KOWLOON A good way to start your day’s exploration of Kowloon is with a spot of brunch and there’s no better place than one of the local Cha Chaan Teng. Here you can grab yourself a well-stewed pot of tea, whitened and sweetened with evaporated milk. Jump on the MTR and head to the Star Ferry terminal for a wander along the promenade, take in the landscape of skyscrapers across the bay and go star-spotting. The Avenue of Stars is Hong Kong’s version of Hollywood Boulevard, with tributes to the stars of Hong Kong’s movie stars like Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee. While you’re here take a ride on the famous Star Ferry, which has been carrying passengers since 1950 and was rated by National Geographic as one of 50 “Places of a Lifetime”. (Your Octopus card will work here.) In the late afternoon take the MTR back to Jordan and wander through Temple Street Market, a local shopping extravaganza with rows of brightly lit stalls and a few local delicacies to sample. Be sure to venture into the Yau Ma Tei area at the end of the street to watch the impromptu performances and maybe get your fortune told. The Jade Market (Corner Kansu Street and Battery Street, Yau Ma Tei) is a short stroll away and also worth checking out to practice your haggling skills before heading to Mong Kok for a bit more people-watching and window-shopping at the Ladies Market on Tung Choi Street. Mong Kok is also where you’ll find the famous Goldfish Market which actually sells all manner of tropical fish but don’t be tempted – you can’t take them out of Hong Kong.
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Clockwise from left: The Ladies Market, Mong Kok; Shanghai Street, Kowloon; The Star Ferry
Deb Dickson Smith
Tung Cheung Shutterstock