Farewell Bird Market

Photos by Angel Yeung, Text by Leo Lam

Sounds of birds, sighs of feathers and admirations of visitors characterize a narrow street in Mong Kok. People go there to buy bird food, bird cages and birds of all kinds. Visitors call it the Bird market, but few know the real name --Hong Lok Street. As the fad of keeping birds is dying out quietly, so too is the bird market. The government is planning a commercial centre to replace the market in 1995 or 1996. So long, farewell, the Bird Market.

Keeping birds is one of the favourite pastimes of middle-aged men.

Stalls crowded with different kinds of birds are everywhere in the Market.

Parrots are trained to greet potential buyers.

The Bird Market is home of thousands birds.

Making haste in search of something good.

Hong Lok Street.

Roaming around the Market is a way to kill time for the elderly.