and the excited chatter of the buyers and sellers fills that fruit-fermented air. Yau Ma Tei Wholesale Fruit Market is still alive after 100 years in business.

昔日果栏工人的家室多在大陆, 他们多数寄宿在楼上, 现在是货仓.

走到油麻地戏院对面, 从新填地街与窝打老道交界回头一看, "秀和栏" 的古旧招牌让人一见难忘, 其实这栏不复存在, 在这个大屋簷下, 是一个个勤勤恳恳的小栏档. 栏档几番易手, 上手或退出江湖, 或已离世, 但下手依然挂着旧招牌, 所以建筑风格相似. 试问任何一个老板, 他们都会如此说. "大益栏" 扩充至多个档位, 但依然悬挂着上手 "公昌栏" 褪色至近乎看不到一笔一划的招牌; "志记" 招牌谦卑地挂在门口一方, 反而上手的水磨石招牌气势十足地压在门顶, 路过的人还以为这栏叫 "头记栏". 这个习惯, 任你说是念旧情, 还是小情怀, 总之拉闸之间的一道道招牌成为了这里令人惊艳的风景.

除了建筑风貌, 果栏的装卸和部分运作模式, 也沿袭了百年前的习惯, 而这片被包围在一片高楼大厦中的低矮平房, 更像是城市森林中的平原, 被香港人称作 “都市里村庄”. 与 “村庄” 生态相对应的, 则是一种相对原始和纯粹的世故人情和农耕文化, 让人时常会恍惚, 这是在 21 世纪吗?

The Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market is a large complex made of one or two stories of small brick or stone buildings. The pre-war structures have carved stone signs showing the names of the individual fruit stalls that have been in operation for generations. The wire fences enclosing the stalls, the dark alleys, the dogs barking, and the subtle sound of mahjong tiles being shuffled evokes an image of menace and mystery. There are mobsters running these fruit stalls and it’s time to pay the piper. 

Everyone understands the unwritten rules which govern the market. Cars which do not belong to any of the stalls in the Fruit Market cannot enter the complex. If you want to place your fruits on the stalls for sale, then you have to park your car outside and wait for the Big Guys with the Big Tattoos to carry your stocks with their custom-made carts. If you come in the noon time, you may be able to see the fruit gangs taking a rest, or playing mahjong with their brothers.

I found out that a typical day in the market starts at around 7pm, when trucks drive in to unload fruit boxes. The process of offloading and moving usually lasts until 11pm. Store owners and their assistants come to work at midnight. The busiest time in the market is from 4am to 6am, after that many owners go to yum cha, then return to their stalls and hang around until 9am when the banks open, so they can put the freshly-earned money into their accounts.

在这里, 超过 250 间生果批发商, 每天凌晨 4 时至 6 时, 是果栏最活跃的时间, 工人, 商家纷纷忙着竞投生果, 进行交易, 以及转运货品. 随着交易时间的不同, 交投价格亦会有所不同. 交易时段刚开始时, 竞投价格最高, 时间越后, 价格亦会越低, 而可以选择的水果种类, 亦会相应减少.

无论鸟瞰还是走进其中, 果栏的建筑美学都是摄人的. 由渡船街至新填地街, 窝打老道, 铁皮顶接铁皮顶, 密密麻麻, 建构了一个1.5 公顷的水果天地. 走进其中, 以为会迷失于昏暗小巷间, 其实乱中有序. 栏档尽是一至两层高的小房子. 地下一层有一个小柜台, 楼上是小货仓, 门前有把封尘旧吊扇, 墙壁斑驳, 把五, 六十年前的格局保存下来.

这里的街道房屋依然与一个世纪前差别不大, 只是以前是窝棚, 后来成了矮屋, 加上殖民文化的影响, 很多二战前的石头建筑都有明显的西洋化色彩, 但仍抵挡不住陈旧的气息扑面而来.

每天傍晚六七点, 各国运来的水果, 就开始从船只卸货, 工人们推着拖车将货物运往果栏各铺头. 深夜两三点, 果栏更是灯火通明, 人声鼎沸, 来自全香港的零售商果贩们, 几乎都要来到此地批发拿货, 老板或伙计与零售商们讨价还价, 成就当天的交易, 直到早上6点左右, 果栏才会渐渐归于沉寂, 工人收工回去睡觉, 老板关起铁栅栏. 有些不习惯在白天休息的老板, 工人们, 便在店内打打麻将, 或算算账, 直至下午到晚上才会倒回床上睡上几个小时, 然后又在夜半时分, 开始一天的工作.

随着超市成为蔬菜水果主要的销售渠道, 保留了 100 年的生活在渐渐发生改变, 果栏的生意在近些年每况愈下, 比繁盛时下降了三分之二, 以前靠凌晨4个小时就能销售一空的栏商, 如今则多半要忍受货物的积压. 近些年港府将果栏列入景点, 做了旅游导引之后, 这些铺头便也开始在白天开门迎客, 做一些零售生意.

Since the 60s, there have been talks about the relocation of the market. But, up to now, this topic remains controversial because of the long history of the buildings and the businesses. We’ll see what the future will bring.

当我经过果栏的那一天, 看到有些工人们经过一朝早的辛苦工作, 有些会在再续昨晚未完成的美梦, 有些会和三五同业友好搓麻雀作乐, 看门口的小狗们继续尽忠职守地监察着每一个来住的途人, 会计们仍然努力忙碌于数字之中……

水果的香味, 破落的建筑, 传统街市红色的吊灯, 附近新建的豪宅大厦, 走在上头嘈杂的高速公路结成了一幅新旧交错, 无论视觉, 嗅觉, 听觉都很丰富图, 也许这就是香港.

油麻地果栏因为白天沉寂夜晚繁忙, 也被时常冠以 “果栏的日与夜” 概括它的生态, 白天慵懒的栏商稀里哗啦地打麻将的身影, 夜晚苦力搬货时挥洒的汗滴, 都是人文摄影师们最爱的角度. 不少人文摄影师都喜欢来到这里拍照, 将破败的矮屋与周围的高楼大厦对比, 将平凡古旧的街道当做穿着时尚的年轻人的背景, 或只是拍铺前打瞌睡的狗、栅栏里赤膊打麻将的阿伯…在他们眼里, 这里是拍摄最本真的香港的富矿. 还有很多年轻人, 更是将这里当做一种古迹胜地, 来此地拍摄婚纱照.

I love this market. I could see a bright blue sky here in such a highly urbanized area.

The aroma of fruits, aged buildings, mosaic mural, traditional plastic red lamps, newly-built towers, noisy highways ……form a hybrid picture for new and old. No matter what you see, what you smell and what you hear, the picture is always rich. Maybe, it is Hong Kong.


The Yau Ma Tei Market has preserved ‘the essence of old Hong Kong’. And that should not be replaced.

果栏在油麻地历史悠久, 它的去留和附近居民的生活息息相关. 果栏带来的交通, 噪音, 卫生问题一直影响着附近的居民, 尤其在凌晨两点至六点这段果香飘散的果栏运作时间, 工人的叫卖声和货车出入的声音更是不绝于耳. 果栏在治安, 交通和卫生方面影响了该区居民的生活. 香港政府曾考虑清拆果栏并与隔着新填地街已停业的油麻地戏院建筑及邻近的油麻地抽水站宿舍 (红砖屋) 一起发展, 但由于果栏搬迁计划仍存争议, 因此先行发展油麻地戏院和红砖屋地段. 近一个世纪以来, 果栏一直伫立在油麻地, 经历了不少风风雨雨. 无论搬迁与否, 都象征着一辈果栏商贩的辛劳岁月.

经历百年沧桑的果栏, 早已不是过去那种满地果皮垃圾, 拖车横冲直撞的模样, 它已经逐渐成为香港人心头的一个怀旧的去处, 外地观光客认识香港繁华表面之下的另一面的一个标志性地标. 果栏, 还在讲述着香港一个世纪的故事. 

一百年, 记叙香港油麻地果栏的人和事.