Temple Street, Hong Kong

Temple Street
Gate across Temple Street, at the intersection with Jordan Road.
Traditional Chinese	廟街
Simplified Chinese	庙街
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Miào Jiē Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization miu6 gaai1

Temple Street is a street located in the areas of Jordan and Yau Ma Tei in Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is known for its night market and one of the busiest flea markets at night in the territory. The night market is in the Yau Ma Tei, Jordan part of the street and not the Mong Kok part of the street. Popular with 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.

History

The place was built during the Qing Dynasty and it was named after a temple Tin Hau was constructed there. It settled at banyan in the middle of the street (the place is called Yung Shue Tau). Contrast that with the Ladies' Market in Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok.

Shopping

The Temple Street Night Market 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 a 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, condoms 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 other night markets in South East Asia, prices can always be negotiated by bargaining.

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.

Attractions

Tourists can do shopping or enjoy the show of Cantonese Opera.

Temple Street in film

The unique characteristics of Temple Street make it a desirable location to shoot films in Hong Kong such as Queen of Temple Street (1990) and The Prince of Temple Street (1992). 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.

Temple Street also plays a prominent role in the Stephen Chow film, The God of Cookery and Fiona Sit series, C'est La Vie, Mon Chéri.

Clinics

Old Chinese clinics exist on this street and they use Traditional Chinese medicine for treating illnesses and diseases. They are known as Masters instead of doctors and have run these clinics for many years.

Food and beverage

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.

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.

Temple Street Festival

During September 2003, the inaugural Temple Street Festival was organised and was supported by the Home Affairs Bureau and the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

Transport

The nearest MTR stations to Temple Street are Jordan and Yau Ma Tei.

See also

• List of buildings, sites and areas in Hong Kong
• Temple Street, Singapore
• List of streets and roads in Hong Kong

External links

• Photo gallery of Temple Street
• More Information on Temple Street Hong Kong