Advocating Street Vending (Part 2)

I have been enjoying the convenience of buying from street vendors all my life. Nevertheless, despite my love for street markets, I rarely go street-shopping anymore. First of all, many vendors only work at night nowadays. In addition, it’s just too hard to find a good street market anymore. Lastly, unfortunately it has reached a point where most of the food vendors in Shanghai are not safe. I miss the days when street markets were more than just food, and when food vendors did not use expired food or strange chemicals. But years of struggling against Chengguans have taught street vendors the lesson that food vendors survive the most, so now the variety of street vendors has been greatly reduced. Instant, fried, or pre-prepared foods have become some of the very few things you can expect from the streets. But if there was not such a hostile policy against street vendors, would the vendors still be forced to stoop this low? It seems to me that the government’s methods for solving the problem are too negative. People want the option of buying from street vendors, and in addition to being cheap and convenient, street vendors uniquely serve their particular community. For instance, breakfast trucks and vegetable vendors often appear in residential areas, while clothing and school supply vendors tend to gather around universities. Parks and downtown squares, similarly, are good places for street artists and musicians. In any corner of the world, street vendors develop with their communities. In China, the history of street markets can be traced back as early as the Zhou dynasty (1100 BC – 256 BC). In the Sui dynasty (581 AD – 618 AD), the government regulated street markets so that the vendors could only trade in a certain area of the city. During this ancient time period, street markets were so popular that the government had to ban night markets in order to control the heavy flow of people. However, throughout history, street vendors and street artists have maintained a low social status, even as they serve local citizens by providing them a huge variety of goods and services. Many traditional street vendors and artists, like Mian Ren (dough figurine) and street opera performers, are almost extinct in the streets of Shanghai. The government has made a small effort to protect them by hiring some of these vendors in scenic spots. But ultimately, the vendors belong to the streets, and the locals want access to them too. So why not regulate street vending by giving free licenses to trustworthy vendors and allowing them to trade in a specific area? This kind of system could protect the legacy of street culture, as well as encourage innovative vendors with quality goods to join the street scene. Additionally, it is also an efficient way to solve the safety problem. Some of my best memories about the streets are about the area outside Pudong Library. In the past, the street was like a small market on the weekends. You could buy southern or northern style noodles, girls’ hair clips, and ukuleles. There was nothing more refreshing after a hard day of studying in the library than checking out these vendors and sharing a kebab with a friend. In my opinion the streets outside of a cultural center like the Pudong Library, where people of various interests gather every day, is the perfect place for developing a unique street culture. But so far there is not a street “culture” in Shanghai (anymore). In this city, street vending is a hard business, and it seems that no musicians want to play in our hostile streets. The current regulations against street vendors are blocking all chances to develop a street culture. But is that lack of street culture what we really want? Lastly, to end on a happier note, here’s a short list of street vendors I suggest you check out in Shanghai: Shaanxi Cold Noodles (陕西凉皮): These can be seen everywhere in town, and they are the perfect food for summer. White Magnolia Flowers (白兰花): You can sometimes see elderly women sitting in a corner holding a basket of brandy flowers in downtown area. The sellers not just sell the flowers but also make bracelets and brooch with it. Osmanthus rice cake (桂花糕): This snack is not seen very often nowadays. The last time I spotted one was in Shanghai Wenmiao (文庙), also known as the Shanghai Confucian Temple. The sellers, an old couple, had come all the way from Hubei province. The rice cake treat is oil-free, not too sweet, stuffed with sesame seeds and nuts, making it a terrific snack after a long day of studying. Changli Road (昌里路): Here’s a good example of a regulated street market. Last time I went there I even saw Chengguans patrolling along the road without bothering the vendors. You can find fried chicken, girl’s clothes, toys, noodles, photo frames--almost anything--all on the street, 24/7. Want a more complete list of street food? Check out Movable Feasts (http://www.sh-streetfood.org), a site created by NYUSH Professor Anna Greenspan (and others) that has a map and encyclopedia for street food in Shanghai! Its ultimate goal: to create a legalized street food market in Shanghai like Shiling Market (士林夜市) in Taiwan. Contact Professor Greenspan or me for further information. This article was written by Lu Pang. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Ajeet Gary