The Cartful facts for kids

The Cartful, known in Chinese as 車仔檔, is a special type of mobile stall. It started with street vendors in the 1950s in Hong Kong. These vendors sold inexpensive street food like eggettes, Tang Cong Bing (a type of candy), and cart noodles. This way of selling things is a big part of Hong Kong's traditional culture. It shows how people lived and their hardworking spirit. Today, these stalls face challenges because of new government rules and changes in modern life.

A Look Back: The Cartful's History

In the 1950s, Hong Kong faced tough economic times. Many people also moved to Hong Kong from Mainland China. This led to a big increase in the number of people living there. It was hard for many to find jobs and make a living. So, some people started using wooden carts to sell goods. These carts were cheap to set up. Because they were mobile, vendors could move quickly if there were rules against selling in certain areas. By the 1970s and 1980s, these carts sold many different things. Besides food and snacks, you could find household items, clothes, and kitchenware. Places like Sham Shui Po were famous for these stalls.

What Can You Find at a Cartful?

Cartfuls mainly sell two types of products: street food and clothes. Many traditional street foods are very popular, especially with teenagers. These include delicious eggettes, curry fish balls, and fried chestnuts. These snacks are usually cheap, costing around $10 Hong Kong dollars, but they taste great! Their wonderful smell often makes people want to line up to buy them. Cartful owners usually make the snacks when you order them. This way, the food stays hot and fresh. Besides food, cartfuls also sell clothes and sometimes handbags. Many women like to buy comfortable leggings and socks. Even though customers can't try on the clothes, they still enjoy buying them.

Who Owns Them and Where Are They Found?

There are two main types of people who run cartfuls. Some are middle-aged people who are unemployed. Others are hawkers who don't have a special license. For both groups, running a cartful helps them support their families. They might find it hard to get other suitable jobs. They choose to run a cartful because it helps them earn a good living. It also lets them avoid paying high rent for a shop. Often, these cartfuls are run by families working together.

You can usually find cartfuls near public housing areas, schools, and MTR stations. These places have a lot of people passing by. This steady flow of customers helps the cartful businesses make more money.

The Cartful and Hong Kong's Spirit

The cartful truly shows the spirit of Hong Kong: hard work and a fast-paced lifestyle. With only a small amount of money to start and not much time, owners can earn a good profit. They do this by moving their carts around all day without paying high rent for a shop.

However, this traditional way of selling is now facing challenges. New government rules sometimes make it hard for unlicensed hawkers to operate. Many mobile stalls have been removed from the streets. To help, the government has set up special markets in different areas. Examples include Tin Sau Hui Chinese: 天秀墟 and Wan Chai Tai Yuen Street Chinese: 原街. These markets bring mobile stalls together in one place.

Some people support these government plans. They believe it makes the streets cleaner and more peaceful without the mobile stalls. But others disagree with the strict rules. They feel sad about losing the traditional cartfuls, which hold many memories for them.

Images for kids

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  A mobile stall selling mobile phone cases in Mong Kok