Temple Street – One of The Largest Flea Markets in Asia

Perhaps, when you hear about Temple Street, the first thing that may come to your mind is the night market, and you'll be right. Temple Street is known as one of the largest flea markets in Asia and is very popular among tourists, especially those who seek to buy Hong Kong traditional souvenirs at a low price.

The area is jammed with vendors offering a cosmic variety of products ranging from food, merchandises to household items with lower-than-average prices. You can also find luxurious branded items, which of course, are counterfeit. However, they are so well-tailored that if you don't tell anyone that you buy them here, everyone will think that they're genuine. However, there's a good reason why the night market isn't as popular with locals as it is with tourists. Despite its label, most of the products sold here can be found anywhere else in Hong Kong, and the prices aren’t usually the best either.

The vendors often exploit tourists’ unfamiliarity with the average prices, so the opening prices tend to be quite high. However, they’re usually open to bargain, even when there is a sign in front of the booth telling you otherwise. With enough patience and negotiation, the term 'best bargain in Hong Kong' will come into reality. However, keep in mind that by selling mostly to tourists, some of the vendors aren't afraid to sell low-quality or even damaged goods as their customers (a.k.a. victims) won't come back to complain in any time soon. This is especially true with electronic products.

Fortune Telling

Staying true to the word ‘temple’ in its name, you will find a generous amount of fortune tellers scattered across the streets. Most will offer services in Chinese but some are able to do it in English. Fortune-telling has been a big part of Chinese culture dating back to thousand of years ago. And, whether you believe in mysticism or not, it won't hurt giving it a shot. However, beware of the fake ones who only seek to capitalize on the tradition. These people tend to invent their own “methods” of fortune telling and give you general and vague advicess. So, when things don’t work out as they’ve predicted, they can give excuses like “you don’t want it hard enough.” But, worry not as they are quite easy to spot. Those “fake fortune tellers” will usually have little to no people queueing in front of their booths. One of them is even so desperate that he promises not to tell his patrons any bad things, which kinda violates the whole point of fortune telling.

Cantonese Opera

Another unique aspect of Temple Street is the Amateur Cantonese Opera. Just beyond the main streets, there are many open-air establishments where patrons can sing classic Cantonese songs karaoke-style for a small fee (usually around $20). Most of the singers are elderlies, and most of the audience are their friends or relatives and a few occasional tourists who pass by to take photos. If you happen to bump into one of the establishments, go stop by for a little while. The people there are usually very welcoming as they want to introduce their passion to as many people as possible. They may ask you for donation, but don’t get it wrong. The whole scene is driven by passion and most of them just want to preserve their culture. Judging from the venue and equipment, it’s fair to assume that they spend much more than they earn. Furthermore, hearing the unique Cantonese melody mixed with a spice of enthusiasm can make your whole night unforgettable.And, if you’re in the mood for a challenge, you may want to hit the mic and sing a song or two.