Imagine taking an evening stroll down a well-lit street in the heart of Hong Kong that serves as a single stop for your local food cravings, shopping sprees, and Instagram-worthy shots. You can experience this at the country's Temple Street night market, which presents you with the best of Hong Kong on a single street.
Night markets in Hong Kong started as large bazaars, open-air public spaces where people congregated after work for leisure. As these places gained popularity and saw increased footfall, they attracted cultural and recreational activities like singing, fortune-telling, local food stalls, and flea markets. It soon became an affordable spot, inhabited mainly by the less affluent citizenry of the country.
Over the years, these night markets have evolved into spaces that attract tourists from across the world and expose them to the culture and cuisine of the land.
Temple Street is considered one of the country's most popular and loved night markets. Located in the Kowloon Yau Ma Tei district, the Temple Street Market stretches from Jordan Road to Kansu Street for about 1 km. The street is named after the Tin Hau Temple, which lies at the centre of it. Even though the market opens between 4 pm and midnight every day, the best time to visit is between 6 pm and 11 pm.
Each night, the street comes alive and is studded with neon-lit signboards, lined with fortune tellers reading palms, dotted with vendors selling Hong Kong souvenirs and hawkers bringing you the country's local fare. If you plan to visit the market, you must look forward to the authentic local eateries and restaurants on and around the street. These bring dishes that are specific to the country's cuisine and are done best by the people of Hong Kong.
If you plan to visit the market, you must look forward to the authentic local eateries and restaurants on and around the street. These bring dishes that are specific to the country's cuisine and are done best by the people of Hong Kong.
If you are on a food walk through Temple Street night market, begin by indulging in Hong Kong-style snacks at 28 food stalls near Temple Street Archway. Some must-tries include fish balls, sui mai, and mock shark's fin soup.
Ten more stalls at the Archway will introduce you to snacks that evoke memories for the locals. Take delight in the flavours of candy and coconut wraps (sugar pancakes), Ding Ding candy, dragon's beard candy, and the very popular aeroplane olives.
In addition to local snacks, there are a bunch of eateries that you must stop by to indulge in the true flavours of the cuisine. Some must-try eateries include:
If you are a dim sum enthusiast, Dim Sum Here is a must-try as it offers over 50 varieties of the dish. Other signature dishes at the pocket-friendly eatery include delicacies like their black and gold lava buns, the classic Canto-style steamed sponge cake, an irresistible cheung fun wrapped with crispy spring roll, and various steamed rice dishes.
It is a decade-old shop best known for its signature snake soup and Chinese sticky rice— both prepared using authentic ingredients. Ser Wong also offers 10 varieties of herbal soups and set meals for a heartier dining experience.
Claypot rice is a standout delicacy of Hong Kong's cuisine and Temple Street's offerings. A visit to the Hing Kee Restaurant is a must to try it at its best. It offers over 60 varieties of claypot rice.
Specialising in herbal teas is the four-decade-old Pak Po Tong at the Temple Street night market. Some must-tries from the roster include 24 herbs, five flower teas, and sour plum soup.
Most locals will tell you that a visit to Temple Street is incomplete without a visit to Fong Tai. The bakery serves 18 varieties of traditional pastries, and their sesame rolls are unmissable.
The Woosung Street Temporary Cooked Food Hawker Bazaar is another iconic food destination on Temple Street that one must check out. Out of the 10 food vendors, a highly recommended stall is the Wing Fat Seafood Restaurants, which has been operating for over three decades.
While trying local delicacies is a must when you are visiting Temple Street night market, the street also offers a range of global cuisines, including Nepali (Manakamana Nepali Restaurant), Filipino (Foodtrip Bedañas Filipino Restaurant), Tibetan (My Kitchen), Italian (Pizza Max Bistro), and Mexican (The Jungle).
In addition to food joints and eateries at the night market, you will be greeted by fortune tellers, each of whom owns a small stall with a table, chairs, and posters explaining their methods. Hong Kong has a long tradition of fortune telling in and around temples, and since the Temple Street market is the historic Tin Hau Temple, it plays host to many fortune tellers.
They use various methods of fortune telling, including examination of the hands, face, and Chinese astrology. A tip that you should keep in mind as tourists would be to look out for boards that indicate a fortune teller's willingness to read in English, in case you don't know Cantonese.
On your visit to the market, don't forget to pick up some cool souvenirs, accessories, trendy clothes, and antiques for your friends back home.
Shots of spots at Temple Street would also make for great Instagram stories and posts. Don’t forget to click the street’s archway that stands as a symbol of its rich history, the street food that you relish on your visit to the market, and the vibrant streetscape. Don’t skip taking shots at the Mido Cafe that will leave your followers wondering if you just entered the sets of Expats (a series on Amazon Prime that was filmed, in parts at the cafe).
If you are planning a trip to Hong Kong, visiting the Temple Street Night Market should be one of the top few things on your checklist, because there is nothing that the street doesn't offer— great food, a fun shopping experience, and a peek into the country's culture and belief system.
