Gritty, proletarian and
utterly engrossing, Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok provide a heady mix of
karaoke bars, dodgy doorways and street markets before terminating in
the more upscale apartments of Prince Edward. If Hong Kong has an
emotional heartland, then it is these hectic streets, every paving slab
the scene of some delicious hustle. Within living memory there were open
fields here, but now all is uncompromising Cantonese ghetto. Come for
some of Hong Kong’s best shopping, restaurants of rowdy authenticity and
a sensuous barrage that will linger in your mind.
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Overcrowded Mong Kok is the
heartland of the Hong Kong triad gangs. The triads originated in
17th-century China as secret societies who tried to reinstall the Ming
dynasty after the Manchus took over. Though they have been given a
romantic image in literature and the cinema, the modern-day reality is
of sleaze and slayings. Tourists are unlikely to be a target, however,
so don’t be put off visiting this exciting district of Hong Kong.
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Kowloon waterfront
SightsBird Garden The
small but pretty Bird Garden is where local folk, mostly elderly, take
their birds to sing and get some fresh air. There’s also a small bird
market here selling sparrows, finches and songbirds in elegant little
cages. Fresh bird food, in the form of live grasshoppers, is fed to the
birds through the cage bars with chopsticks.
Bird Garden
Bird-lover
Flower Market Near
the Bird Garden is a vibrant flower market, at its best and brightest
in the morning. The stalls and shops lining the entire length of Flower
Market Road sell a wide variety of exotic flowers – a wonderfully
colourful sight and a good place to take photographs. The busy market is
especially exciting to visit during the Chinese New Year.
Flower market
Tin Hau Temple The
Tin Hau temple in Yau Ma Tei is divided into three sections. Only one
of these is actually devoted to Tin Hau, the sea goddess who is Hong
Kong’s favourite deity and essentially its patron. Admittedly, it is
neither the oldest nor the grandest temple in the territory, but it is
pretty nonetheless. The other two sections are dedicated to Shing Wong,
the god of the city, and To Tei, the god of the earth. Officially no
photography is allowed anywhere inside the temple. English-speaking
visitors should head for a couple of stalls at the far end of the
temple, where they can have their fortunes told in English.
Façade detail, Tin Hau temple
Tin Hau temple
Quiet lane near Yau Ma Tei’s Tin Hau Temple
Temple Street Night Market Visit the chaotic, crowded night market on Temple Street as much for the spectacle as for the shopping .
Temple Street
Jade Market The
small, covered Jade Market is worth a quick forage even if you’re not
intending to buy any jade. Dozens of stalls sell jewellery, small
animals (many representing characters from the Chinese zodiac) and beads
in jade. There will be few bargains on sale, particularly to those
without a knowledge of good jade, but there’s plenty of cheap jade here
if you just want to own some trinkets.
Jade for sale
Ladies Market The
term “ladies” is somewhat out of date, as there’s plenty more than
women’s clothing here. The shopping area consists of three parallel
streets: Fa Yuen Street, crammed mostly with sports goods and trainer
shops; Tung Choi Street (the former ladies market); and Sa Yeung Choi
Street, specializing in consumer electronics. Market stall prices are
cheap, and shop prices are better than those on Hong Kong Island. The
crowds can be tiring, though, especially on hot days. West Kowloon Reclamation Currently
a pedestrian no-go area, the reclaimed land of West Kowloon is a jumble
of road intersections and messy building sites. It is also the site of
the International Commerce Centre, which is due to be completed by 2010.
The 484-m (1,588-ft) high tower will be the tallest building in Hong
Kong, and will house two six-star hotels, office space and the Elements
Mall, which is already open. Boundary Street History
is visible in the ruler-straight line of Boundary Street, which marked
the border between British Hong Kong and China between 1860 and 1898.
The lower part of the Kowloon Peninsula was ceded (supposedly in
perpetuity) by China to the British, who wanted extra land for army
training and commerce. The British then became worried over water
shortages and wanted yet more land to protect Hong Kong Island from the
threat of bombardment from newly invented long-range artillery. In 1898
the border was moved again to include the entire New Territories, this
time on a 99-year lease . Shanghai Street The
whole area around Shanghai and Reclamation streets is a traditional
Chinese neighbourhood, if somewhat less vibrant and seedier than it was a
few years ago. Interesting nooks and shops include funeral parlours,
herbalists, health tea shops, paper kite shops and, at 21 Ning Po
Street, a shop selling pickled snakes.
Shanghai Street
Kitchen utensils shop, Shanghai Street
Reclamation Street Market If
you haven’t seen a Hong Kong produce market in full swing, you could do
worse than wander down Reclamation Street. This predominantly fruit and
vegetable market will provide some good photo opportunities. The
squeamish, however, may want to avoid wandering inside the municipal wet
market building where livestock is freshly slaughtered and expertly
eviscerated on the spot.
Market stall, Reclamation Street
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