Map of Kowloon Markets & Hong Kong History
Discover Hong Kong's Chinese side with a walk through its famous bird, fish, food and jade markets
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Overview
Easy:
6.0 miles, Full day
Other Information:
Family Friendly
Overview:
Hong Kong is often described as the quintessential East meets West location, but the eastern element is easily lost amid the glass and concrete banking towers of Hong Kong Island. Rediscovering the city's Chinese roots and culture starts with a short ferry ride across Victoria Harbour to the Kowloon peninsula.
For every multistory designer department store on the island, there are dozens of traditional stores and markets in the crammed working-class residential areas of Kowloon.
This trail is more about the cultural experience than shopping--customs will take a dim view of you trying to return home with a parrot and bag of live grasshoppers-- but there will be chances to haggle for a mahjong set or jade trinkets as well as countless photo opportunities.
To help put the whole experience into perspective, the trail concludes with a visit to the Hong Kong Museum of History. No dusty display cases here--visitors can wander through eight galleries recreating the city's past from prehistoric to post-colonialism.
Tips: The trail deliberately avoids some over-hyped Kowloon shopping areas including:
* The so-called Golden Mile of electronic and jewelry shops along Nathan Road (Kowloon's major north-south thoroughfare). No photo opportunities here and the stretch is more famous for ripoffs than bargains.
* The disappointing Temple Street Night Market. It's still touted in many guide books as a "must do" but locals and regular HK visitors say it has lost its appeal. Supposedly it's a good place to pick up cheap counterfeits of Western designer goods, but the quality is more "counterfeit of counterfeit" standard. Buy something more individual on Shanghai Street or in the Jade Market instead.
For every multistory designer department store on the island, there are dozens of traditional stores and markets in the crammed working-class residential areas of Kowloon.
This trail is more about the cultural experience than shopping--customs will take a dim view of you trying to return home with a parrot and bag of live grasshoppers-- but there will be chances to haggle for a mahjong set or jade trinkets as well as countless photo opportunities.
To help put the whole experience into perspective, the trail concludes with a visit to the Hong Kong Museum of History. No dusty display cases here--visitors can wander through eight galleries recreating the city's past from prehistoric to post-colonialism.
Tips: The trail deliberately avoids some over-hyped Kowloon shopping areas including:
* The so-called Golden Mile of electronic and jewelry shops along Nathan Road (Kowloon's major north-south thoroughfare). No photo opportunities here and the stretch is more famous for ripoffs than bargains.
* The disappointing Temple Street Night Market. It's still touted in many guide books as a "must do" but locals and regular HK visitors say it has lost its appeal. Supposedly it's a good place to pick up cheap counterfeits of Western designer goods, but the quality is more "counterfeit of counterfeit" standard. Buy something more individual on Shanghai Street or in the Jade Market instead.
Star Ferry Pier 7
Hutong Restaurant
Jade Market
Shanghai Street
Nelson Street Wet Market
Langham Place Hotel
Goldfish Market
Flower Market
Bird Market (Yuen Po St Bird Garden)
Mong Kok East MTR Station
Hung Hom MTR Station
Hong Kong Museum of History
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