Image Source: FSI
On 19 July 2024, our interns got the opportunity to attend the GuideFong Tour organised by Foundation of Shared Impact (FSI). FSI is a tax-exempt charity dedicated to building capacity for small and underrepresented enterprises working to advance issues such as environmental sustainability, migrant labour rights, education, youth empowerment, mental health, active ageing, and effective philanthropy. With experience in supporting over 40 early-stage businesses through bespoke direct business support, FSI helps entrepreneurs and their teams build capacity and scope, not only as businesses but also as community leaders.
GuideFong (街坊商店) is an FSI initiative inspired by the term "Gaai Fong" (街坊), literally ‘a neighbour’ or ‘a friend in the local community’ in Cantonese. GuideFong is Hong Kong’s first online directory that highlights small and micro businesses owned and operated by ethnically diverse communities, and it is on a mission to enhance visibility, promote social integration, and break down cultural barriers for the entrepreneurs through strategic marketing and storytelling.
The GuideFong Tour to Chungking and Mirador Mansions aims to highlight the area's distinctive multicultural fabric and entrepreneurial drive. Hong Kong is home to more than 360,000 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are defined as manufacturing enterprises with fewer than 100 employees and non-manufacturing enterprises with fewer than 50 employees. These SMEs account for more than 98% of the total enterprises in the territory and provide jobs to over 1.2 million people, responsible for over 44% of total employment (including civil service).
Chungking Mansions, located smack in the centre of the bustling Tsim Sha Tsui, is home to many SMEs founded and owned by ethnically diverse entrepreneurs. The building, which opened in November 1961, was designed as a cluster of five high-rise residential buildings centred around a second-floor shopping area called The Hongkong Shopping Mart. Initially serving as middle-class accommodations, the buildings would later gain a shady reputation. The enclosed design led to comparisons with the Kowloon Walled City, and the site became known for illegal activities like teenage drug use, prostitution, and gambling. Triad gangs and smugglers also used Chungking Mansions as a base.
The Mansions gained worldwide recognition following the release of the 1994 movie Chungking Express by renowned Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar-wai. In the film, Chungking Mansions symbolises the transient, multicultural nature of Hong Kong, serving as a backdrop for stories of love, loss, and human connection. The movie transformed the building into a global icon, drawing millions of visitors annually. To enhance safety and curb illegal activities going on inside the Mansions, over 300 CCTV cameras were installed in 1995 and 2005. This resulted in a significant decrease of crime rates. Although some illegal activities still occur, the building gradually shed its negative connotations over time.
Today, ChungKing Mansions is a vibrant hub of diverse cultures and people. Its affordable housing attracts new immigrants and many small businesses, including restaurants and shops. It is estimated that one-fifth of all mobile phones used in sub-Saharan Africa have passed through Chungking Mansions, highlighting its role in global trade.
The tour in Tsim Sha Tsui was dedicated to visiting some of these SMEs thriving in the Chungking and Mirador Mansions. The tour started off as we visited Nissar Abbas, who runs Chakwal International Hair Salon, a salon located in the basement of Chungking Mansions. The salon was first opened in 1992 by the eldest son of the Abbas family and was later passed on to Nissar, the youngest son. When asked about the challenges in running an SME in Hong Kong as a non-Chinese speaker, Nissar says, “It was difficult when we first arrived here and started the business. But as time passed by, we built our own community and now we are well-settled here.” Nissar aims to expand his business in Hong Kong by opening branches in other parts of the city, but faces difficulties in finding professional barbers. “Most of the employees here are South Asians who speak Hindi or Urdu. If we want to expand, we need barbers from South Asian countries so that communication is not a problem”, says Nissar.
Next we headed to Moti Palace Indian Restaurant, one of the most famous Indian restaurants in Chungking Mansions. The restaurant first opened in 2016 and has opened various other stores in the subsequent years. When asked about how the frequency of customers have changed before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, Rajinderpal Singh, the owner of the store says, “Before COVID, we had a lot of international tourists. They used to line up outside our restaurant to get a seat. Now the huddle of tourists has become smaller.”
Following these shops, we headed to Mirador Mansion. Located five minutes by walk from Chungking Mansions, the building is known for its tailor shops. We spoke to Mailk Iftikhar, who has been running his fabric store, New Super Fit Fashions, in Mirador Mansion since the 1980s. Malik’s business specialises in making shirts, suits, and other formal attire, and he receives orders from all over the world, including the UK, US, and different countries in Europe. “Running a textile business in Hong Kong is profitable as the value of the clothes made in Hong Kong is famous and much accepted worldwide,” says Malik.
Next we visited Reena Enterprises, a store that sells traditional South Asian attires. Ram Sanjani, the 75-year-old owner of the shop, has been in the textile business for decades. “It's not about selling clothes anymore. I come to the shop in flexible hours just to spend my leisure time here. I mostly rely on my loyal customers to buy clothes from here. People now prefer buying clothes online and I am not acquainted with technology well enough to shift my business online,” says Ram.
Our final stop was Pakeeza Food Restaurant, where we spoke to the owner Ilyas Chowdhury. Pakeeza is a relatively new restaurant opened only two years ago. Ilyas previously worked in a logistics company before losing his job due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He and his wife later went on to open a restaurant in Mirador Mansion. When asked about how he acquires customers, he says, “Google reviews are the best ways to gain customers. We make sure to provide the best service to our customers and ask our customers to provide feedback through Google review. The current business world runs on reviews and it helps us acquire more customers.”
We ended our tour by visiting the Kowloon Mosque, the largest mosque in Hong Kong and a central place of worship for the city's 300,000 Muslim population. This iconic Islamic landmark is capable of accommodating up to 3,500 people, which include South Asians, Indonesians, and local Chinese Muslims. The mosque stands as a testament to the city's multicultural heritage and religious diversity, making it one of the most significant and recognisable religious sites in Hong Kong.
The GuideFong Tour allowed us to observe small businesses founded and operated by different generations of ethnically diverse entrepreneurs, and provided us with valuable insights of the multicultural landscape of Hong Kong and the resilience of its small business community. The stories of perseverance, innovation, and community engagement left a lasting impression on all of us. Through initiatives like the GuideFong Tour, we aim to build bridges between communities and celebrate the diversity that makes Hong Kong unique.
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