Mong Kok: Hong Kong's most popular markets

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Mong Kok and Yau ma Tei, north of Tsim sha Tsui, are characterized by a mixture of old and new multi-story buildings, with shops and restaurants at street level, and commercial or residential units above.

The atmosphere around here is less touristy than in TST or Hong Kong Island and prices, accordingly, are usually lower... Some of the metropolis' best open-air markets can be found here and the hawkers sell almost everything, from authentic Chinese products to cheap fashion accessories and from reasonably priced electronics to imitations of expensive watches... The two districts are very popular among locals and tourists alike, both for their low prices and for the authentic atmosphere.

Here are some of the "must see" shopping venues in Mong Kok and Yau ma Tei :

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♦ Temple Street Night Market is one of Hong Kong's most famous attractions, and although it has become very touristy, it still makes a relatively good place to fetch a few bargains.

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Stretching along Temple Street in Yau ma Tei, it boasts hundreds of brightly lit stalls where you can buy almost everything, from Asian antiques and costumes to footwear and clothes, and from electronic gadgets and watches to CDs and second hand mobile phones... You name it.

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The lanes around the market are chock a block with Dai Paid Dong food-stalls and authentic eateries, where you can catch a plastic chair and indulge on a simple but delicious Chinese meal, while watching the street's hustle and bustle... At the northernmost end of the street, next to the old Tin Hau Temple, there are fortune tellers and performances of Cantonese Opera.

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Temple Street Night Market operates daily, from 4 to 11pm (although the "action" starts only at around 7 pm)

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Getting there:

• From MTR-Jordan: Leave via exit A, turn right to Jordan Road and right again, on the third street.
• From MTR-Yau ma Tei: Leave via exit C, turn right to Nathan Road and after a few minutes right again, to Market Street (canopied walkway), from where you can turn left to Temple Street, or right, to the open piazza in front of the old Tin Hau Temple.

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♦ A visit to Jade Street and the Jade Market, in Yau ma Tei, is a unique experience, especially if you admire gemstones.

Officially known as Yau Ma Tei Jade Hawker Bazaar, this crammed indoor market accommodates hundreds of tiny stalls that sell a wide choice of jade products of various quality grades: From shockingly expensive (which you should not buy, unless you really know jade, or accompanied by an expert), to nice and cheap pieces that can make a lovely souvenir... The variety includes statues, figurines, jewellery, beads and what not, and you can easily spend a long time there, admiring the perfectionism of some of these artists.

The market is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm, but you should come early if you want to put your hands on the best stuff, before it disappears.

Getting there:

• From MTR-Yau ma Tei: Leave via exit C, turn right to Nathan Road and walk along it for a few minutes. After passing under a road-viaduct, turn right to Kansu Street and after another 2-3 minutes' walk you will see the low market buildings on your right (under the flyover).  

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♦ Strolling the authentic Chinese streets of Yau-ma-Tei

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The old atmospheric streets of Yau-ma-Tei are lined with many "unique" Chinese shops that sell all sorts of exotic products, from herbal medicines to dried snake meat… If you happen to be around the area, on your way to Jade Market or Temple Street, try to spare an hour or two to explore those small streets…

Start your stroll from Shanghai Street, which is the main thoroughfare of old Yau-ma-Tei…

From exit A of MTR-Jordan: Turn right to Jordan Road, and right again, to Shanghai St. (the fourth corner).

Take a look at Nanking Street, where some market stalls can be found, before you continue strolling through Shanghai Street. On 164 Shanghai Street, not far from the corner of Ning Po, there is a small and popular eatery called Sek Wong Lam (蛇王南) which is particularly famous for its Snake Soup…

Turn left to Ning Po and right to the bustling wet market of Reclamation Street, which will bring you to Kansu Street and the Jade Market. Turn right to Kansu and almost immediately left, to Shanghai Street. After a minute or two you will see an open piazza with old banyan trees on your right, near the corner of Public Square Street. This is where the old Tin Hau Temple can be found and although there are more impressive temples in Hong Kong, it is well worth visiting.

Cross Public Square Street. On you right (corner of Temple Street) is Mido Café: One of the city's oldest and most nostalgic eating houses… (see feature above). Keep walking along Shanghai Street: A short stroll will bring you to Man Kee Chopping Board, on 342 Shanghai (on your right), which is one of the best places to buy professional chopping boards, and right next to it, on 344 Shanghai, you can see the historic red-bricks building which once housed the oldest pumping station in Hong Kong.

Tak Yu Restaurant ( 得如酒樓 ), on 378 Shanghai Street (corner of Pitt), opened its doors more than a century ago and still serves lovely Cantonese fare, including dim-sum, at reasonable prices.

♦ Ladies' Market - stretches along Tung Choi St. in Mong Kok and is one of Hong Kong's most popular open-air markets.  As its name denotes, this market specializes in women's clothing, accessories, cosmetics, and the like. However, the products here are not only for women: many men's and children's products are for sale as well. Soft toys, clothes, bags, jeans, watches... just to name a few.

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The market is open daily from 10:30 am to 10:30 pm.

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To get there: Leave MTR Mong Kok Station via exit D-3, turn back and walk a few steps to the corner, where you turn right to Argyle and, again, right, to Tung Choi / Ladies' market (less than 5 minutes).

♦ Other Markets and shopping streets in Mong Kok   

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♦ Fa Yuen St. (also known as Sportswear Street) runs parallel to Ladies' Market and houses many retailers that sell sports equipment and clothing.  The shops here boast a wide diversity of sports shoes. Many shoes of rare or special editions from different places are available here.

♦ Goldfish Market - is located along the north part of Tung Choi St. (the street of Ladies' Market). There are dozens of shops and hawkers here that sell various tropical freshwater or marine fish, as well as different types of aquarium equipment.  Open daily from 10 am to 9 pm.

♦ Fa Yuen Street market is situated along the north part of Fa Yuen street.  It is full of shops selling bargain-priced trendy fashion and casual wear for men, women and children and they usually open between 10:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. daily (the market also stretches along Nullah Road, all the way to Prince Edward Road West).

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♦ Flower Market - is a street market in the northern part of Mong Kok, where many flower shops and street hawkers can be found.  It opens daily from 7 am to 7:30 pm, and there are two ways to get there:  A) If coming from Ladies' Market: continue northward with Tung Choi Street (Goldfish Market) till you get to the corner of Prince Edward Rd., cross it to the other side and turn right, then enter the second street on your left (Sai Yee Street) and the first street on your right is the market.  B) Take exit A of MTR-Prince Edward to Playing Field Rd. and walk along it to its end. Turn right to Sai Yee St. and left to Flower Market Rd. and you are there...

♦ At the far end of Flower Market Road, turn left and enter Yuen Po Street Bird Garden (or, simply, the Bird Garden), where dozens of bird shops are located and hundreds of colorful songbirds in exquisitely crafted cages can be seen... The market also makes a popular meeting point for elderly bird owners... Open daily from 7 am to 8 pm.

♦ From here, you can walk back to the other end of Yuen Po Street, from where you can turn right to Prince Edward Rd. and walk along it, back to Nathan Road and the MTR.

♦ Sai Yeung Choi Street South is a hot spot for Hong Kongers. The section south of Argyle Street concentrates shops of consumer electronic products at street level and upstair bookstores above. Some good cosmetics shops can also be found here.  To get here: take exit D-3 of MTR-Mong Kok and you are there...

The shopping malls and arcades in Mong Kok are not as glittering and stylish as the ones in TST, Causeway Bay and Central, but they are definitely worth visiting, especially if you are price-savvy...

♦ Yau Shing Commercial Centre is located right next to exit E-2 of MTR-Mong Kok (on your left side). The center's six floors are packed with electrical goods, gadgets, cameras, DVD players and what have you...

♦ Argyle Center is situated right next to exit D-2 of MTR-Mong Kok and specializes mostly in cheap fashion and accessories.

♦ Not far from Argyle Center and exit D-2, on Argyle St., you can find Sincere House shopping centre, where the shops specialize in Cellular phones and their accessories.

♦ Mong Kok Computer Centre is the place to go to for everything that is computer related. This three-storey mall has dozens of computer shops, selling various kinds of products including laptops, software, hardware and computer accessories. all at very competitive prices.  The center is located on 8 Nelson Street, just around the corner from Ladies' Market and a very short walk from exit E-2 of MTR- Mong Kok, and is open daily between 11 am and 11 pm. 

♦ Langham Place is a 3-in-1 complex, comprising of  shopping mall, hotel and office tower.  The huge shopping mall has a modern, "high-tech" look, and houses more than 300 shops, including many trendy boutiques that specialize in international brands. Otherwise, there are quite a few little shops here run by young people, where you'll find the most individualistic fashion items.  The mall also has the longest escalators within a shopping mall in Hong Kong, called the "Xpresscalators".  A pair is located on the 4th floor leading up to the 8th and another pair leads to the 12th floor. The mall is located on the corner of Shanghai St. and Argyle St. and is connected to MTR-Mong Kok via Exit C-3.  Open daily from 11 am to 11 pm.

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You may also want to read about other shopping districts nearby...

Tsim sha Tsui

Sham Shui Po and Kowloon Tong

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