Something for everyone
You’re just as likely to come across songbirds and goldfish on Hong Kong’s street markets as antique watches and Chinese dresses. Street markets are always exciting and full of life, in contrast with the often stuffy shopping malls. And in Hong Kong you can find a market at any time of the day... Or night.
Evening market
The evening market in Temple Street begins when the sun goes down and a visit here is a night out in itself. Opera singers perform on the street and fortune tellers practice their art, while stallholders lay out their watches, jade and tea sets. This busy place has served as the backdrop for various movies and you’ll understand why as you try to make your way through the maze of stalls and gesticulating stallholders. There’s also more than enough to eat: try the rice with stewed chicken or a delicious bowl of noodle soup.
Good luck in a bag
Mong Kok’s goldfish market takes the form of a street lined with shops, all displaying sandwich bags containing goldfish and brightly coloured aquarium fish. A visit here is a surreal experience; certainly during the evening when the aquaria are spectacularly lit up. Chinese people believe that tropical fish bring luck but as most Hong Kong residents do not have room for a garden with a pond, an aquarium is their only solace. Other exotic pets are also traded here, so don’t be too surprised if you come face to face with a snake, a tarantula or a lizard.
Chirping and tweeting
Handmade bamboo birdcages and brightly coloured songbirds surround you in the Bird Garden market on Yuen Po Street. As well as birds of all colours, this traditional Chinese garden is also a favourite meeting place for bird owners. Early in the morning, people arrive at the park, cages in hand, to let out their feathered friends and perhaps show off their beautiful singing talents. Along with the goldfish market, the Bird Garden is a lovely place for a morning walk.
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Shopping
Apart from eating, the other national sport of Hong Kong is shopping. It’s hard to choose between the 100-plus shopping malls. The metropolis seems to be a maze of shopping paradises, busy promenades and craft shops. Fortunately, each neighbourhood has its own products and prices. With a little preparation you’ll know exactly where to go.
Culinary
You can see them on menus in all kinds of shapes and flavours, and they are served in steamer baskets or on side plates: delicious dim sum. Originally, these steamed parcels were a favourite breakfast item but nowadays they have become just as popular for lunch. Because each restaurant fills its menu with its own creations, more than 2,000 varieties of dim sum now exist.
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