[Hong Kong Story] Owner of the last wedding invitation shop on Lee Tung Street: Only paper wedding invitations can convey deep friendship
[Concurrent] Wang Xinmiao, owner of Lidong Street Wedding Invitation Store
Wedding invitations, gift envelopes, wedding accessories, souvenirs, dolls, and tea-pouring accessories, we should have more than a dozen special wedding invitation printing in the whole street, and the ways and styles of each business are different.
Newcomers come to our Lidong Street to order wedding invitations, walk from the street to the end of the street, and choose the styles they like.
[Explanation] Located in Lee Tung Street, Wan Chai District, Hong Kong, the street was once known as "Wedding Invitation Street" by the Hong Kong people because of the gathering of shops on the street that were mainly engaged in printing wedding invitations.
Nowadays, time has changed, and most shops on the street have nothing to do with weddings. In the past, pedestrians can only catch a glimpse of the old style of the street from a pair of wedding dolls standing on the street.
And this small shop in the basement of Lidong Street Mall is the only wedding invitation shop on the street that persists to this day.
The owner of the shop, Wang Xinmiao, is over 60 years old and has been running a small shop for over 30 years. In a small shop, there are a wide variety of wedding invitations, red envelopes, and wedding supplies.
[Concurrent] Wang Xinmiao, owner of Lidong Street Wedding Invitation Store
He thinks that your style fits his mind, so sometimes he will chat with you and even invite us to drink (wedding wine). We went to drink once. We and my wife are me and my wife. We went to drink. once.
I am very happy to witness a lot.
(Someone) made a wedding invitation here. After getting married and having children, they will often come back to our company to visit us and chat, so why are they happy because of this.
[Explanation] For Wang Xinmiao, it is the happiest thing to be able to witness the birth of a new family, and it is also the reason why he has been in this industry for decades.
With the development of science and technology, the way of making wedding invitations has changed from the traditional way, becoming more convenient and faster.
[Concurrent] Wang Xinmiao, owner of Lidong Street Wedding Invitation Store
In the past, we made (wedding) posts, and made one post. It would take at least one hour or two hours to put twenty or thirty posts here.
You need to take a pair of scissors (cut out the pattern) and paste it on this post.
It’s printed in this place when I see it.
So now we have compiled these numbers and there is no need to cut them now. You give me this serial number (representing) this figure (the drawing), and I will take it out on the computer and print it on the manuscript for others to see.
Now it's easier and faster.
It is more perfect to do things electronically, and to make wedding invitations more beautiful.
[Explanation] With the rise of electronics, electronic invitations have emerged in the market.
But in Wang Xinmiao's view, the ingenuity and intention contained in the paper wedding invitation is the most precious, and it is also the deep friendship that cannot be replaced.
[Concurrent] Wang Xinmiao, owner of Lidong Street Wedding Invitation Store
For example, if we receive this invitation now, I have a date, an address, and everything (information), so I won't be ashamed to refuse to drink a wedding wine.
If I receive an e-invitation, I may (maybe) forget it, and I don't need to go (drinking wedding wine).
It's different if we receive an invitation. We give the invitation (poster) a bonus letter in return, and you are all embarrassed to refuse to attend the wedding banquet.
Without this kind of etiquette, there would be no such feelings.
[Explanation] Since 2020, the epidemic in Hong Kong has continued to repeat, causing many newlyweds to cancel or postpone wedding banquets, and also caused Wang Xinmiao's business to plummet.
[Concurrent] Wang Xinmiao, owner of Lidong Street Wedding Invitation Store
If you say wedding invitations, during the epidemic period, it is almost zero (income), you can say it is zero (income), that is, there is no (business) all day.
As for the accessories, it's not just these decorations, the advantages and the seals, which have dropped by 20 to 30%, so you can imagine it.
[Explanation] Although facing many difficulties, Wang Xinmiao still insists on opening the store, and hopes to pass this traditional and sincere blessing to more people.
Reporter Fan Siyi reports from Hong Kong
Editor in charge: [Ji Xiang]