Fruit Market (Chinese: 果欄), also known as Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market (油麻地果欄) and Yau Ma Tei Wholesale Fruit Market, is a wholesale fruit market in Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
It is known as gwo laan (果欄) in Cantonese. gwo (果) means fruit while laan (欄) means wholesale market, derived from railing and enclosed area.
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The market was founded in 1913 between Ferry Street, Waterloo Road and Reclamation Street with Shek Lung Street passing through it. The name of the market was originally Government Vegetables Market (政府蔬菜市場) which sold fruit and vegetables. Fish traders joined in the 1930s. With the opening of Cheung Sha Wan Vegetables Wholesaling Market (長沙灣蔬菜批發市場) and Cheung Sha Wan Fishery Wholesaling Market (長沙灣魚類批發市場) in Cheung Sha Wan in 1965, the vegetables and fish stalls moved out. From then on the market has operated as a specialist fruit wholesaling market.[1] The market was then officially known as Kowloon Wholesale Fruit Market until the name was transferred to Cheung Sha Wan Wholesale Market Complex in 1990.
The market is a historically valuable site and is classified as a Grade III Historic Building.[2] since 1990[1]. It consists of several blocks of one or two storey brick and stone buildings.[1] Pre-World War II signboards are on the outer walls of the buildings.
Another historical building, Yaumati Theatre is adjacent to the market, across Reclamation Street.
Many wholesalers still operate in the market. The busiest hours are 4 to 6 o'clock in the morning. Lorries and carts deliver boxes of fruit in and out of the market.
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