Temple Street market, once called the men’s market, emerges, as if by magic, from the busy daytime streets. The street is closed to traffic, stalls rapidly assembled, and then the streets filled with traders and potential customers. At the end of the trading period, the stalls disappear into the darkness, and the street is cleaned of all debris, ready for the resurgence of the Hong Kong traffic. It’s all done without fuss – logistics to perfection!
The first time we came to this Market it was gone 11pm, and the place was heaving with customers. We joined this bustling throng in search of a bargain. And there was plenty to choose from, as this is market covers a large area. It’s basically a linear market, with a couple of cul-de-sacs terminating in a large loop around Temple Street.
The lower end of the market is where we concentrated our efforts as here we found cheap designer watches, which were virtually disposable at five for 100HKD and a great Chairman Mao clockwork watch for 20HKD. All had to be bargained for, but the negotiation really was not that tough, it just made the transaction a bit more fun. This market is renown for ladies evening bags and there was a whole range from beaded to tapestry, sequined to miniscule clutch bags. The prices started high but with a bit of persistence we managed to negotiate a purchase with a two-thirds reduction.
My wife was in her element as this was pashmina heaven and there were loads of silk garments. I got carried away with the purchase of ties, but the prices were so cheap it really didn’t matter if I only wore them a couple of times. There was ample opportunity to buy cheap CDs and DVDs, although I’m sure that the DVDs were all illegal copies (at five for 100HKD, these stalls were fairly busy).
Progressing up the street, we were met with the pungent smell of the street food stalls selling savoury pancakes, fish balls, seafood kebabs, and a range of unspecified meat. These were extremely popular, even as we approached the bewitching hour.
At this road junction, I’d recommend you take a right turn (to the left are cheap pirated goods, tacky toys, and a range of sex aids and pornography), because this will take you to the interactive part of the market. It’s here that you may be lucky enough to see street performers (we didn’t!), but one side of this road is lined with local fortune-tellers and soothsayers. We had offers to read our faces, our palms, and our heads; to play the tarot cards; to allow a caged bird to assist in defining our destiny; even to have our handwriting analysed. It’s a fascinating part of the market, and everyone seems take it really seriously (with the exception of me!). Most of the consultants looked the part, and I’m sure they modelled themselves on the romanticised image of the fortune-telling Oriental.