Hong Kong - Hong Kong is like an enormous department store; if you go shopping here you are bound to find what you want. A highlight of any visit to the city is a trip to one of its numerous marketplaces. Many of them are specialised and only sell certain items such as fish, flowers, jewellery or song birds. Qiang Wu is still not sure what he should do. He has spent the entire morning at the bird market on Yuen Po Street. He wants to buy a bird for his small apartment but he cannot decide which one he prefers. There are over 70 traders at the bird market in Mong Kok district and all of them are selling colourful song birds that originated from all over the globe.
Qiang already has a favourite but first he wants to have a chat with the men standing with bird cages at the edge of the market. Just as some people meet up for a coffee when they take their dogs for a walk, elderly Hong Kong men like to take their song birds for a stroll to the bird market in the morning.
Just a few streets away is an equally interesting spectacle: the goldfish market. Goldfish are also very suited to the crowded living conditions that most of Hong Kong's seven million people live in. Tung Choi street is crowded with tiny shops selling colourful fish in aquariums or pre-packed in water-filled plastic bags pinned to the walls. Everything from goldfish, to fish tanks, to fish food is on sale here.
Another few streets away is the flower market on Flower Market Road. This is one of the most colourful markets in Hong Kong, according to Denny Ip, who works as a movie location scout. "It's always very crowded here ahead of the Chinese New Year festivities with people buying plants to bring luck and wealth for the next 12 months."
There are plenty more markets in Mong Kok apart from these three. The clothing markets in Fa Yuen are nearby and include the Ladies' Market where women can find bargain shoes and accessories.
If you are thinking of buying some jewellery try visiting the Jade Market. The precious stone, which comes from Burma, China, Australia and Taiwan, is believed by the Chinese to possess mysterious powers.
When night falls things start getting really busy in Temple Street. The Night Market in Yau-Ma-Tei district on Kowloon has everything you need. There are fortune tellers sitting beside chess players, street musicians singing Cantonese operas and everywhere people can be seen eating steamed meals. In contrast to the Ladies' Market, Temple Street has men's clothing on offer.
Also well known is the Stanley Market on the south coast which appears far removed from Hong Kong's skyscrapers and jammed streets. The many hairpin bends in the road provide views of the South China Sea and pretty residential areas.
In contrast to most other markets the traders here are less likely to offer a great deal. "Too many tourists come here and pay for the prices on the labels," says Denny. That explains why it is hard to negotiate a good price.
Internet: www.discoverhongkong.com.
