‘Three dollars per kilogram! Three dollars per kilogram!’ The tell-tale noisiness of a wet market hits me straight in the face as I take just one step in. I have been going to the wet market since I was a kid – with my mother when I was young and alone to run errands as I grew older. This place is full of memories for me, and it is hard to imagine not having wet markets near my home anymore. However, that is exactly what some voices in society are suggesting – replacing wet markets with supermarkets. Of course, I would give a big ‘no’ for the proposition, as it is unnecessary and insensitive to do so.
In term of necessity, we can hardly see why wet markets should be replaced with supermarkets. Wet markets sell fresh ingredients like shrimps, fish and meat, while supermarkets usually sell frozen or prepackaged food. The two types of groceries are intrinsically different and so are the shops that sell them. If I want a freshly prepared fish, I go to a wet market; if I want canned food and frozen chicken, I go to a supermarket. It is obvious that the two markets have different target customers and therefore, are both necessary to give customers comprehensive choices on what to put on their dining table. As the two don’t overlap, there is no such a need to try to replace either of them. Replacing wet markets with supermarkets is groundless.
What is more, the proposal is insensitive. Replacing wet markets means erasing a huge part of Hong Kong’s history and uniqueness. We always hear adults reminiscing their childhood – how they play tag with friends along the narrow and slippery hallways of a wet market, how the owner of a stall is the nicest or meanest among all – examples of how wet markets are an important part of their memories of happier and simpler times. Do we really need to wipe out such a precious piece of many Hong Kongers’ early life? Let’s not forget, wet markets as a whole is a unique part of Hong Kong culture as well. Other countries may also have wet markets, but we cannot deny that wet markets in Hong Kong show the personalities of typical Hong Kongers. Diligence – never giving up even if the economy keeps taking melancholic twists; wet markets reflect the qualities of Hong Kongers to foreign tourists, if not the newer generations. That is why it is insensitive to do away with wet markets.
Some, however, may argue that wet markets should be replaced as the stalls are usually not very hygienic. Yet, there are not actually many cases of food poisoning due to food bought from wet markets. Even so, the reason is usually of the food not being properly prepared. Obviously, it is unfair to ban wet markets for people’s lack of caution to food safety. In fact, enhancing people’s awareness on food safety and more frequent checks from relevant departments will be enough. Why take down the whole tree when it is only the branch that is broken? So, this argument clearly does not stand.
Wet markets are important, not just from an emotional point of view, but also from that its function is different from supermarkets. As I stroll down the hallways of the wet market I have grown up with, my shoes are slapping on the wet floor, I make a decision – I will fight to keep wet markets from the invasion of the technical advancement known as a supermarket.