Talks to bring hungry mainland Chinese tourists for lunch at struggling Hong Kong shopping centre near border before starting shopping trips
- The Boxes opened last year to offer goods including food, drugs, cosmetics and jewellery but business has been poor
- Government hopes plan will reduce crowds gathering for lunch in downtown areas of city
Mainland Chinese tourists arriving in Hong Kong could first be taken to a struggling shopping centre close to the Shenzhen border for food to reduce pressure on some downtown areas and complaints by residents, the government says.
“We have been discussing with The Boxes in San Tin whether it is possible to amend tourists’ itinerary so they will have lunch there before they leave for other districts for shopping,” Chan said.
“We believe it will help reduce crowds gathering for lunch in downtown areas, and the situation in those local communities will be improved.”
Chan was responding to lawmaker Priscilla Leung Mei-fun, who said the influx of tourists had brought “stunning crowding” to districts in her constituency, including Kowloon City and Hung Hom.
“After rounds and rounds of inquiries, has the government ever seriously considered diverting the tourists to other districts?” Leung asked.
Hong Kong mall built to cater for mainland shoppers making huge losses
The Boxes, which opened for business in February last year, was set up to provide a “win-win” solution that could satisfy mainlanders’ demand for goods – including food, drugs, cosmetics and jewellery – and keep local communities free from overcrowding to reduce bad feelings towards mainlanders.
The 420,000 sq ft complex is located in northeast Yuen Long between the Lok Ma Chau checkpoint and the next station along the MTR East Rail Line, Sheung Shui, a district crowded with mainland shoppers and parallel traders. It takes about 20 minutes to drive to the complex from either point.
According to recent reports, fewer than one-tenth of the 261 container-like shops were open for business, a 20 per cent drop compared with what the Post found during a site visit last February.
Import and export sector lawmaker Wong Ting-kwong, who initiated the complex in 2013, said it was not quite the case that so few were open, adding that 80 per cent of the shops were occupied.
However, Wong also admitted that business had not been ideal over the past year.
“Until today, we haven’t collected any rent from shop tenants considering the lack of business,” Wong said.
Until today, we haven’t collected any rent from shop tenants considering the lack of business
Wong confirmed that the complex’s management had been in talks with the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, which played the role of facilitator between The Boxes, shop owners and the travel agencies.
“A few restaurants in The Boxes have signed contracts with some travel agencies to provide lunch for their groups, and a few others are considering it,” Wong said.
He added that some agencies were asking if caterers could prepare “poon choi”, or basin vegetables, a traditional communal dish in Hong Kong, for their clients as a cultural highlight of their trip.
Wong said it was reasonable for the mainland tourists to have lunch at The Boxes before heading for shopping and sightseeing in downtown Hong Kong.
“Both time and space for lunch are often limited in downtown areas like To Kwa Wan [in Kowloon City],” Wong said. “Here [at The Boxes] we have more space.”
