Aggressive Illegal Incense Sellers Harass Locals and Tourists Near Wong Tai Sin Temple
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A group of aggressive illegal incense sellers has been terrorizing locals and tourists near Wong Tai Sin Temple, forcibly pushing merchandise onto unsuspecting passersby and hurling insults at those who decline to purchase. Sing Tao reporters conducted an undercover operation at the scene, documenting how the vendors—primarily middle-aged women operating near MTR Wong Tai Sin Station Exit B3—aggressively targeted anyone walking by. The unlicensed vendors have been operating in jurisdictional gray areas, leaving licensed temple vendors frustrated and authorities scrambling to respond.
Key Points
- The illegal incense operation is concentrated along the pedestrian road from MTR Wong Tai Sin Station Exit B3 leading to the temple, with approximately a dozen middle-aged women conducting the sales
- Vendors aggressively shout "Buy incense, buy incense, come come" while physically placing incense packets into people's hands without consent
- Incense packets are priced at HK$20 for large bags and HK$10 for small bags, roughly half the price charged by licensed vendors inside the temple
- When undercover reporters refused to purchase, they were verbally abused with profanity and told "Don't buy then, get lost"
- The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department claims the location falls outside their jurisdiction and has referred the matter to other agencies
- Link REIT, which manages the adjacent shopping center, states the outdoor area is within their jurisdiction but claims no complaints have been received
- Licensed incense vendors expressed frustration, stating "There is no way, nobody handles this. The worst is the swearing—when you don't buy, they curse at you"
Why It Matters
The incident exposes gaps in Hong Kong's regulatory enforcement system, where vendors exploit jurisdictional boundaries between multiple management entities to operate with impunity. This not only harms legitimate temple vendors who pay rent and licensing fees but also creates a hostile environment for both residents and tourists visiting one of Hong Kong's most iconic religious sites .
The incident exposes gaps in Hong Kong's regulatory enforcement system, where vendors exploit jurisdictional boundaries between multiple management entities to operate with impunity. This not only harms legitimate temple vendors who pay rent and licensing fees but also creates a hostile environment for both residents and tourists visiting one of Hong Kong's most iconic religious sites .