Hong Kong’s florists expressed optimism about the business ahead of a Lunar New Year fair, bidding up to 10 times the opening price for stalls on Wednesday despite Covid-19 curbs set to remain in place at the festive event.
The fair, which was suspended this year as the pandemic raged, will be held from January 16 to 22 next year at 15 locations, including Victoria Park in Causeway Bay. Dry goods and food stalls will be banned for a fourth and third time, respectively.
Hui So-hing, a senior superintendent at the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said he expected 32,000 people to visit Victoria Park, adding crowd-control measures would be implemented.
Bidding for the 175 wet goods stalls at the event began on Wednesday, with a three-by-four-meter stall attracting the highest bid of HK$56,000 (US$7,134), an amount that was 10 times its starting price of HK$5,440. The highest bid in the previous fair was HK$51,000 for a stall with the same size and opening price.
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