Step back in time at Nam Cheong Shop in Shek Kip Mei

Hawthorn flakes. Ring pops. Corn rolls. The entrance of Nam Cheong Shop in Shek Kip Mei’s Nam Shan Estate is a colourful buffet of Hong Kong childhood favourites. It’s a blast of nostalgia, immediately transporting me to my primary school years.

Since it opened in 1977, the shop has provided Nam Shan Estate residents a place to stock up on canned goods, instant noodles, cooking oil and pantry essentials. And it’s given students from the surrounding schools a sanctuary to grab a cool drink in the sweltering summer heat or a warm bottled Vitasoy milk on chilly winter mornings.

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.”

Pondering the future

With rising costs, as well as increasing competition from supermarkets, convenience stores and delivery services, Yip admits it’s becoming more and more challenging to keep Nam Cheong Shop afloat.

“People’s shopping habits have changed. Remember when we used to stock up on canned goods before a typhoon? That doesn’t happen anymore. Everything can be purchased on your phone and delivered to your door; they just don’t need us as much anymore,” she says.

“It’s easy for people to come every once in a while to reminisce about the good old days,” says Yip. “But as a business owner, what can we do while we wait for them to come?”

Yip has recently started to serve Hong Kong street food, such as mock shark’s fin soup and cheung fun rice noodle rolls, to diversify the shop’s range. She’s not ready to throw in the towel just yet. If she has her way, the baan gun will live on in Hong Kong.

On the way out, our photographer Elvis tells me that on his first date with his girlfriend, he took her to Nam Cheong Shop. They wandered the aisle, glimpsing the past in old-school sweets and instant noodles.

I wonder what other special moments have taken place here, or at other institutions like this in Hong Kong. Icons that may not be around forever – but sparking memories that will linger for much longer.

Explore more of Nam Shan Estate

While in the area, here are three more must-do activities and classic Hong Kong food to try.

Instagram hotspots

Head to the platform above the Nam Shan Shopping Centre to snap the iconic photo where you’re surrounded by 1970s-style Hong Kong public housing. Then check out the giant aeroplane chess board near Nam Tai House and have a go at one of Hong Kong’s favourite childhood board games.

Ban Heung Lau

This hidden gem restaurant serves classic Cantonese stir-fried dishes, including its signature crispy chicken with fried garlic, and flambéed beef with potato cubes and bell pepper.

Nam Shan Vanilla Shaved Ice

Don’t leave the complex before enjoying a refreshing vanilla shaved ice, served with your choice of toppings like mango, grass jelly and tofu pudding.