The Hongkongiest Streets
Four quintessential Hong Kong streets.
If you think that Hong Kong’s all about impressive glass skyscrapers and homogenous shopping malls, it’s high time to bust out of the concrete jungle and hit the sidewalks for a real taste of the city. From Shanghai Street in Yau Ma Tei to Johnston Road in Wan Chai, you’ll find unique blocks with a distinct style all of their own, thanks to the small shop owners and unique businesses that ply their trade there—and not forgetting, of course, the people that go about their day-to-day lives in these neighborhoods.
Shanghai Street
Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei
Taking a stroll down Shanghai Street is like taking a trip through time. This long road stretches from Prince Edward all the way to Kowloon Park in Jordan, and was once Kowloon’s most prosperous area. These days, however, you’re more likely to see the brightly colored lightboxes advertise upstairs brothels rather than wealthy trading companies. The street itself dates back to 1880, when it was known as Station Street. It was actually located beside the harbor—though reclamation has long put an end to that.
Today, many traditional shophouses and establishments still exist, the most famous of which are the 14 shophouses located at 600-626 Shanghai Street. The pre-World War II tong laus have been classified as Grade 1 historical buildings by the government and give a glimpse into what the area looked like 80 years ago. Tenants continue to operate their businesses out of these buildings, with many undertaking their own renovations to ensure that the buildings remain in usable—if somewhat dilapidated—condition. However, their future is now uncertain, thanks to the Urban Renewal Authority’s plans to buy out and renovate the buildings,
10 of which date back to the 1920s. If the project goes ahead, these traditional places of business will be turned into a “popular food street”, altering the urban fabric of the area forever. Go and visit before it’s too late.
Shanghai Street is rich in contradictions, and right beside these old shop houses is the glitzy 1 Langham Place mall (555 Shanghai St., 3552-3388), where you can take a break in one of the many “alfresco” restaurants and coffee shops, underneath the atrium’s spectacular color-changing roof. Or cross the walkway into the Langham Place Hotel to enjoy superb Chinese food at Ming Court (a Michelin-starred restaurant), Japanese cocktails and cuisine with spectacular city views at 2 Tokoro, or kick back in their Portal Work + Play lounge.
Right opposite Langham Place Hotel (at its back side off Shanghai Street) is one of Hong Kong’s last remaining street markets: 3 Mong Kok Market. Every morning and late afternoon it comes alive, with housewives and chefs alike elbowing each other to cheerfully squabble over the freshest produce.
Get back onto Shanghai Street and walk towards Yau Ma Tei, where you’ll come across another rare sight: 4 an old man practicing the vanishing craft of portrait painting. Mr. Fung has been practicing his skills for decades, back in the day when portrait photographs were an expensive luxury and many went to have their portraits sketched instead. Today, Mr. Fung still plies his trade in his tiny little tin stall at 443 Shanghai Street (9126-9286), charging $500 for each painting.