Hong Kong is a city where shopping in mega malls and designer boutiques go hand in hand with bargaining to your last breath in street markets, day and night. For the reserved and uninitiated, Hong Kong’s markets may be an experience of sensory overload with strange smells, sights, and sounds. Market lovers will have a field day trawling through markets in search of curios and gems.
Looking for unmissable market experiences in Hong Kong? Look no further!
Ladies Market
Image Credit: Wikimedia
Clothes, accessories, gifts and even home furnishings await in this long stretch of market in Mongkok. It’s tame enough for a first-timer, while still being a good place to experience the hustle and bustle of a typical street market in Hong Kong.
Bargaining is a must here, and don’t be shy slash prices to approximately half. You may find that when you walk away, stall owners are quick to lure you back with significantly lower prices, though you may genuinely be uninterested. So if you really like something, try to hide your excitement with a poker face.
Closest MRT Station: MTR Mong Kok Station, Exit E2
Temple Street Night Market
Image Credit: Wikimedia
Lively and atmospheric, the Temple Street Night Market is frequented by both locals and tourists alike. Antiques, trinkets and curios, art, as tea ware and pottery go on to tempt you when the sun sets. More than just goods, there’s also a row of fortune tellers as well as palm and face readers that will give you some life advice and a glimpse of your potential future.
This is by far the liveliest night market in Hong Kong, and if you can only visit one, this is the one that you’ll want to visit. Have your dinner here in one of the many eateries here serving noodles, hot pot, or seafood. Occasionally, you may find some open-air Chinese opera performances.
Photographers will find this market a joy to capture on lens.
Closest MTR Station: Yau Ma Tei Station Exit C or Jordan Station Exit A
Jade Market
Image Credit: Flickr
Jade is perhaps the most well-loved stone for the Chinese. It symbolizes beauty, purity, and is often worn or displayed as a charm for protection against negative energies, as well as for good health. Word has it that if a jade amulet breaks, it has taken the hit of bad luck that was supposed to have befallen upon you.
The price of jade varies greatly according to quality. Pure green and translucent jadeite is the best quality and fetches a high price. There is also white and a yellowish-greenish jade.
In addition to jade, there is also a wide variety of pearls that you can complement your new lucky look with. As usual, haggling is a must in this market if you don’t want to be ripped off. If you’re quite a jade connoisseur who is sure of the quality, then ask the stall owners to show you their higher end pieces, which sometimes may not even be on display.
Closest MTR Station: Yau Ma Tei Station, Exit C
Cat Street
Hold the panic button. This place doesn’t sell cats. It does, however, sell some rather lovely antique furniture and ornaments that will give your home a touch of the exotic East. Whether it’s a Ming dynasty furniture, a poster from the Cultural Revolution, or embroidery, Cat Street may be where you fill your luggage with conversation starters.
Wonder why it’s called Cat Street? The neighbourhood used to be where stolen goods were sold. Since stolen goods are called “rat goods,” people who buy them are cats.
Closest MTR Station: Central Station Exit D2
Flower Market
Image Credit: Wikimedia
The Flower Market is where retail shops and wholesalers sell flower bouquets, flower, and plant pots, and you’ll walk past numerous shops full of colours and fragrances. You’ll also see some plants that are considered auspicious to the Chinese
Consider coming here along with the Ladies Market trip for a little flower therapy after some haggling.
Closest MTR Station: Prince Edward Station Exit B1 or Mongkok East Station Exit C
Dried Seafood and Tonic Market
Dried seafood is a common ingredient in certain regional Chinese cuisine. Take a walk here and shop for some ingredients to take home and recreate the flavours of Hong Kong. Abalone, scallops, black moss, and fish maw are the most popular items and are favoured for not just their taste but also health and beauty-boosting benefits.
There are also Chinese tonic foods that can be found, such as ginseng and bird’s nest, known for providing energy and radiance.
Closest MTR Station: Sheung Wan Station Exit A2