The time is 4:00 pm. Two staff of the Transport Department moves out a yellow balustrade written“Part-time Pedestrian Area”and places it at the intersection of Argyle Street and Sai Yeung Choi Street South. Cars turn to Shantung Street and gradually disappear. People from bus stops and MTR exits start filling the pedestrian street. The salesmen of Internet plans and credit card services set up their counters and promote their services to the pedestrians in loud and cheerful voice. They seem to be fighting against the high volume of the TV shown on the building and the canton pop music from the electronic stores. The street is crowded with people and noise. A street artist, sitting on a wheel chair, moves to the open space in front of Hui Lau Shan, where he used to stay for an entire evening. He says hello to the neighboring salesmen as usual. Then, he artfully ties a red cup to the music stand, takes out his guitar and tunes up ready to begin.
Since the government has implemented the Part-time Pedestrian Scheme in Mongkok, the Sai Yeung Choi Street South becomes more pedestrian-friendly. Without cars in 4:00 pm to 12:00 midnight, pedestrians can enjoy a safer and more comfortable journey. More and more Hongkongers like to go shopping in Mongkok after school and work because of this implementation. However, the world is not a train, it never goes along one track only. A diversity of possibilities develops in the pedestrian area. More pedestrians in turn attract more salesmen who are good at utilizing opportunities to promote their products and services. Also, more street artists make it as a stage to express their opinions towards society.
The sun sets and the streetlamps are on. The street is now full of pedestrians. They are walking, chatting and shopping along the street. Filled by the moving walkers, the pedestrian street looks like a conveyer belt, transporting the stuff from Argyle Street to Dundas Street, and the opposite direction, from Dundas Street to Argyle Street. There are a lot of branches along the conveyer belt so all the stuff can reach its temporary destinations. Some turns left to the Broadway Cinema, some turns right to the SaSa cosmetics shop. The convey belt is busy at transmitting. Suddenly, a music of guitar sounds. With a few plunks at the strings of the guitar, pedestrians turn their heads and see a street artist playing an acoustic guitar and singing canton psalm. The conveyer belt is out of order and all the stuff stops and forms a semicircle in front of Hui Lau Shan. The pedestrians smile, concentrate on the street artist and enjoy the psalm. The surrounded street artist, is absorbed in his music, and the words of Jesus Christ, neglecting the crowded and noisy environment outside.
The music interrupts the moving of the conveyer belt designed by the government. The ideal conveyer belt should keep mobile, transport its stuff along the whole street and pass through as many stores as possible. The stuff may sometimes go into branches, but there are not their final destinations. They may add values and change themselves into products in there. After that, they should come back from the branches and go on the conveyer belt until they reach another yellow balustrade. The street artist, in this sense, provides a chance for the pedestrian make a different choice. The pedestrians can choose to enjoy the psalm, clearing their turbid minds in the street and no longer follow the conveyer belt. The pedestrian street becomes multi-purpose, subverting how one makes use of this area.
The street artist makes the pedestrian street as a stage to spread the gospel to the public. Playing the guitar beautifully, he offers a new option other than shopping to the pedestrians. The pedestrian may stay, listen and digest the meanings of the songs. They may also give some money to the street artist if they appreciate the song. Of course, they can leave and turn off their ears anytime. The pedestrian street differs from the karaoke room. The singer has no direct relationship with others. The pedestrians can go to the toilet whenever they want to. They do not have to wait till the singer finishes a whole song. Even if a pedestrian goes, no one cares. The street artist still intently plucks the strings of his guitar in the conveyer belt until 12:00 midnight.