“People keep rushing onto the streets for food and I didn’t stop for an hour just serving customers. The beef offal stew sold out in two hours,” Cheng said.

She charged HK$50 per serving of stew and HK$40 for 20 fish balls or 20 pieces of siu mai, and would call it a day once they were sold out.

About a dozen people queued at a stall offering “fried three stuffed treasures” at HK$15 for three pieces of their choice including green pepper and tofu.

Housewife Yeung Wing-yan, 42, visited the market with her six-year-old son and ended up buying 12 pieces and a HK$30 bowl of imitation shark’s fin soup.

“I didn’t even know the night market was open until we walked by. I seldom let my son eat greasy food. But it’s a chance to let him taste something authentic as a Hongkonger,” she said.

Visitors heading to the six-month extravaganza can also savour exotic delights, including Turkish coffee, French-style rack of lamb, cuttlefish cakes, signature oyster omelettes and Nepalese grilled meat.

“We are also offering some nostalgic things that people have heard about, but may not have been able to try before, such as glutinous rice puddings with red beans, dragon’s beard candy and licorice olives,” Tourism Board executive director Dane Cheng Ting-yat said.

Chan Chi-yan, 63, a resident in the area for three decades, said he had not seen such a crowd for years.

“It’s so nice to see the old glory of Temple Street come back. Everyone is having a good time enjoying their time with friends and family with lots of street food,” the security guard said.

“I told my wife not to cook tonight and just have a street food fest together.”

Cheng said the market would help support Hong Kong’s nightlife scene, with organisers focusing on more than just boosting the evening economy.

“Many people are asking about how much additional foot traffic and business this event is expected to generate,” he said. “But we hope to revitalise Temple Street in a new and engaging way, which goes beyond only boosting local consumption and striving to enhance the overall vibe.”

Cheng said his team had worked closely with the Temple Street Association of Hawkers to determine the best location for the food stalls, with 70 per cent of the stands run by neighbourhood vendors.

The night bazaar will run from 2pm to 11pm each day. Organisers have also arranged spaces for vendors to store their stalls and merchandise.

The board said a patrol team was also being deployed to ensure the location stayed clean and to keep noise disturbances to a minimum for nearby residential areas.

“We will review the footfall and the reactions of visitors to determine what the next step will be during these six months,” Cheng said. “It’s very important to ensure our residents fall in love with Temple Street and promote it to our visitors.”

He added that the board would promote the night market through creative videos on social media platforms such as YouTube and mainland China’s Xiaohongshu, where vloggers could also share their own first-hand experiences.

The bazaar is also collaborating with architect Stanley Siu Kwok-kin and displaying illuminated art installations in 11 locations. The pieces include nods to the neighbourhood and Chinese culture.

Alongside the night market, the century-old Tin Hau Temple Complex, a declared monument, will extend its opening hours every Saturday from 5pm to 10pm to promote the city’s culture and heritage.