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Temple Street, Hong Kong
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Temple Street (Traditional Chinese: 廟街) is a street located in the areas of Jordan, Yau Ma Tei in Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is well known for its night market and the busiest flea market at night in the territory. The night market is in the Yau Ma Tei, Jordan areas of the street and not the Mong Kok area of the street. Popular with both tourists and locals alike in the evening, it is common to see the place crowded at dusk. It sells cheap merchandise and food items. The place is sometimes known as Men's Street.
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The place was built during the Qing Dynasty and it was named after a temple to Tin Hau was constructed there. It settled at banyan at the middle of the street (the place is called Yung Shue Tau). Contrast that with the Ladies' Market in Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok.
The place is sometimes known as Men's Street as it is very popular for men's fashion. The market starts at 2 p.m. 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. Like in Mainland China, prices can be negotiated by bargaining. This is very common in the night market.
If one has to buy merchandise in Temple Street, one has to hunt for shops hidden in streets behind the stalls rather than looking in the stall themselves. This is one of the uniqueness of Temple Street Night Market.
Chinese street opera, fortune tellers are forms of entertainment in the night market. Well-known artists such as Wan Kwong and late Cantopop star Anita Mui used to sing on a stage at Temple Street and her performances are a legend in the area.
In addition to the food and clothes collections available in Temple Street, bands of traditional Cantonese opera singers can also be found. These bands seem to be competing with the pop music bands, and they set up their own corners for entertainment in Temple Street where they have mini-concerts every night. Temple Street is a treasure island for collectors. Very old CD collections or nice audio instruments can easily be purchased for a reasonable price. Mahjong centres can also be found.
There are a groups of fortune tellers who set up their stalls in Temple Street, key feature that makes the market feel typically Hong Kong. This group of people earn a living by telling the fortunes of people who want to know about their past and future. These fortune tellers charge HK$50 to $500 depending on what subject people are willing to foresee. Apart from that, the nearby Jade Market also in Yau Ma Tei is a great place to find cheap jade stones for souvenirs.
Temple Street is popular with men as of the prostitution activities inside the tentament houses. Many brothels are housed there and it is not difficult to see prostitutes wearing few pieces of clothing exchanging glances with passers-by. Some hustlers on the street bring the men to the brothel and there are many spartan rooms with no more than a bed. There are lots of neon lights on Temple Street to advertise these activities at night.
The unique characteristics of Temple Street make it a desirable location to shoot films in Hong Kong such as Queen of Temple Street in 1990. It was used as a symbol for public life in Hong Kong at that time. Also, many gangster films describe the place as a street of crime.
Old Chinese clinics exist on this street and they use Traditional Chinese medicine for curing illnesses and diseases. They are known as Masters instead of doctors. These physicians have run these clinics for many years and they have a good reputation of curing patients.
The night market is famous for its tantalising snacks and road side dining, which serves local street cuisine. It sells a wide range of delicious local delicacies.
There are also lots of restaurants selling seafood. These hot pots can be perfect for an intimate dinner. They are delicious as well as cheap. All of these culinary delicacies represent Hong Kong's traditional and unique food culture.
During September 2003, the inaugural Temple Street Festival was organised and was supported by the Home Affairs Bureau and the Hong Kong Tourism Board.
The nearest MTR stations to Temple Street are Jordan and Yau Ma Tei.
