Bidding fierce as food returns to Lunar New Year fairs
A fast food stall for the next Lunar New Year Fair at Victoria Park was auctioned off for HK$220,000 on Monday with visitors able to eat at the event again for the first time since the pandemic. Bidding for other types of stalls, including for flowers, was also intense, with offers topping HK$60,000. Jason Ng, who secured a fast food stall for HK$192,000, said he was optimistic about his sales, but it would depend on the weather. He said he plans to sell local snacks, such as fried squid, siu mai, beef balls and chicken skewers. Ng said he would be happy if business reaches 60 to 70 percent of pre-Covid levels. Hui So-hing, a senior superintendent at the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, said she believes the 15 Lunar New Year fairs across the city will be very popular, especially now the food stalls are making a comeback. She said the lowest-priced stalls are going for about 60 percent of 2019 levels, given that the economy is still recovering. Hui said stalls will have to comply with new height restrictions and all vendors and their products must not breach the national security law. Inspections will be carried out, she added. Next year's fairs will be held from February 4-10.