MARKETS

Hong Kong has a variety of colourful and busy street and covered markets always popular with visitors as a haunt for bargaining and seeking out cheap goods of all descriptions. Here is a summary of the more popular markets;


STANLEY MARKET
A little more “up market” than most other street markets in Hong Kong and not as much opportunity to “bargain” but this day market is on most visitors list of “must do’s”. The market runs along narrow congested alleyways and comprises shops fronted by stalls offering a variety of clothes, footware, sportsware, paintings and artwork, toys and souvenirs. Avoid visiting at weekends if possible when the market can become uncomfortably overcrowded.

The market has the advantage of being located close to other attractions. Stanley waterfront and boardwalk, Murray House, Stanley Plaza, Stanley Main Beach, St Stephens Beach and Stanley Military Cemetery are all within short walking distance.

OPENING HOURS, 09-00 to 18-00 daily

GETTING THERE – Buses 6, 6A, 6X and 260 from Exchange Square Bus Terminus on Hong Kong Island provide a frequent service. Journey time is between 45/50 minutes. Number 6 route provides a very scenic journey, route 260 has the fastest journey. For more information on getting to Stanley Market see STANLEY;

Stanley Market

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TEMPLE STREET NIGHT MARKET
Hong Kong’s largest and best night market, once known as “Mens Market” offers a huge range of tacky and often counterfeit goods including clothes, watches, artwork, CD’s and DVD’s, toys, electrical goods, jade, footware, household goods and souvenirs. Here nobody expects to pay anything like the marked prices and it is quite normal to haggle down to half the asking price. There are also has fortune tellers, Cantonese Opera singers, street food stalls and herbalists. There are also bargains to be had in the shops lining either side of Temple Street.

The market is located in the Jordan/Yau Ma Tei area of Kowloon and runs almost parallel to the western side of Nathan Road. Temple Street is deceptively dissected by the Tin Hau Temple and public square in Public Square Street and but the market extends along both sides of the temple.

OPENING HOURS, 16-00 to midnight daily but some stalls do not set up until mid evening and the best time to visit is from 20-00 onwards.

GETTING THERE – MTR to either Jordan or Yau Ma Tei.
From Jordan MTR Station take exit A and at the top of the steps at street level turn right along Jordan Road and Temple Street is the third street on the right. The market starts about 150 metres down the street.
From Yau Ma Tei MTR Station take exit C and at the top of the steps at street level turn left along Mang Ming Lane and Temple Street is the second street on the left.

Temple Street Night Market

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FLOWER MARKET (AND YUEN PO STREET BIRD GARDEN)
Over 50 shops with stalls spilling out into the street provide a colourful display of blooms and plants of all varieties.
The Flower Market located in Flower Market Road is probably not worth a visit in its own right unless intending making a purchase but the adjacent bird garden makes this an interesting attraction. The Yuen Po Street Bird Garden runs the short distance between Flower Market Road and Boundary Street and is where locals proudly take their feathered friends for an outing in the fresh air in the attractive courtyards. There are over 70 stalls selling birds, cages, food and various accessories. The garden has some interesting earchitectural features including glazed bamboo-shaped ceramic roof tiles that reflect different hues of sunlight, carvings of many bird species on some 200 marble screens mounted on the perimeter walls and  a giant mural carving depicting over 100 birds at the Boundary Street entrance.

OPENING HOURS, 07-00 to 20-00 daily

GETTING THERE – MTR to Prince Edward. Take exit B1 and follow Prince Edward Road West alongside the flyover past Mong Kok Police Station and continue to the third street on the left. Flower Market Road is a few metres along on the right and runs alongside Mong Kok Stadium. Yuen Po Street where the Bird Garden is located is at the far end of Flower Market Road.

Flower Market

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Bird Garden

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LADIES MARKET (TUNG CHOI STREET)
Something of a misnomer, “Ladies Market” was so called to distinguish it from “Mens Street” which is now Temple Street Night Market (see above). The market spans three streets Fa Yuen Street, Tung Choi Street and Sa Yeung Choi Street in Mong Kok and sells a huge range of ladies, mens and childrens clothes, sports goods, electrical goods, toys and souvenirs. Any “designer labels” are almost certainly fake but nevertheless there are bargains to be had and you can negotiate huge discounts from already low asking prices. This is a large and very busy market and negotiating through the crowds here can be exhausting.

OPENING HOURS, noon to 22-30 daily but the best time to visit is during the afternoon when more stalls are open.

GETTING THERE – MTR to either Prince Edward and take exit B2 or to Mong Kok and take any of exits B2, D2 or D3. Prince Edward MTR Station and Mong Kok MTR Stations are at the northern and southern ends respectively of the market.

Ladies (Tung Choi Street) Market

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SHAM SHUI PO MARKETS
Centred around Apliu Street the flea markets sell a fascinating array of clothes, electrical goods and components, clocks, antiques, mobile phones, household goods. Rock bottom prices avail even before the bargaining begins and this market is hugely popular with locals. The market spreads out around surrounding streets and is divided by Nam Cheong Street. Close by is Golden Computer Arcade on Fuk Wa Street, a Mecca for computer buffs with dozens of shops offering computer sales, fast repair, data recovery, software and every conceivable accessory. Dragon Centre on Yen Chow Street is a nine storey shopping centre with plenty of bargains and food outlets.

OPENING HOURS, Markets – noon to midnight daily. Golden Computer Arcade 10-00 to 22-00 daily, Dragon Centre 10-00 to midnight daily.

GETTING THERE - MTR to Sham Shui Po. Exit A2 for Apliu Street, Exit D2 for Golden Computer Arcade, Exit C2 for Dragon Centre.

Apliu Street (Sham Shiu Po) Market

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 Golden Computer Arcade

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JADE MARKET
Known officially as Yau Ma Tei Jade Hawker Bazaar this is a rather dingy indoor market with over 400 stalls selling a vast array of jade products of various grades and colours with starting prices ranging from outrageously expensive to remarkably cheap. Jewellery, figurines, beads, chopsticks and various souvenirs abound but you need to be something of an expert in Jade to know whether you’re getting a bargain. If you buy make sure what goes in the box is what you’ve chosen and inspect carefully for damage.
The market is divided into two parts, Zones A and B, either side of Battery Street. An area of Temple Street Night Market (see above) around Public Square Street also has a number of Jade stalls.

OPENING HOURS, 10-00 to 17-00 daily

GETTING THERE – MTR to Yau Ma Tei. Take Exit C and walk south down Nathan Road and after passing under a road viaduct turn left into Kansu Street. The market is located near the junction of Kansu Street and Battery Street (fourth on the left) almost opposite the attractive Yau Ma Tei Police Station.

Jade Market

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GOLDFISH MARKET

Located at the Prince Edward Road end of Tung Choi Street in Mong Kok the Goldfish Market is lined with shops displaying tanks containing much more than goldfish including  dozens of varieties of fish including colourful exotic tropical specimens, seahorses, tortoises and jelly-fish. Food, rocks, plants, bowls, tanks and every conceivable accessory to keep a fish happy is available here. This is a popular market with locals as fish aquariums are believed to bring luck.

OPENING HOURS, 10am to 6pm daily

GETTING THERE - Take MTR to Prince Edward. Take Exit B2 and follow Prince Edward Road for about 50 metres eastwards to Tung Choi Street. 

Goldfish Market

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WESTERN MARKET
This is a slightly more classy market dating back to 1906 located at Sheung Wan and is housed in a splendid building which has been restored both externally and more recently internally. The market has shops selling, toys, jewellery, watches and clocks, bus models and café’s. The first floor has shops spilling out on to the balcony selling a wide range of fabrics and textiles and there is a restaurant on the second floor. Unlike most other markets in Hong Kong this market rarely gets crowded and has a relaxed feel about it.

OPENING HOURS, 9-00 to 19-00 daily

GETTING THERE – MTR to Sheung Wan, take Exit B and walk west along Des Voeux Road for about 150 metres. Alternatively take any tram with “Western Market” or “Kennedy Town” as its destination. Citybus services 1, 5B, 18 and 26 also pass the market.

Western Market