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exploring taste – Spring/Summer 2016 places – Hong Kong is dancing

photography Jessica Hromas/Stringer

Official imagery for the Hong Kong Vinexpo 2016
VINEXPO HONG KONG
expats returning to their home country to take advantage of its low rent Hang, accompanied by loud cheering and incessant drumming. The original
and living costs, and open up their own businesses. Alex Lau, however, has function of the ritual was to keep away the evil spirits: today it brings back
been here since the start. Interviewed by The Guardian, he talked about the atmosphere of that distant era, in a dazzling kaleidoscope of traditional
life in Tai Hang twenty years ago, when he worked as a mechanic in a local rites and colorful costumes.
repair shop: “There was only Bing Kee [one of the oldest dai pai dong in the As it often happens in areas that are at the forefront of urbanization, in
area] and the char siu (barbecued pork) shop, and most of the people were large metropolises such as Hong Kong, the pubs and bars of Tai Hang pop
mechanics.” Today Alex has his own high-end car detailing shop. up and disappear at an alarming rate. Like any other tale of gentrification, The best way to begin to tell the story of Vinexpo Hong Kong is by listing some numbers: from May 24 to May 26 of this year
th
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The gentrification of Tai Hang is taking place right before our eyes, but has this one too has its dark corners, its episodes of opposition or protest. 16.700 buyers from 24 different countries, and 1300 exhibitors from all over the world will be traveling to the Asian megalopolis,
certainly been underway for a number of years. Former motorcycle shops The latest of these stories is about one woman’s battle against having to for a three-day fair featuring talks, discussions and interviews with the best international wine and spirits producers.
have been turned into edgy British-style pubs, while restaurants advertise leave the neighborhood she grew up in. Last year, real estate developers The seventh edition of this exceptional wine gala has moved to the Far East for a number of very specific reasons. Guillaume
all sorts of cuisines, from Italian to Vietnamese, attracting a very diverse purchased two large blocks of council housing, pushing existing residents Deglise, CEO of Vinexpo, remarked, “In a mere matter of years, Asia has become the strongest propeller of the wine and spirits
clientele. But among the new posh tearooms and gourmet ramen restaurants, to move out, to make room for new, ambitious buildings. From the window market. The Asian continent alone consumes 11percent of all wine worldwide, and 63percent of spirits. Its prospective growth for
this is still a place that hinges on tradition. The small temple of Lin Fa, at of her flat, an old lady bombarded passers-by with water balloons, in a the next five years is comparatively five times bigger than that of the rest of the world.”
the bottom of Lin Fa Kung Street was built in 1863, under the Qing dynasty, symbolic gesture of protest. Tai Hang might be changing, but at its heart, “In this sense,” Deglise continues, “with Vinexpo we wish to offer our continuing support to this sector of the Asian market. Vinexpo
as a place of worship to the goddess Kwun Yam, holy protector of kindness its rebellious spirit is alive and well. Hong Kong is the largest international trade-only wine and spirits fair, an event that should not be missed by any importer,
and mercy. Every year, this lotus-shaped building hosts one of the most distributor and sommelier in the Asian continent.” To further emphasize its dedication and help punters keep up with all the
important cultural events in Hong Kong, proving that folklore is still at the inside-news, Vinexpo launched Beverage Insight, a specialist web magazine featuring categories such as “People & Brands”,
heart of Hong Kong’s newest foodie destination. The Fire Dragon Dance, part “Markets”, “News”, “Agenda”, and “Vinexpotour”. Italy is one of the biggest exhibitors at the festival, second only to France, and
of the mid-autumn celebrations, takes place in Tai Hang every September. the top participating country in terms of overall wine exports. China has become an important target of the Italian export market:
Locals get together to build a 70m long dragon, lit up by 70,000 incense The Mid-Autumn Festival traditional lanterns, 4.54 million 9L containers are shipped there every year, meaning Italy is the fifth largest international supplier to the region. In
sticks. The body of this long artificial animal unfurls along the streets of Tai in the Tai Hang district Hong Kong, Italian producers will have a chance to engage directly with one of the most strategic markets for their business today.

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