Hong Kong – Around Kowloon : Kowloon – Yau Ma Tei, Mong Kok and Prince Edward (part 1)

by

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.

The Triads

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.






Kowloon waterfront

Sights

  1. Bird 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.

    • Po St




    Bird Garden



    Bird-lover

  2. 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 Rd




    Flower market

  3. 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.

    • 8am–5pm daily




    Façade detail, Tin Hau temple



    Tin Hau temple



    Quiet lane near Yau Ma Tei’s Tin Hau Temple

  4. Temple Street Night Market

    Visit the chaotic, crowded night market on Temple Street as much for the spectacle as for the shopping .




    Temple Street

  5. 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.

    • Kansu St




    Jade for sale

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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 .

  9. 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

  10. 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