FOUR reasons for why Fa Yuen Street Market is better than the Ladies Market

Four reasons why Fa Yuen Street Market is better than the Ladies Market

The Ladies Market in Mong  Kok is famous, but the nearby Fa Yuen Street Market is better! WHY???......

(1) Fa Yuen Street Market is easier to walk 

Hong Kong Government helps the stall owners to renovate the market. The market becomes cleaner and spacious. It is easy to walk, so easy to shop. 

Fa Yuen Street Market

Ladies Market

(2) Fa Yuen Street Market is for the locals

A lot of Hong Kong citizens go shopping at Fa Yuen Street. They buy everything there. Apart from shopping, you can see the locals' life style. 

(3) Fa Yuen Street Market's goods are cheaper

Local citizens know where they can purchase cheaper things. Fa Yuen Street is their first choice. When you shop there, you can enjoy the local price. Bargaining is also acceptable. 

(4) Fa Yuen Street Market's goods are more practical

As Fa Yuen Street Market is NOT a tourist market. So you won't find the touristy souvenir there (like the 'Maobama' T-shirt, Mao Zedong + Obama ). You can actually buy something useful, practical, beautiful and reasonably priced. They can be good souvenir or for your own use.

Fa Yuen Street Market is only 5 mins walk away from the Bird Market and Flower Market. Don't miss the two interesting places after shopping.

Want to see Chinese culture and go shopping at Kowloon, please browse the Kowloon Private tour link.

You may also contact Frank the tour guide for private tour planning.

4 better alternatives for the Hong Kong must-go points

Hong Kong must-go points and the alternatives

Travel guide books and websites always recommend some must-go points to the individual travelers.  In this post, you can find the better alternatives.

Must-go: Man Mo Temple at Sheung WanBetter alternative: Lin Fa Kung Temple at Tai Hang

Man Mo Temple's incense coils for making wishes cause the temple to be too smoky. The smoke makes you 'cry' and cough.  

The half-octagonal shape Lin Fa Kung Temple is cleaner as it uses the electric lotus flower lamp.  You can also learn the history of Fire Dragon Parade at this temple for the Goddess of Mercy.

Must-go: Sky-100 Observation Deck at ICC buildingBetter alternative: The Peak, West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade and the highest bar in the ICC Building

The 175HKD ticket price for Sky-100 may be not reasonable.  The fixed windows cause reflection, which makes photo taking difficult.  

The traditional Victoria Peak or new West Kowloon Waterfront promenade are free of charge.  You can make 'one payment to get two enjoyments' (drink and view) at the highest bar in the World in the same ICC building. 

Must-go: Harbour cruise in the Victoria HarbourBetter alternative: Different public ferry rides

Harbour cruises sail around the Victoria harbour for about 2 hours.  After 15 minutes, you may feel boring.  

You can actually be a local to take public ferry rides to see more and learn more.  Like the North Point to Hung Hom Ferry ride, apart from the sea view, you can visit the seafood market at the North Point Pier and try the shopping and culinary options near Hung Hom Pier.

Must-go: Tai O Fishing Village on Lantau IslandBetter alternative: Sai Kung Fishing Village

Tai O's traffic is inconvenient.  The stream may have stench during low tide.  Some of you may not like the strong smell of the dried seafood.  The 'Venice in the East' may fall short of the reality.

Sai Kung Fishing Village is easily accessible from the city.  The reasonably priced fresh seafood at the 'Seafood Street' and beaches on the nearby Sharp Island with good water quality are waiting for you.

For private tour planning in Hong Kong, please contact Frank the tour guide.

You may consider the Sai Kung half day private tour, which brings you to the Sai Kung Fishing Village.

Five sightseeing points relates to Hong Kong's richest man Li Ka Shing

Five sightseeing points, which relates to Mr Li Ka Shing, the richest man in Hong Kong

Mr Li Ka Shing is the richest man in Hong Kong. Five Hong Kong sightseeing points relates to him.

(1) Cheung Kong Center

The headquarter of Mr Li is architect Cesar Pelli's masterpiece in Central.  

The building design is conventional, which shows the owner's low profile character.  

You can see this skyscraper, which has 68 floors and 268 m, from the Victoria Peak. 

(2) Lamma Island Power Station

From the Victoria Peak, you can also see Mr. Li's power station on the Lamma Island.  

If you want to get closer to the power plant, which has 3 chimneys, and visit Li's wind turbine, you can go hiking on the Lamma Island.

(3) Whampoa Garden 'Ship on the land'

The ship-like building to remember the old dockyard in Mr. Li's property development, Whampoa Garden, is a Japanese style department store.  

After taking the selfie outside, you can enjoy shopping and good food inside.

(4) Hong Kong Golf Club

Mr. Li often plays golf there.  Apart from playing golf with him, you can also go to the Deep Water Bay Beach nearby to enjoy sunbathing, swimming and good food.

(5) Tsz Shan Temple & Goddess of Mercy statue

The Buddhist temple, which is a traditional Chinese wooden architecture, and the statue, which has 76 m and is the second tallest in the world, are donated by Mr. Li.  

You may apply to visit the temple or just see the statue from outside when you are riding bicycle there.

During the private tour in Hong Kong, you can learn more about Mr Li and the city.

Please browse the links with different private tour options.

You can also contact Frank the tour guide for private tour planning.

For lovers & parents, 3 lawns in urban Hong Kong

Three lawns in urban Hong Kong for lovers and parents

There are 3 lawns, where lovers may relax freely and parents may play with children happily, in the crowded urban Hong Kong.

(1) Lawn in the West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade

You can enjoy unbeatable view of the Victoria Harbour and beautiful sunset when you are having a picnic or riding bicycle under the tallest International Commerce Center. 

On Sunday, there are free cultural activities. 

In the near future, the West Kowloon Cultural District, Hong Kong Palace Museum (for the exhibits from Beijing's Forbidden City) and the high speed train terminus will be right next to it.

(2) Lawn in the Tamar Park

Tamar Park is a large open public space in the Admiralty Area. 

When you are lying down on the lawn, you can enjoy the beautiful view of Kowloon and see a huge modern architecture, the Central Government Complex, where the Hong Kong Government and Hong Kong Legislative Council locate.

(3) Lawn in the Victoria Park 

The lawn in the Victoria Park is the grassy oasis in the hustle and bustle Causeway Bay District. 

Lovers and parents can even go to the nearby Hong Kong Central Library, where lovers may relax at the cafe and parents can read the interesting books with children.

For further information, please contact Frank the tour guide.

Five kinds of food you can taste in the Cantonese restaurants

Cantonese restaurants' five kinds of food

Hong Kong is the dining capital and the Cantonese restaurants in Hong Kong are the miniature of the culinary capital! You can taste five kinds of food there.

(1) DIM SUM (mostly serve from 0700-1700, some restaurants have the night time dim sum)

Dim sum is the many different kinds of exquisite little snacks, buns, dumplings, rolls etc. 

The chefs prepare the dim sum by steaming, frying, deep-frying etc. 

The main ingredients are pork, shrimp and vegetable. 

You may regard dim sum, e.g. the famous shrimp dumpling (Ha Gau蝦餃) and barbecued pork bun (Cha Shao Bao叉燒包), as the hot appetizers.

(2) CANTONESE BARBECUE(serve from 1100)

In most Cantonese restaurants, you can find a kitchen-like room next to the entrance. 

You can find lots of barbecue pork, roasted geese, soy sauce chicken etc behind the room's big window. 

Busy local workers may buy the lunch boxes there with rice and Cantonese barbecue to take away. 

You, the leisure travelers, can order a bowl of rice with chicken or barbecue platter to enjoy in the restaurants.   

(3) RICE, NOODLE & RICE NOODLE(serve from 1100)

Apart from the barbecue, the chefs mix the rice, noodle and rice noodle with lots of other ingredients for you.  

Like the famous spicy fusion cuisine, fried rice noodle in Singaporean style (Sing Chow Chao Mic星洲炒米), it is made by the barbecue pork, shrimp, chili and onion. 

You can also have something in soup, e.g. the rice noodle in soup with roasted goose slice & preserved vegetable (Suet Choi For Ap Si Tong Mic雪菜火鴨絲湯米). 

(4) MAIN DISHES(serve from 1100)

The main dishes are the perfect combination of the meat, seafood and vegetable. 

For example, the chefs can use the grouper to make three dishes for you, fried grouper fillet with celery, steam grouper belly and soup with grouper bone.  

The restaurants have different set lunch/dinner menus, which consist of different main dishes, for you to choose. 

As the main dishes are made by the best foods, they are more expensive than dim sum.

(5) DESSERT(serve from 1100)

The set lunch/dinner menus always have desserts included.

You can also find them on the dim sum menu and order them separately. 

Green bean soup(Look Dau Sha綠豆沙), Osmanthus Jelly(Kwai Fa Go桂花糕) etc are common. 

Some restaurants can offer you something like the 'mango pudding glutinous rice flour roll' (Mon Guo Law Mic Kuen芒果糯米卷) and Pumpkin Soup(Nam Gwa Lo南瓜露).

Mouthwatering??? No need to find the big brand or the one with Michelin Star, just find one Cantonese restaurant on the main roads/in the malls and you can enjoy all the above-mentioned delicacies.

You may consider the following private tour options, which include the dim sum meal...

Full day Hong Kong Kowloon city tour

Round Hong Kong Island full day private tour

Hong Kong Lantau Island full day private tour

Kowloon half day culture tour

For further private tour planning, please contact Frank the tour guide.