Weaving Pang Jai

Weaving Pang Jai is a textile art project that seeks to use craft practice as a catalyst for community solidarity. It has been created in collaboration with the sellers of ‘Pang Jai’ fabric market in Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong. It is a dedication to the tenacity and resilience of the people of Pang Jai – an irreplaceable part of Hong Kong’s living heritage.

Background

The Yen Chow Street Hawker Bazaar in Sham Shui Po is affectionately known to locals as ‘Pang Jai’ 棚仔 (which roughly translates to ‘little shacks’). The name comes from its makeshift, tented appearance. It is the oldest running outdoor fabric market in Hong Kong. After the Second World War, clothing companies and fabric hawkers clustered along Yu Chau Street in Sham Shui Po’s garment district. With the construction of the MTR in the late 1970s, the sellers were forced to relocate to their current site at the corner of Yen Chow Street and Lai Chi Kok Road. For over forty years, Pang Jai’s sellers have welcomed fashion designers, hobbyists, women of ethnic minorities, film and theatre producers and DIY-ers to find something unique among their endless collection of excess stock fabric and accessories.

In 2015, the government declared that the market was to be closed permanently. Space in Hong Kong is a rare commodity. With the number of independent hawkers steadily decreasing and gentrification accelerating, the government saw an opportunity to develop the site. Recognising the market’s unique contribution to the area’s heritage, economy and fashion industry, the community and a dedicated concern group rallied in support of the Pang Jai. The concern group proposed an alternative plan for the continuation and rejuvenation of the market at a nearby site. The sellers, many of whom are older and not able to easily relocate, have been negotiating more affordable rent in the new location and a just relocation plan. But as of May this year, their proposal has only been partially adopted. The government plans to close Pang Jai within a year.

Process

Each of the sellers was invited to contribute a fabric scrap of their choice. These scraps were then split into yarn and rebuilt into two new cloths, embodying the unique character of the Pang Jai and celebrating the people at its heart. Weaving is a connective, strengthening action, one that seems fitting for a community whose livelihoods have been woven together for over 50 years. The first weaving features a stripe of each of the collaborating sellers’ cloth. The second is constructed from the same cloth yarn woven together at random, with the surname of every remaining seller embroidered on the surface. On first glance the names appear as part of the woven pattern, but they begin to stand out on closer inspection.

Acknowledgements

This project couldn’t have come to fruition without the help of many. To the collaborating sellers – Lai Miu (Margaret), Mrs Hung, LaLa, Ah Ying, Sewing Mama, Ho Tai and Ho San, Saam Suk, Fun Jei, Mrs Chan, Sheung Jei, Lee Tai and Lee San, Spare Ribs, Mr Lee, Mr So, Tammy Ho, Little Green Man, Tung Suk, Mr & Mrs So, Wong San and Wong Tai, Mr & Mrs Ho and Ray, Ning Kee, Poon Tai – thank you for getting involved, sharing your stories and inspiring all with your perseverance. Thank you also to friends Michael Leung and Anh Tran for translation and liaison with the sellers, and to Chris Gaul for translation, Chinese character design and documentation.

As of June 2019, the Yen Chow Street Hawker Bazaar is still open for business. Find out more by visiting their facebook page.