With a unique blend of East and West, the Pearl of the Orient, Hong Kong, showcases its many gems - gems representing Hong Kong's culture, history and people.

Though these gems may define Hong Kong, some have become so integrated into society that they are often overlooked by its own people, taken for granted, neglected, and when they are noticed and acknowledged, they are not given the attention they deserve. These gems make up the fabric of Hong Kong. The fast pace of change in the environment which has become symbolic of Hong Kong has come at the price of Hong Kong losing some of its gems. One of the barely surviving gems is the Hong Kong hawking culture.

The definition of a hawker is a person who travels around selling goods, typically advertising through shouting. With increasing concerns over food hygiene and environmental safety, the Hong Kong government has taken increasingly stringent measures to restrict hawkers' rights and so since the early 1970's, the government has stopped the issuing of new hawking licences. In my opinion, when you take a hawker licence away, you are taking a gem away from Hong Kong, you are losing a part of society. A government is a representation of its people, so is the government compromising Hong Kong's identity in order to move forward? This book hopes to showcase the stories and faces of hawkers in Hong Kong, and aims to humanize the faces we often pass by on the streets.