ASIA HONG KONG DESTINATIONS


LEFT: Sham


Shui Po RIGHT:


Street art in Hollywood Road


 SHAM SHUI PO Head to Sham Shui Po and you will find yourself in an alternative corner of the city. It is set on the boundary of New Kowloon and can be reached via MTR (Mass Transit Railway) stop Sham Shui Po, with a single ticket starting at about £1.20. Visitors to this working-class


district can explore exotic markets and an interesting history. The area has remained popular with designers since its textile manufacturing heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, attracted by affordable fabrics and accessories. Today, there is a street dedicated to each product, with beads sold on Yu Chau Street, ribbons on Nam Cheong Street and clothes at wholesale prices on Cheung Sha Wan Fashion Road, while Ki Lung Street is also known as ‘button street’. The themed selling continues with electronic gadgets sold on Apliu Street and toys on Fuk Wing Street, while on Pei Ho


Mei Ho House, which was part of the first generation of public housing in the city, is now a youth hostel


Street, there are shops and stalls selling everyday goods, as well as food at reasonable prices. Sham Shui Po is ideal for those wanting to eat traditional specialities and street food. On offer are beancurd snacks and drinks, noodle cafes and homemade Chinese sweets, some of which come recommended in the Michelin guide to Hong Kong Street Food. The area’s architecture has plenty of stories to tell, too. As one of the oldest districts, it played a significant role in shaping the local way of living,


particularly in its development of social housing. Mei Ho House, on the Shek Kip


Mei Estate, was part of the first generation of public housing in the city. Today, it is Grade II listed and used as a youth hostel, and is home to the Heritage of Mei Ho House Museum exhibition, which tells the story of the development of housing in Hong Kong from the 1950s to 1980s. Eco Travel offers guided


walking tours of Sham Shui Po from about £76 per person. hongkong.ecotravel.hk


OLD TOWN CENTRAL Old Town Central on Hong Kong Island is the city’s most historic neighbourhood, and home to Possession Street, which marks where the British took ownership of Hong Kong in 1841. Traditional sits alongside


contemporary here, with old family businesses found next to modern galleries, boutique shops and popular international


restaurants. That combination is most evident at Tai Kwun on Hollywood Road, which was once the colonial-era central police station, magistrates’ court and prison, but reopened last year as a cultural and artistic space with places to eat and drink (open from 11am-11pm daily). Similarly, PMQ (Police Married


Quarters) on Aberdeen Street has recently been transformed into a creative hub with artists’ studios, restaurants and shops. Situated throughout the area


are long-established markets such as Graham Street Market, which dates back 160 years and sells fresh food produce and Chinese specialities. Pottinger Street has stalls along its rising stone slab steps selling clothes, costumes and trinkets, while Hollywood Road antiques market is a great place to browse for retro and vintage finds. There are several Chinese


temples in the area that are free to visit. The most famous is


14 February 2019travelweekly.co.uk71


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