Changing times

In the 1970s, Nam Cheong Shop and other baan gun – shops that sell everything from non-perishable food to cigarettes, imported wines and confectionery – could be found scattered over all of Hong Kong’s public housing estates. They lay at the heart of the community. But as supermarkets and convenience stores became more common from the ’80s, baan gun were increasingly squeezed out.

“Running a shop like ours is physically demanding and time-consuming, and you only make enough to pay for your own lunch,” owner Yip Choi-sheung jokes. “Very few young people are willing to take over these shops, so there aren’t many baan gun left in Hong Kong.”

Better known around the neighbourhood as “Joe Ma” (Joe’s mother), Yip, now in her 60s, is the second-generation owner of Nam Cheong Shop. She took over the business from her uncle when he retired in the early 2000s and now runs it with her son, Joe. Yip seems to know most of her regulars by face or name and counts interacting with them as the highlight of her day. (“Another one already?” she jokes at an older man who comes in grab a cold beer. “Well – don’t drink too much. See you around.”)

Over the years, she’s watched many in the neighbourhood grow from baby to toddler to teenager. She’s happy that Nam Cheong Shop has always been a place for them to hang out and enjoy an after-school treat.

Although she plays down the shop’s contribution to the community, for some of her customers, Yip might be the neighbourhood’s de facto social worker.

“I remember a secondary school boy who came regularly after his ball games. After a few visits, he began to open up about his problems at home. We’d chat and I’d share with him my experience from a parent’s point of view,” she says. “I couldn’t help much, but I think he just needed an ear.”