The tortuous route of the street hawkers in Macao: tales of persistence from the 1950's to 2015

Hawking is a kind of social and economic activity which still exists in most developing countries and it has become a way of life for many families. Hawkers are also engaged in market distribution, which refers to a “mechanism to facilitate the exchange of goods
and services” at “locations where this exchange takes place” (McGee & Yeung, 1977, 22). Unlike the organized markets in industrially developed countries of Europe and US which consider formal employment was the norm (Bhowmik, 2010), street hawking has existed embedded for a long time in the everyday life of Asian people, particularly in China.
In Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China, as more and more of modern shopping centers and chain stores are setting up in Macao, mainly at the local casinos, small local shops have always found it relatively difficult to run their businesses, including street hawking. Talking about Macao’s traditions, inevitably come to discussion its traditional industries. Hawking is highlighted as an outstanding element of the traditional industries in Macao (Nunes, 1998); although the civic authorities in most metropolitan cities all over the world treat these “intruders” on public property as a nuisance. The urban elites view them as “eyesore” that blotch the urban scenario, but, on the other hand, for the urban poor, especially the working poor, street vendors are a “boon” to their existence (Bhowmik, 2010, 1). Above all, these street traders provide convenient cheap food, clothes and other items of their daily use.
In Macao, hawkers dominate the sale of vegetables and fruits, cooked food, the so-called “souvenir food” as well newspapers and clothing. According to the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM), the total number of hawkers in the urban area is now estimated at less than 1,100 (IACM, 2012). Street hawkers are generally perceived to be individuals of lower social status that can easily be overlooked by the society. Indeed, they play a significant role in the development of the society in terms of social, economic and historical perspective which has been neglected. This thesis is partially inspired by the demolition of “Tou Fa Gong” (Peach Blossom Mound, 桃花崗) area1 (located at Rua do Padre João Clíimaco, a street near the Red Market) and the renovation of the Three Lamps street market district in 2012 combined with our interest in local historical heritage.2 These events aroused social concern for the preservation of the old districts, the lifestyle of street hawkers as well as the local
This study aims to focus on the hawkers and the circumstances surrounding their lifestyles and modus operandi in Macao at present day at times of rapid urban change.
Unlike other studies which sought to understand street hawking from political, and geographic approaches in Hong Kong and other Asian cities, this study deployed social memory as a different angle to know more about the present conditions and situations of hawkers in Macao. Therefore, despite some limitations, this study intends to be a pioneer academic research on the topic in Macao. Therefore, the concept of “Sites of Memory” is also a running theme in this study. Realms of Memory (also known as Sites of Memory) means: “[…] any significant entity, whether material or non-material in nature, which by dint of human will or the work of time has become a symbolic element of the memorial heritage of any community” (Nora, 1996, XVII). The purpose of sites of memory is “to stop time, to block the work of forgetting” as they all share “a will to remember” (Nora, 1989, 19).
Accordingly, the presence of hawkers in Macao is deeply associated to places or sites that are part of the history of this city. Furthermore, as it is believed that is important for the hawkers to take part in the management process of their activities, a research
has been undertaken to analyze the management of hawking industry in Macao as well the relevant legislation. As such, the dissertation explores a variety of angles, both historical and contemporary, to extrapolate a more coherent understanding of street hawking activity in Macao in the wider context of heritage and history studies.
Findings are derived from in-depth interviews as well as secondary information with one youth and ten middle-aged female and male street hawkers selling various types of the Tortuous Route of the Street Hawkers in Macao:
Tales of Persistence from the 1950’s to 2015. products/services with a cart in several areas in Macao and members of the association
of the industry between December 2013 and January 2015. There are eight themes included in the current research across four different sectors of business classified as antique objects, food and snacks, daily commodities and personal services. The stories
of street hawkers are, as a result, also a social history about the lifestyle of Macao’s local people and their resilience.