Hong Kong and Macau_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 14th Edition) - Andrew Stone [60]
TEMPLE STREET NIGHT MARKET Map
2pm-11pm; MTR Yau Ma Tei (exit C)
The liveliest night market in Hong Kong, Temple St extends from Man Ming Lane in the north to Nanking St in the south and is cut in two by the Tin Hau temple complex. While you may find better bargains further north in New Kowloon, and certainly over the border in Shenzhen, it is still a good place to go for the bustling atmosphere and the smells and tastes on offer from the dai pai dong (open-air street stall) food.
People shop here for cheap clothes, watches, pirated CDs, fake labels, footwear, cookware and everyday items. Any marked prices should be considered suggestions –this is definitely a place to bargain.
You’ll also find a surfeit of fortune-tellers, herbalists and, occasionally, some free, open-air Cantonese opera performances.
For street food, head for Woo Sung St, running parallel to the east, or to the section of Temple St north of the temple. You can get anything from a simple bowl of noodles to a full meal. There are also a few seafood and hotpot restaurants in the area.
The market officially opens in the afternoon, but most hawkers set up at about 6pm and start shutting up around 11pm. The market is at its best from about 7pm to 10pm, when it’s clogged with stalls and people. If you want to carry on, visit the colourful wholesale fruit market (cnr Shek Lung St & Reclamation St; midnight-dawn), which is always a hive of activity.
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TRANSPORT – YAU MA TEI
Bus Buses 2, 6, 6A and 9 run up Nathan Rd.
MTR Yau Ma Tei MTR station is on the Tsuen Wan and Kwun Tong lines, and Kowloon MTR is on the Tung Chung and Airport Express lines.
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To reach Temple St market, take exit C2 from the Jordan MTR station and walk along Bowring St or exit C from the Yau Ma Tei MTR station and follow Man Ming Lane.
JADE MARKET Map
Battery St; 10am-5pm; MTR Yau Ma Tei (exit C)
The Jade Market, near the Gascoigne Rd overpass just west of Nathan Rd and split into two parts by the loop formed by Battery St, has some 400 stalls selling all varieties and grades of jade from inside two covered markets. Unless you really know your nephrite from your jadeite, or your quality stone from your dyed tat, it’s probably not wise to buy any expensive pieces here, but there are plenty of cheap and cheerful trinkets on offer as well.
YAUMA TEI
You can reach the market easily on foot from either the Jordan (exit A) or Yau Ma Tei (exit C) MTR stations. Bus 9 from the Star Ferry bus station will drop you off at the Kowloon Central Post Office at 405 Nathan Rd, which is just around the corner from the market.
TIN HAU TEMPLE Map
2508 1234; cnr Temple St & Public Square St; 8am-5pm; MTR Yau Ma Tei (exit C)
A couple of blocks northeast of the Jade Market, this temple is dedicated to Tin Hau, the goddess of seafarers. The temple complex also houses an altar dedicated to Shing Wong, the god of the city, and to To Tei, the earth god. You’ll find a row of fortune-tellers through the last doorway on the right from the main entrance facing Public Square St; signs indicate which ones speak English. An incense spiral that lasts 10 days will set you back a mere $130.
The Yau Ma Tei Police Station ( Map; 627 Canton Rd), a short distance to the east along Public Square St, was built in 1922 and is a listed building.
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MONG KOK
Shopping Click here; Eating Click here; Sleeping Click here
A scrum of shoppers, stalls and cheap canteens, Mong Kok ( Map; Prosperous Point) is one of Hong Kong’s most congested working-class residential areas, as well as one of its busiest shopping districts.
This is where locals come to buy everyday items, such as jeans, tennis shoes, computer accessories and kitchen supplies. Take a look at Fife St, which has an amazing collection of stalls selling old vinyl,