After over 40 years in business, selling traditional Shanghai products such as hairy crabs and Jiāhú rice dumplings, “Lǎo Sān Yáng” recently posted a retirement announcement and will close after clearing out its inventory. When news of the closure spread, many people immediately linked it to the difficult economic environment in Hong Kong in recent years. However, Qí Yùfèng, the general manager of “Lǎo Sān Yáng,” expressed that the decision to close was simply to take a break. She jokingly asked, “Shouldn’t I retire at 60?” Having worked for 43 years, she has no regrets in this lifetime and described the closure of “Lǎo Sān Yáng” as a “glorious retirement and grand burial,” feeling that she is living up to the legacy of her father, Qí Guǎngnán, the founder.
Situated on Tòngluó Wān’s Dēnglóng Street, “Lǎo Sān Yáng” recently put up a notice with the headline “I, Lǎo Sān Yáng, Am Retiring!” stating that they are in the clearance phase and will cease sales once all stock is gone, while expressing gratitude for the support from all sectors over the years. Following the news of the closure, many people have been coming in to show support, specifically purchasing products like Jiāhú rice dumplings, vinegar, and Jīnhuá ham. Some residents mentioned that when eating hairy crabs, thoughts of the crabs, vinegar, and rice dumplings immediately connect to “Lǎo Sān Yáng,” and they feel a sense of regret hearing about the upcoming closure, recognizing the old shop as a symbol of Hong Kong’s spirit of nostalgia. Today, the signage outside “Lǎo Sān Yáng” has already been covered with paper.
During an interview with the media, Qí Yùfèng, the second-generation leader and general manager, clarified that the closure of the Dēnglóng Street store, which is a heritage property, is not due to a poor economic environment but rather her continuous work for 43 years without a break. She now wishes to enjoy retirement life, expressing that she has had money but no time over the years, and it is now time to “savor the world (enjoy life).”
Having worked at “Lǎo Sān Yáng” for 43 years, Qí Yùfèng started “conquering the world” with her father at the age of 17. Looking back on half a lifetime of extraordinary hard work, she described laboring tirelessly 362 out of 365 days a year, working 16 hours a day, often pulling all-nighters. Initially, she mainly assisted her father in preparing rice dumpling ingredients, such as cutting pork and making red bean paste. On her 18th birthday, she applied for a driver’s license and began delivering goods nine months later. During the peak hairy crab season, she had to work for more than 30 hours straight until she stopped working all night at the age of 48, leaving her body with many strains and injuries.
Qí Yùfèng admitted that she has never truly experienced her own life since the age of 17. Seeing classmates of the same age enjoying their grandchildren and traveling, and all her old colleagues retiring, she believes it is time for her to embrace retirement life. She hopes that after 60, she can travel more and take care of her 80-year-old mother. Although “Lǎo Sān Yáng” has only gone through two generations with Qí Guǎngnán and Qí Yùfèng, with no one to succeed them, she stated that she has no regrets in this lifetime and has lived up to the expectations of her father, Qí Guǎngnán.