Temple Street, Hong Kong

When I'm in Hong Kong I always try to spend an hour or two at the Temple Street Night Market. Sometimes I leave with some good bargains, sometimes I leave with nothing. Its a bit of a lucky dip really.

What I like about the area is that as the evening wears on the streets surrounding the market become a focal meeting spot for both tourists and locals and it can be difficult to find a seat at your favourite street stall. I must admit at first glance, the hygiene standards at some of these dining establishments seems to be lacking but the food looks, smells and tastes good which is why the Temple Street precinct is one of the best places to go for authentic local street cuisine.

The market itself stocks a variety of goods and like other market areas in Hong Kong it is worthwhile also checking out the shops which line either side of the street. There are many stalls selling mens clothing and underwear (jocks and socks) and while pricing is normally similar throughout, its definitely worthwhile searching out the lowest price as the majority of the goods are the same make and quality. There is also a massive amount of of choice in mobile phone accessories and the mobile phone shops in the area also do pretty good deals on phone covers, screen protectors etc.

At the northern end of the market there are traditional Chinese medicine stalls and jade and trinket stalls. These are fascinating to browse through and its great when you can actually see what goes into the various medicines.

While not encouraged by the stall owners, who naturally want to get the best possible price, bartering for the lowest price is expected. Unless you particularly want an item and are prepared to pay full asking price, only offer half of what is asked. Stall workers will then either talk up the price or use a calculator to display what they want you to pay. This is generally a very entertaining and jovial experience but remember that its perfectly OK to say no and walk away. There will be another potential customer just behind you!

If you want to enjoy the best atmosphere head to Temple Street Market Stalls and Dai Pai Dong "restaurants" from 8pm onwards however stalls are set up by late afternoon.

What to buy: Mobile phone accessories, Calvin Klein underwear, toys, souvenirs, belts, wallets, t-shirts, CD's. Pirated DVD's are sometimes available, Mao memorabilia, jade.

What to pay: Obviously, as little as possible. Its a market and bartering is an important ritual when shopping in Hong Kong.

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Temple Street is a street located in the areas of Jordan and Yau Ma Tei in Kowloon. It is known for its night market and one of the busiest flea markets at night. It's like China town in South East Asia but the difference is you are already in China.
The night market is in the Yau Ma Tei, Jordan. the market mainly sells cheap merchandise and food items. but it's a shopping paradise when it comes to souvenirs...any kind of souvenir you are looking for you'll definitely are gonna find it in that place all you have to do is bargain.

What to buy: SOUVENIR

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The Temple Street night markets were a lot of fun, and definitely worth a visit. Plus the added bonus of these markets, is that they are at night, so not quite so hot as day markets. Very easy to get to using the MTR, just take the Jordan exit, make sure you take exit A onto Jordan Road, turn right and keep walking, then turn right at the third intersection which is Temple Street. I think the markets dont start til about 6-7pm and sell all the usual market products, I bought some soccer stuff, mirrors, phone covers, leather bracelets, table runners, bags etc. all at great prices.

Hong Kong has many great markets but there is no more typical that the Temple Street Night market in Kowloon. As soon as the sun sets the merchants start to set up there booths and street stalls start cooking various types of food. This is where your gonna find the cheapest souvenirs around town. The market runs til about 11 PM every night. The market is about 2 blocks away from the Jordan MTR stop. Plenty of people around no need to worry about anything totally safe. Highly recommend it.

Make sure to haggle for the prices on items.

It's the only "monument" in Hong Kong that I had to see twice. Standing close to the hotel, it is a temptation to any woman, and I couldn't escape it.

Being critical I would say that it is only a street market; being honest I must admit that it has something special - richness, variety, and all the life that it brings to the area.

Being confession time, I must recognize that I - me - myself also bought a couple of cheap things.

This famous night market is where it's happening in Hong Kong, in shopping terms, in the evening. You can challenge the local chess experts or buy some "lucky" jade, believed by the Chinese to ward off evil. You may also develop your shopping strategy while enjoying the fare at any of a huge selection of open-air restaurants or by consulting the fortune-telling parrots. Temple St is also known as ‘Men’s Street’ because of the huge amount of men’s clothing for sale, because of the number of gangster films that are set here, and because of the variety of… um…’men’s pleasures’ that are on offer at many of the stalls. The open-air market usually starts around 2pm and is located in Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon.

What to buy: Just about anything that you can imagine.

What to pay: Test your bargaining skills.

Nathan Road, Stanley Markets, Causeway Bay Malls and Temple Street shops. Enjoyed all four , but for value and atmosphere and big bargains, street cafes etc, Temple street markets at night is a treat. Up there with Nanjing Road ( Shanghai) for knockoffs. If you just like to hear serious bargaining, it's to be found here. Watching the peddlars and fortune tellers was fun.

What to buy: Anything and everything...600 metres of shops ....crammed with bargains...some glitzy and others good value. It's the atmosphere more than anything.Naturally you will be mindful of your belongings in such a crowded place.

you can buy souveniers and other items at the night market in Temple street. Prices are negotiable. There are also lots of street foods in this area.

What to buy: Souvenier items
Clothers
antiques
local craft
gifts
toys and games
shoes
and more

What to pay: it depends on you budget, How much you can spend, but prices are negotiable specially if you will buy in volume.

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Fairly similar to the Ladies Market, the Temple Street Night Market is the more famous and larger of the two. The market is located in Temple St which is just to the west of Jordan MTR station in Kowloon. The market is sometimes known as Men's Street as it is very popular for men's fashion. The market starts at 2pm in the afternoon, but is lively at dusk daily. Traffic is closed on the street at that time, and visitors swarm into the street. There are more than hundred stalls with colourful lights in the market. There are carts bulging with goods from clothing to mobile phones and watches. Stalls have items mainly for men, jeans, t-shirts, pants, lighters, shoes and men's accessories. Cheap merchandise is common in the night market. Cheap second hand goods such as cassettes, video tapes, old newspapers, antiques are also sold there. The night market is famous for its snacks and roadside dining, which serves local street cuisine. It sells a wide range of delicious local delicacies.

Throughout my stay in HK, I came to Temple Street twice despite walking through every stall they have during both visit. The things they have here are very interesting, something that I seldom find elsewhere in HK. The shopkeepers are not very aggressive and doesn't intimidate people. End the trip here with seafood dinner at any of the restaurants here.

What to buy: You can buy Hong Kong related souvenirs here like the road signs, 'I heart HK' tees, Chinese notepad with the leather cover. The pens, mahjong tiles fridge magnets. You can even get those toy puzzles like rubiks, tangrams etc here. Oh, they even have adult toy stalls. And they have the usual 'authentic' watches, bags, tops, shoes. I didnt really buy much, but there are many interesting stuff sold here.

What to pay: Most small stuff bought in bundles are sold at HK$100. You can try to bargain, but very rare. I didn't try to bargain, the only way to make it cheaper is buy a bit more and still pay HK$100. Haha.