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Penguin Specials: The Hong Kong Series
Borrowed Spaces: Life Between the Cracks of Modern Hong Kong
Where have all the fishballs gone? From a journalist deeply attuned to the subtleties of Hong Kong life comes Borrowed Spaces, a chronicle of the ways in which the grassroots citizens of Hong Kong reshape their city to make up for the shortcomings of their bureaucratic government. Mango trees sprouting on roundabouts, fishball stalls, and neon signs: these are just some of the Hong Kong icons that are casualties in the struggle to reclaim public spaces. Christopher DeWolf explores the history of Hong Kong’s urban growth through the daily tug of war between the people’s needs to express themselves and government regulations.
100 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2017
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115 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 26, 2018
One of the Hong Kong series published by Penguin Classics that brings up the problems underneath the well-organized city such as Hong Kong to refine how the city is being overshadowed by China's neo-liberalism. Its mistakes are overplayed by the problem of strictly governing rules, hawking prohibition, unfix-able principles for the roof-dwellers come from the poor immigrants trying to fight off their struggling in lives by selling goods on the streets and unlicensed markets around the city.
It's a potential book to be discussed about the role of the Hong Kong government and the clash between the authority and people living in the city. The book actually proposes the balance for loosening the law and let people, mostly come from the foreign countries, occupy the space to make a living. The "borrowed space" is double meaning, in the sense that Hong Kong is actually governed under "one country, two systems" both by Britain and China, and also the space should be freely borrowed by the hawkers in order to give life to the city. To be in held of local markets and self-
organized individuals is better choices for the public spaces than to be cleaned up and jaded by the capitalism wash-out such as malls or hotels.
Though I find the argument and writing very concise, short and actively engaging, some points are very subjective and rarely supported by facts or reliable data. Also living in the completely different city like a third-world country (like the upside-down, I backed up with Stranger Things ref here) makes me question whether the benefit of the hawking is the heart side of the city. Nonetheless, the angles of showing the lives of the roof-dwellers: happy, generous, and living together and helping each other is, even relied on the author's experience, very far-fetched and unconvincing.
It's a potential book to be discussed about the role of the Hong Kong government and the clash between the authority and people living in the city. The book actually proposes the balance for loosening the law and let people, mostly come from the foreign countries, occupy the space to make a living. The "borrowed space" is double meaning, in the sense that Hong Kong is actually governed under "one country, two systems" both by Britain and China, and also the space should be freely borrowed by the hawkers in order to give life to the city. To be in held of local markets and self-
organized individuals is better choices for the public spaces than to be cleaned up and jaded by the capitalism wash-out such as malls or hotels.
Though I find the argument and writing very concise, short and actively engaging, some points are very subjective and rarely supported by facts or reliable data. Also living in the completely different city like a third-world country (like the upside-down, I backed up with Stranger Things ref here) makes me question whether the benefit of the hawking is the heart side of the city. Nonetheless, the angles of showing the lives of the roof-dwellers: happy, generous, and living together and helping each other is, even relied on the author's experience, very far-fetched and unconvincing.
January 19, 2021
SO enlightening. 90 pages of my sights and thoughts made coherent.
insightfully links the history of hong kong's urban growth to the urban structure/architecture the city today. upon completion makes one more observant to the facets of urbanism in the form of architecture and landscape. loveeeely read. highly recommended!
insightfully links the history of hong kong's urban growth to the urban structure/architecture the city today. upon completion makes one more observant to the facets of urbanism in the form of architecture and landscape. loveeeely read. highly recommended!
October 26, 2023
Very interesting short non-fiction book. Living in hong kong for the last 13 years, I have noticed many small things but one thing that I have not paid a huge amount of attention is street sellers, Hawkers. Being someone who has lots of allergies (nuts,etc), I generally stay away from street food. I also do not see them hugely around. This book gave me a new perspective on the Hawkers and Dai Pai Dongs in Hong Kong. The government is stopping these people and generally trying to eliminate them, through giving out little licenses and strict regulation. The book also details in how informal life makes a city. The Umbrella movement, and more showed me how cities, even if they are totally planned need some kind of informality. Hong Kong has a bit DIY lifestyle, rags to riches, and it is rapidly changing.
August 31, 2022
a short and decent introduction to Hong Kong’s urban growth amidst informal urbanism and increasing government control.
the city has witnessed tremendous changes since the book was first published in 2017. while it is true that, as the author commented, the people’s found outlets for their creative energy, the government’s grip on HK’s informal scene has tightened. numbers of street hawkers, neon signs, buildings, iconic cafes and many more carriers of collective memories have been dwindling under pandemic’s influence as well as socio-political pressure. reading this book in 2022 refreshed my memories from a few years back, and it is uneasy to see how much has changed in the span of 5 years.
the city has witnessed tremendous changes since the book was first published in 2017. while it is true that, as the author commented, the people’s found outlets for their creative energy, the government’s grip on HK’s informal scene has tightened. numbers of street hawkers, neon signs, buildings, iconic cafes and many more carriers of collective memories have been dwindling under pandemic’s influence as well as socio-political pressure. reading this book in 2022 refreshed my memories from a few years back, and it is uneasy to see how much has changed in the span of 5 years.
February 4, 2020
An interesting read about life in Hong Kong in this vibrant city that has grown rapidly during the 20th and 21st century. DeWolf captivates the reader's attention by conveying the message that the lives of those citizens in Hong Kong have a connection to the place that they come from and live in - specifically with the hawkers on the streets (something Hong Kong is well known for) and the culture that interplays with this. It's a refreshing book that aims to capture the reader's knowledge on the themes of identity, culture and importance of a city to its people.
Want to read
August 24, 2020Book selected as part of the Fall 2020 Reading Room, in the context of the exhibition "Howie Tsui: From swelling shadows, we draw our bows"
March 12, 2019
Borrowed Spaces
Borrowed Spaces is an intriguing little book, though a bit on the sentimental side rather than on the ‘factual’ side. That being said, I found it an illuminating read and I admired at the ingenuity that people are forced into when faced with basic needs such as a roof over your head.
On the other hand, and I do wonder, if part of Hong Kong’s success relies on the very fact that it has a large number of people living in such conditions and thus, they are always likely to accept any job regardless of pay. No one flocks to villages for a better life.
Lastly, and this is a comment in general for the Hong Kong series, would it not be better if you mostly have born and raised Hong Kongers rather than expats writing these books rather than the other way round?
Borrowed Spaces is an intriguing little book, though a bit on the sentimental side rather than on the ‘factual’ side. That being said, I found it an illuminating read and I admired at the ingenuity that people are forced into when faced with basic needs such as a roof over your head.
On the other hand, and I do wonder, if part of Hong Kong’s success relies on the very fact that it has a large number of people living in such conditions and thus, they are always likely to accept any job regardless of pay. No one flocks to villages for a better life.
Lastly, and this is a comment in general for the Hong Kong series, would it not be better if you mostly have born and raised Hong Kongers rather than expats writing these books rather than the other way round?
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews