Central is Hong Kong island's westernmost business district.
Dominated mostly by modern skyscrapers that houses the Asia-Pacific headquarters of international corporations, alongside bank managements, government agencies and foreign consulates, this area concentrates most of Hong Kong's business activity.
On the west side of Central is Sheung Wan area, characterized by historic streets with many traditional Chinese shops.
Most of the modern shopping malls can be found around MTR-Central, while authentic shops are located along the old streets of Sheung Wan:
♦ IFC Mall is right next to Hong Kong Station (Airport Express Terminus) and within a short walk from both MTR-Central and the Star Ferry Pier, as well as from the tramway and Exchange Square's bus terminus.
Dwarfed by Hong Kong's second tallest skyscraper, 2 IFC, this is one of Central's most reputable shopping centres (although it is not as big as some of its counterparts) and houses more than 200 high-end shops that specialize, mainly, in international premium brands, alongside a unique new cinema, and some excellent restaurants and cafés that enjoy great harbor views.
The mall is open daily from 10 am to 10 pm but the cinema and some of the restaurants stay open later.
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♦ The Landmark, one of Hong Kong's swankier shopping malls, is located within a business development that carries the same name, on the corner of Pedder Street and Des Voeux.
This mall is very popular among well-heeled shoppers and its atrium is home to the flagship boutiques of many famous international fashion names, having one of the highest concentrations of world-leading fashion, jewelry and lifestyle names.
Café Landmark, on the 1st floor, specializes in contemporary-international cuisine and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as snacks, light meals and drinks...
Open daily from 10 am to 7:30 pm.
From MTR-Central: take exit G (the entrance to the mall is right next to it). Those of you who come with the tramway should drop off at the stop near the corner Des Voeux Road Central and Pedder.
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Other glittering malls in this area include Prince's Building (MTR-Central exit H or with the walkway from the Landmark) and Chater House (MTR-Central exits E / F or with the walkway from the Landmark).
F.Y.I : There are about ten shopping malls and centres around MTR-Central and most of which are connected to each other by the elevated with walkways system.
♦ Two parallel lanes (Li Yuen Street West & Li Yuen Street East), commonly known as "The Lanes", form a bustling and colorful market where everything can be found. From inexpensive clothing, watches and costume jewelry to luggage and shoes. Sandwiched between Queen's Road Central and Des Voeux Road Central, the market is open daily from 10am to 7pm.
From MTR-Central: Take exit C to Des Voeux Road Central and walk along it for less than two minutes, till you see the market on your left hand side.
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♦ On 48 Queens Road Central, between MTR-Central and "The lanes", is Manning Shopping Arcade (located in Manning house). There are some good electrical-goods shops here. Stereo Ltd. (shop No. 1) is particularly popular.
♦ Stanley Street, just above "The lanes", is well-known for its photographic equipment shops. Wide range at reasonable prices. From "the lanes": cross Queens Road Central to the other side, walk a few steps up along Pottinger Street (Stone Street) and turn left to Stanley Street.
♦ If you'll continue for a few more meters, up on Pottinger, and turn right, you will enter Lyndhurst Terrace where you can find some shops that specialize in antique maps, photographs and prints. Good antique shops can also be found here. The end of Lyndhurst Terrace connects with Hollywood Road.
♦ Hollywood Road and its small offshoots are packed with galleries and knick-knack shops that sell everything, from expensive porcelain ware and Ming dynasty ceramic, to Chinese furniture and kitsch Maoist memorabilia, and is a great place to visit even if you are not buying anything, as many of these shops (especially the expensive galleries) really look like "mini museums"... Upper Lascar Row (Cat Street), right underneath it, is home to many colorful street stalls that sell cheap but nice souvenirs.
To get there: walk along Queens Road Central, past "the lanes", till you see the escalator on your left and climb with it up to Hollywood Road (The western part of the street boasts more authentic shops - It's on your right hand side when going up with the escalator).
Another option to get to Hollywood Roadand the small streets around it is from MTR-Sheung Wan: Take exit A-1, turn left and immediately left again, into Hillier Street (next to Bank of China) and walk all the way to the end, where you turn right to Queen's Road Central (after you've crossed it) and left, to Ladder Street.
F.Y.I : Most shops on Hollywood Rd. and neighboring streets don't open before 11 am and stay closed on Sundays.
♦ The streets of Sheung Wan is where you can visit a variety of authentic Chinese shops, specializing in traditional products, such as Ginseng, Bird's nests, Herbal medicines, Dried Seafood, Spices and what have you... Wandering about those streets is recommended, even if you are not particularly interested in all those "exotic products", as it gives you a chance to experience the atmosphere of the old days, when the city was a shop-window, displaying China's products to the world.
The most obvious spot to start the tour from is, probably, MTR-Sheung Wan. You can get there either by MTR or with the tramway (drop off at Western Market station).
If coming by MTR, take exit B and walk two minutes (along Des Voeux Road Central) to Western Market (If coming by tram, the stop is right next to the market). Housed in a beautiful Edwardian style structure, highlighted with "bandaged" brickwork on its four corner towers, this is the oldest surviving market building in Hong Kong. It comprises quite a few traditional Chinese shops that sell everything, from souvenirs and cheap fakes to jade stones, handcrafts, fabrics and more... The restaurant on the 3rd floor (Treasure Inn) is very popular during lunch time. The market is open daily, from 10 am to 7 pm
From the market, you can take a stroll through Sheung Wan. The old streets where Hong Kong started to develop from, one hundred and seventy years ago, boast many traditional Chinese shops that sell all sorts of "exotic" products like shark's fins, birds nests, dried seafoods, Chinese herbal medicines and what have you, and look as if they belong to another era…
Start your walk from Man Wa Lane (Chop Alley), where you will find small stalls of chop-makers: The chops are traditional Chinese stamps and seals, engraved on various materials like wood, bamboo, stone, bone and the likes...
To get here : Walk out of Western Market to Morrison Street and turn left, along the tramway tracks, to Des Voeux Road Central and after a few minutes' walk (on the right pavement), turn right to the lane (the entrance is next to CITIC Ka Wah Bank.
From Man Wa Lane, turn right to Wing Lok St., which is also known as the Ginseng and bird's nest street and walk along it all the way to its end, where you turn left to Des Voeux Road West, known also as Dried Seafood Street.
From Des Voeux Road West, you can turn left to Ko Shing Street, which is known as the Herbal Medicine Street. From there, turn right to Queen Street and right again to Queen's Road West, and left, to Hollywood Road.
