Wet market
In the language of English in Hong Kong or Singapore is meant by a wet market (in this case very rare Chinese街市, German wet market ) traditional places where usually still alive or are sold shortly before selling slaughtered animals such as pigs and poultry, as well as other meat products, further Fish, reptiles, seafood, etc. The term wet market is used in German mainly for the same type of markets, especially in China .
Slaughtering directly on the market, however, has a strong downward trend due to the hygienic problems: it is either severely restricted or prohibited (at least in countries such as Singapore or Hong Kong). The expression “food market” (or “market hall”) would not be fully applicable due to the special nature of these markets. After a few epidemics and as a result of increasing hygienic requirements, however, large animals and poultry are increasingly rare in these markets, while fish, frogs, mussels and the like are still on offer. Fruits and vegetables are also sold, and food is often offered too. These markets can be found in many Southeast Asian countries with Chinese minorities, but especially in Hong Kong and Singapore, where the population perceives these markets as part of their (Chinese) tradition and culture. Nowadays these markets are also being adapted by other ethnic minorities - there are Malaysian, Indian and other markets of this kind, with the multicultural component playing an important role here.
The sale of food and meals happened and is still somewhat limited in both countries by street vendors (hawkers) who are active on the streets as an outpatient, as well as in so-called hawker centers and dining halls that were built to help the outpatient street vendors from the To at least partially remove the cityscape and improve hygiene.
However , after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2019, the best-known wet market is likely to be the “Wuhan Huanan wholesale market for fish and seafood” in the Chinese city of Wuhan , where the primary infection site of the epidemic was initially suspected. The Chinese markets are not subject to such strict regulations as in Hong Kong or Singapore.
To the subject
The term wet market , i.e. H. Literally "damp, wet market", as it is used in Hong Kong, Singapore and other countries in Southeast Asia, goes back to the soaked floors of the markets. The wetness comes from the melted ice used for cooling, from the frequent hosing down and cleaning of the stands and floors with water to clean up the remains of the slaughter (and also storage) (and to meet minimal hygienic standards), and also from the Pour water over vegetables to maintain their freshness or to simulate it. The stalls themselves mostly belonged to the "dry" areas, especially stalls for food such as rice, pasta, spices, etc. The beginnings of the use of this term can be found in the early 1970s. The Singapore government used it to distinguish these traditional markets from the emerging air-conditioned “dry” supermarkets that were beginning to spread: grocery stores, textiles and clothing markets, etc. However, the term dry market is not common.
history
Hong Kong
The wet markets in Hong Kong developed from the earlier so-called seasonal markets ("periodic market") in the time of the Ming Dynasty . The term wet market was apparently first used in the 16th century in the mention of the Yuen Long periodic markets . In the 19th century there were several such markets that were officially approved throughout Hong Kong's metropolitan area. From the 20th century onwards, markets in Hong Kong that were open all year round and had the typical character of wet markets were increasingly found . These were both outpatient street vendors and fixed stands that first offered the goods on the roadside. At the same time, the government started building halls to house food markets with all the characteristics of wet markets : Tsim Sha Tsui Wet Market in 1911, Sheung Wan Market in 1913, Wanchai Wet Market in 1934 and the former Central Wet Market in 1939.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the government decided to include this type of market in its urban planning and relocate it to urban buildings. Examples include the Kwun Chung Municipal Market, Fa Yuen Street Municipal Market, and the Tai Po Wet Market.
The future handling of the street markets in Hong Kong and their protection is increasingly discussed, because they should be included in the urban development plans, also from the point of view of their role in the street scene and their role as cultural heritage. For these considerations, the Graham Street Market was selected as a special object of study.
Singapore
The first attempt to regulate the uncoordinated activity of street vendors was made in Singapore by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1822: he ordered the building of a market on Market Street. This fish market was the predecessor of the Telok Ayer Market , which opened in 1894 . After that many other markets, mainly wet markets , were opened. The problems have been reported in Singapore since the colonial days of the 1920s; attempts to regulate it with licenses and other measures brought no results. From 1927, the police were allowed to confiscate goods in the event of repeated license violations - despite this, there were 6000 dealers with licenses in the city in the 1930s, but around 4000 dealers without a license. As early as 1931, a committee was appointed to investigate and address the problems. In 1950, the then Governor of Singapore, Sir Franklin Charles Gimson , set up the Hawkers Inquiry Commission to investigate the problem of street vendors, and in 1957 a Markets and Hawkers Department was established. set up to oversee trading.
The first concrete measures were taken in the 1950s and 1960s. Mainly for reasons of hygiene, the street vendors were gradually pushed out of the streets and relocated to the wet markets and so-called hawker centers . As early as 1950 Singapore established the Tiong Bahru Market, one of the earliest wet markets in the city, followed by others in Little India, Chinatown and other areas. An island-wide mandatory registration was introduced. These measures were intensified particularly close to the achievement of independence in 1965.
After the construction of many hawker centers from the 1990s onwards, there were 107 such facilities in Singapore in 2013, spread over the entire city area. In October 2011 the government announced that it would set up ten new centers for street vendors (some with wet market departments) in the next few years .
Types of wet markets
Wet markets that are on the street are protected from direct sunlight with umbrellas, but they are open-air markets. In the past, the goods were not kept in refrigerators, but hung on hooks outside after slaughter, including poultry, halves of pork and the like. The advantage for customers is that the goods are usually cheaper, but for hygienic reasons they are becoming increasingly rare. There are also more and more markets in halls and other indoor spaces. In particular, the hygiene conditions can be better monitored here; these markets are cleaner. The activity can be better organized, including better storage and cooling of the goods.
Social and cultural component
The traditional markets, the so-called wet markets , are generally ascribed a great social and cultural importance: they are a means of socializing, shopping as a social commitment, feeling of neighborhood, etc. These markets are understood as social spaces for residents of different origins, they carry them therefore contributes to the building of community relationships and the establishment of cohesive neighborhood communities.
In this context, however, it should be noted that the generations of the 2000s must not be compared with the earlier ones: Traditions are losing their status, other shops and grocery chains are establishing themselves, and the PC screen and the Internet are increasingly taking the place of social interaction.
Hygienic aspects
In the early 1990s, the slaughter of chickens and poultry in the wet markets in Singapore was discontinued and relocated to central slaughterhouses. In 1999, the cold chain system was introduced in order to keep the meat continuously chilled during the preceding phases.
After the outbreaks of the H5N1 bird flu in 1997, 2001 and 2006 and the SARS syndrome in Hong Kong around 2003, the situation changed in Hong Kong wet markets : since then, the sale of chickens in wet markets has been restricted: live chickens are not at all there more is sold and they are slaughtered centrally in suitable facilities. In addition, special cleaning days were introduced in 2003 and 2006, especially for poultry dealers. A previous 14-day quarantine was ordered for imported poultry. The proportion of stores housed indoors has also increased.
The " Wuhan Huanan wholesale market for fish and seafood" in China , which has now been closed, was accepted as the primary infection site for the 2019/2020 coronavirus epidemic .
Competition of modern markets
Until the 1970s and early 1980s, the traditional wet markets and hawker centers were the places where food was bought in Southeast Asian countries such as Hong Kong and Singapore. With the advent of supermarkets and chains in the 1980s, traditional markets faced stiff competition that continues to this day. The supermarkets were and are mostly air-conditioned, have cooling facilities, offer the goods at special rates and also in the late evening, etc. These advantages partially impaired the chances of survival of the wet markets in some areas, especially if they were located near these supermarkets . On the other hand, the wet markets have remained attractive for a large part of the population because of their cultural and social components, and efforts by administrative and government authorities have recently been noticed, the traditional markets not least because of their attractiveness for tourism to support. Without this support, the future prospects of the wet markets would be slim .
Various media and TV programs in Hong Kong have been concerned with the competition between the traditional wet markets and the modern supermarkets since the early 2000s.
Wet markets in Hong Kong and Singapore (selection)
Even if you occasionally find reports about wet markets in other, especially Southeast Asian countries, they are mainly associated with Hong Kong and Singapore in terms of tradition and culture. A selection of the markets in these two areas:
wet markets in Hong Kong:
- Graham Street Market
- The oldest wet market still in operation opened in 1842; After 2007, discussions began to dissolve in favor of a development program, and at the same time, because of the historical importance of the market, plans to save it began.
- Central Market
- The market is one of the oldest wet markets in Hong Kong. Opened in 1839, it was rebuilt several times and finally closed in 2003; it serves as an example of the decline in these markets as a result of competition from supermarket chains.
- Kowloon City public market
- This market, which is located in Kowloon, is one of the largest in Hong Kong with over 580 stalls and is known for the good quality of its fish and meat products.
- Bowrington market
- Consists of a street market and a hall, is also one of the large markets in the city.
- Fu Shin Street market
- It is also known as the Tai Wo Market or Tai Po (New) Market. The market was founded on Fu Shin Street in New Territories in 1892 and has been renamed several times.
- Chun Yeung Street Wet Market
- Today also known as Java Road Market or North Point Market because of the streets crossing there.
wet markets in Singapore:
- Built in 1894 instead of an old fish market from 1823/25; In the 1970s there were some renovations and the market increasingly lost the character of the wet market . In 1991 there was another reopening under the name Lau Pa Sat Festival Market.
- An Indian wet market with a large food and snack section; is located in the Little India neighborhood .
- Chinatown Wet Market
- Is located in the middle of Singapore's Chinatown and primarily serves the Chinese population.
- Tiong Bahru wet market
- Built in 1950, also known as Seng Poh Market, it was renovated from 2004 to 2006.
- Geylang Serai Wet Market
- A Malaysian wet market
- Geylang Serai Wet Market
- This market is located in the middle of the Malaysian community and carries special products from this cuisine
- Senoko Fishery Port
- The market specializes in fresh fish and seafood products, especially mussels.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i Alvin Tan: COMMUNITY HERITAGE SERIES II: WET MARKETS , published by the National Heritage Board, a Singapore government agency, online at: nhb.gov.sg / ...
- ↑ a b c d e f An Ethnographic Comparison of Wet Markets and Supermarkets in Hong Kong , in: The Hong Kong Anthropologist , 2/2008, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, online at: arts.cuhk.edu.hk/ .. .
- ↑ a b c d e Renee Kwok: Graham Street Market , in: HKIA Journal, 57/2010, ed. from The Hong Kong Institute of Architects, page 63ff., online at: hkia.net / ...
- ↑ a b c d Traveling hawkers , in: Infopedia, Server of the National Library Board, Singapore Government, online at: eresources.nlb.gov.sg /.../ SIP_47 / ...
- ↑ Hawker centers , in: Infopedia, Server of the National Library Board, Singapore Government, online at: eresources.nlb.gov.sg /.../ SIP_1637 / ...
- ↑ a b c Wet Markets in Hong Kong. History of Wet Market , online at: geog ... / ... history
- ^ Government steps up precautionary measures against avian influenza , Hong Kong government press release of January 20, 2006, online at: info.gov.hk / ...
- ↑ Central abattoir set for 2011 , notice from the Hong Kong government dated June 13, 2008, online at: news.gov.hk / ...
- ↑ Pneumonia of unknown cause - China , WHP website, news from January 5, 2020 (Disease outbreak news), online at: [www.who.int/csr/don/05-january-2020-pneumonia-of-unkown- cause-china / en / who.int / ...]
- ↑ a b Hong Kong's Wet Markets Struggle to Survive , Report of December 21, 2010, in: Varsity, Journal of the School of Journalism and Communication at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, online at: varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk/ ...
- ↑ Chun Yeung Street (Wet Market) , server of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, online at: discoverhongkong.com / ...
- ↑ The Best Wet Markets in Hong Kong , online at: tripsavvy.com / ...
- ↑ Makeover of Graham Street Market , Urban Renewal Authority (URA) press release of July 28, 2008, online at: ura.org.hk / ...
- ↑ Former Telok Ayer Market (now known as Lau Pa Sat) , website of the state National Heritage Board, online at: roots.sg / ...
- ↑ Wet Market Singapore , online at: kochhelden.tv / ...
- ↑ The 5 Best Wet Markets in Singapore , online at: thebestsingapore.com / ...