History of Dai Pai Dong in Hong Kong
Dai Pai Dong frequently appear in dining scenes in Hong Kong cinema. It has become the iconic movie location in Hong Kong as a sign of eating culture. People having food at Dai Pai Dong spots are able to immerse themselves in those memorable cinematic moments at the same time grab the very genuine local flavor.
The history of Dai Pai Dong can be traced back to the late 19th century. It evolved from the street hawkers of the 1950s. There were many unlicensed food stalls that sold food on the streets, the government decided to issue licenses to injured soldiers to serve food on the streets so they can have a new life. These eateries are a part of local culture, leftover from colonial Hong Kong, and part of the collective memories of many Hong Kongers who lived under British rule.
Dai Pai Dong was at its peak in the 60’s and 70’s. At that time, most of the population could not afford to dine at high-end restaurants, thus cheap dishes from Dai Pai Dong was very popular. Unfortunately, at 1983 the government began buying back licenses because the food stalls were causing traffic congestion and a lot of hygiene issues were brought up. After that, the number of Dai Pai Dong stalls decreased rapidly. Also, more and more people could afford more expensive foods, speeding up its process of extinction. Under the competition with the fast-food chain stores, Dai Pai Dongs have also been shunned by the authorities and now only about 30 are left in Hong Kong, mostly in Central and Sham Shui Po. Many stalls who want to keep their business going have renovated their stalls so there is air-conditioning while at the same time still keeping their original stall because the open-air atmosphere can never be replicated.
Some transformations have occurred to make Dai Pai Dong able to last longer. One successful example is Dai Pai Dong Restaurant, which transformed itself from a sidewalk food stall into a well-organized and modernized restaurant serving high quality food in a hygienic environment. Though this newer version of the original, Dai Pai Dong still serves up many traditional flavors.
Dai Pai Dong, Hong Kong Culture 