Sham Shui Po District, Kowloon

Sham Shui Po: The Market Streets of Old Kowloon

Sham Shui Po is one of the oldest districts of Kowloon, a working neighbourhood in the north-west of the peninsula where the streets still belong to the traders. It grew up on textiles, garments and hardware, and its market grid has been running since the early 20th century: the Pei Ho Street market opened in 1918, and Apliu Street's market roots go back to the 1920s. It is a district of tenement blocks, open-air stalls and family shops, where each street has its own trade and the pavements are crowded from morning to night. For visitors who want to see how Hong Kong really lives, Sham Shui Po is the place to start.

Apliu Street is the famous one, a daily flea market of electronics and everything else: phone parts, cables, vintage cameras, radios and secondhand gadgets spread across the pavement, spilling out of Sham Shui Po MTR station. Nearby, Golden Computer Arcade is the indoor version, packed with shops for computer parts, games and hardware. The craft streets keep the old textile trade alive: Ki Lung Street for buttons and zips, Yu Chau Street for beads, Nam Cheong Street for ribbon and lace, and the fabric market on Tung Chau Street, where designers buy cloth by the metre. Fuk Wing Street is Toy Street, with more than 30 toy shops, and the food is some of the cheapest in the MICHELIN Guide, from wonton noodles and rice rolls to tofu pudding and dim sum.

The good thing is that you can hire a limousine for the day and leave all the driving to someone else. The market streets are crowded and parking is almost impossible, so it is far better to be dropped at the edge of the grid and picked up again when your arms are full. A car gives you a place to put your finds, from a vintage camera to a roll of fabric, and a cool place to rest between streets.

Arrive in style

A day in the markets is a day on your feet, so it is good to travel in comfort. Your limousine waits nearby while you browse, and you step back into a cool, quiet car whenever you need a break. There is room for shopping bags and bulky buys, and you arrive at each new street fresh, ready to enjoy the hunt rather than tired from carrying everything.

Your chauffeur knows the area well and can plan a route that starts at Apliu Street, loops through the craft streets and the fabric market, and finishes near the food stalls of Pei Ho Street and Kweilin Street. The one-way streets around the markets are easy to get lost in, so having a local driver at the wheel makes the whole day smoother. If you find a bargain that needs a second look, the car waits for you.

Old Trades, New Energy

Sham Shui Po is changing, but slowly. On Tai Nan Street, former garages and warehouses now hold roasteries and design studios, while the old stalls carry on as they always have. The mix is what makes the district special: a button shop beside a coffee bar, a tenement stairway above a noodle counter. Come in the morning, stay for lunch, and leave with a bag full of finds and a real taste of old Hong Kong.

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