HONG KONG RECOMMENDED SHOPS

HONG KONG

Hong Kong’s heritage as an international Centre of trade has led to an incredible variety of goods, while the local passion for buying and selling infects almost every corner of the city – and all those who enter it.

Markets ….. The South China practice of grouping similar businesses on one street means you can do much more: goldfish, birds, clothes, electronics and shoes – if it’s worth shopping, it has a street here

 STANLEY MARKET Address: Stanley New Street, Stanley, This market in the quaint village of Stanley on Hong Kong Island’s south coast is a huge hit with locals, expats and tourists for good reason: its enormous selection of brand-name clothing items (large sizes are available) and accessories, jewellery, home furnishings, souvenirs, ornaments and Oriental knick-knacks are sold at reasonable prices in a picturesque warren of lanes Opening hours: 9:00am - 6:00pm

 LADIES' MARKET Address: , , Kowloon With over 100 stalls of bargain clothing, accessories and souvenirs, the Ladies’ Market on Tung Choi Street provides a one-kilometre stretch on which to practise your haggling skills. It gets its name from the huge amount of clothing and accessories on sale for women of all ages; however, with watches, cosmetics, bags, home furnishings, CDs and trinkets also up for grabs, you don’t need to be just in the market for a pair of nylon stockings to find something within its crowded aisles. Opening hours: 12:30pm – 11:00pm

 TEMPLE STREET NIGHT MARKET Address: Temple Street, , Kowloon When the sun goes down, the traders have already laid out their wares and the opera singers and fortune tellers begin to emerge. Welcome to the Temple Street Night Market, a popular street bazaar, named after a Tin Hau temple located in the centr of its main drag, and a place so steeped in local atmosphere that it has served as the backdrop to many a memorable movie. Trinkets, tea ware, electronics, watches, menswear, and antiques are scrutinized and haggled over, while clay pot rice, seafood, noodles and other treats are consumed with gusto. Temple Street Night Market is an enduring example of the theatre and festivity of a Chinese market. And it’s on show nightly. Opening hours: 4:00 PM – 11:00 PM

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HONG KONG

 JADE MARKET Address: Junction of Kansu Street and Battery Street, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon The Chinese character for jade is a combination of the words for beauty and purity, but there’s far more behind the Chinese obsession with this stone than looks. Jade has been long associated with long life and good health in Chinese culture, making it a prized material for good-luck charms. Few Hong Kong newborns will be left to start life without a jade bracelet from grandma, and people of all ages receive new amulets each year based on their zodiac signs and computations of the ancient Chinese almanac year based on their zodiac signs and computations of the ancient Chinese almanac year based on their zodiac signs and computations of the ancient Chinese almanac. Opening hours: 10.00am – 4.00pm

 BIRD MARKET Address: Yuen Po Street, Prince Edward, Kowloon A popular haunt for songbird supporters, the visually engaging Yuen Po Street Bird Garden is designed in the style of a traditional Chinese garden. The park has dozens of stalls selling exotic birds, beautifully crafted bamboo cages, porcelain water dishes and other bird-care paraphernalia. Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 09:30 - 19:30

 FLOWER MARKET Address: Flower Market Road, Kowloon The 100 or so shops and wholesalers here sell auspicious blossoms and luck-bringing houseplants to an enthusiastic crowd all year round. But the lead up to Chinese New Year is when things really heat up, as families flock towards the market to carefully select flowers and greenery that attract good luck and fortune as a new lunar cycle begins. Opening hours: 7.00am – 7.00pm

 QUALITY TOURISM SERVICES SCHEME The Quality Tourism Services (QTS) Scheme by the Hong Kong Tourism Board is an assurance of quality and guarantee of service excellence to visitors. As a premier shopping and dining destination, Hong Kong is ever vigilant on how international visitors are received at its retail outlets and restaurants. Today there are about 600 approved organizations with more than 2,000 outlets under this scheme, each displaying the QTS decal so visitors can easily identify them. For more information, please visit : www.qtshk.com

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HONG KONG

 JADE, JEWELRY & PRECIOUS GOODS Hong Kong is a terrific place to buy high-quality jewelry at reasonable prices. The city's free- port status enables dealers to offer gold, diamond and pearls at excellent value. Highly skilled local craftsmen can custom-design settings, and the Chinese passion for pearls and gold inspires extraordinary and unusual pieces. The Chinese have a special love for jade, which they believe has great spiritual properties. You can find a wide selection of stones in a range of colors, from many shades of green to white, lavender and dark orange.

Tips Jade: a top-quality stone is judged according to its consistency in color, translucence and coldness to the touch. Buy fine expensive jade from a reputable shop. The proprietor should give you a proper receipt that details the type and origin of the stone. If you are purchasing jade of significant value, it is advisable to go with someone who is an expert. Pearl: size is important factor to consider. Judge brilliance by the reflection of light off the top of the pearl.

Diamonds: for expert guidance - and insurance purposes - an appraisal of diamonds is recommended. Contact the Gemological Association of Hong Kong Ltd. Lei Yuen Street East and West(Fashion) In a city of contrasts, the color and vibrancy of the Asian street market thrives even in the Centre of the financial district, where space is money and shopping mostly means marbled floors and air-conditioned air. Li Yuen Street East and Li Yuen Street West, sometimes simplified as ‘the lanes of Central’, are a jam-packed jumble of clothing and accessory items, many of which have distinctive Oriental flavors. From ready-to-wear to factory outlet, tailored garments, leather and silk; the world of the ancient bazaar somehow refuses to budge from the modern downtown. Opening hours: 10.00am – 7.00pm.

 CAT STREET (ANTIQUES) If your home is missing that final finishing touch, how about a piece of rare Ming dynasty furniture, an ancient snuff bottle or a Cultural Revolution propaganda poster? Upper Lascar Row – known as Cat Street – is where you can find such treasures, within its fantastic congregation of antique dealers, curio merchants and art galleries. This is also the place to go for bargains in jade, silk products, embroideries and wooden handicraft items. Canton Road Address: Canton Road, , Kowloon Take a short walk over to Canton Road where you’ll be confronted with the best the world has to offer in luxury designer goods, not to mention Hong Kong’s biggest shopping mall – the enormous and 1881 Heritage, a unique experience that blends history with luxury shopping. Tsim Sha Tsui’s shopping also extends beyond these two roads. To the east is the Tsim Sha Tsui Centre and Empire Centre, which invite you to rest those protesting feet for a while at a Harbour-side alfresco bar and restaurant strip.

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