The Ladies Market Hong Kong - Well worth your time
It sells cheap, cheesy, tacky stuff and people love it!
Me Jamie, your host, I am English and I have lived in Hong Kong for 53 years - I know the place.
I have personally completed 2,300+ Private Tours and Experiences (over 6,000+ guests) since April 2011 and I am considered one of the finest Private Tour Guides in Asia.
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The Ladies Market Hong Kong - Well worth your time
It sells cheap, cheesy, tacky stuff and people love it!
click on the image to enlarge
The Ladies Market has not changed much over the decades since 1975 and it is well worth a visit, it is actually a lot of fun!
“Ladies' Market in Mongkok is always a treat to visit with the rows of open stalls as well as tiny boutiques offering a wide range of different fashions, accessories, gadgets and gimicks. Frequented as much by Hongkongers as by tourists it maintains a special place in the heart of every lady, and quite a few gents, in HK. From tourist souvineers like place name boards through travel essentials such as luggage there is always something to see and browse. We never leave the street empty-handed even if we go there just for a look!”
This blurb is from the semi official website of the Ladies Market, see link below, it is a very quaint old fashioned website and worth browsing for some decent background information.
When I visited in late April 2025 to take some photos it had been a while since I had been and I was absolutely thrilled that pretty much nothing had changed, the 20 images below that I took will give you some idea on what to expect.
Go there and have some fun and if you are a seasoned traveller you will know exactly what to expect and the 100+ stalls gives you lots of choices.
So, 100+ stores along a 1km stretch of road, in general with guests takes at least 1 hour to go from one end to the other.
The Ladies Market in Mong Kok - Hong Kong
Fun, organised chaos for bargain hunters
Please do read a few of the Tripadvisor reviews so you will have some idea of what to expect and remember you are buying stuff from a market stall not a brand name boutique!
I first went to the Ladies Market when it opened in 1975 in and around Tung Choi Street in Mong Kok which is one of the most densely populated places on the planet. I estimate i have been there over a thousand times, I used to go there on weekends when I was a teenager as it was a cool place to hang out! back then it was very much along the lines of an old fashioned flea market. (these days you have to go to Sham Shui Po for a flea market experience)
I would also point out that Street Markets in Hong Kong are very popular with residents!
Hong Kong has no shortage of street markets in Kowloon, the famous ones are the Ladies Market and the Temple Street Night Market but there are others in Mong Kok and Sham Shui Po which cater more for local residents and on Hong Kong Island, there is Stanley Market (and I have covered that debacle in a recent blog post)
When you play tourist and visit towns, cities and countries it is only natural that you purchase something to give as gifts to family and friends or something simply to remind you of the place you visited (our thing at home is fridge magnets) and at the Airport and major tourist attractions in Hong Kong there is no shortage of gift shops selling souvenirs and such, the problem you have is that Hong Kong has some of the highest retail rentals in the world so generally the price gives you the heebie - jeebies.
It is also a fact that these retail shops tend to shy away from offering any product that could be seen by the authorities as a “knock off” in other words brand name bags, scarves, jewellery and such, so what to do? well you hit the street markets and yes I have lost count of the number of times I have advised my guests on the procedure for buying fake brand name goods.
It is a game of cat and mouse between the stall holders and the authorities and really quite ludicrous, go to the Ladies Market on any day of the week and you will see lots of stalls selling knock off’s at very affordable prices and to make it even more laughable, to buy good quality knock off’s you generally have to go into a dodgy building where there might be a large showroom of illicit wares or into the back of a shop or restaurant and naturally these are cash transactions.
The knock off’s are on open display and if the stall gets raided, no problem, an hour after the authorities have gone having confiscated all the items new stock is put on display….. nothing like a bit of excitement to liven up the day.
So to make it clear, as you are walking through the market someone will ask you quite openly if you want to buy good quality fake products which are many levels up quality wise than those on open display, use your own judgement if you are interested, you will be perfectly safe walking into a dodgy building or other establishment.
Both the Ladies Market and the Temple Street Night Market have been around since 1975 and rather confusingly they are the same and different and I have always favoured the Ladies Market mainly because it is open longer and is a lot, lot bigger but the recent addition of a street food section to the Temple Street Night Market has changed the equation somewhat.
Officially at both markets there are seemingly NO official opening or closing times so here is the basic guide
The Ladies Market generally opens at around 12pm 7 days a week but it only starts to get busy after 2pm and then the place gets packed when darkness falls and it closes anytime between 10pm - midnight depending on how many people are walking the market.
The Temple Street Night Market is hamstrung by the name, people assume it is only open at night but many stalls are up and running by mid afternoon 7 days a week and it closes anytime between 10pm - midnight. again this depends on how many people are browsing so to speak.
Technically speaking Tung Choi Street where the Ladies Market is, is open to traffic until 4pm, but you will not see any traffic as it is impossible for them to navigate all the stalls, however there are 3 sections that intersect Tung Choi Street and these roads are busy with traffic until they are closed at 4pm so you have to have your wits about you as seeing cars, vans, trucks and idiots on E Bikes comes as a bit of a shock when there is an intersection.
In my experience the market is always busy from around 3pm to closing time and yes, weather does play a part and frankly in heavy rain walking the market is a thoroughly miserable experience, no matter that the stalls have large canvas coverings you invariably get soaked to the skin.
If you do not like crowds or being pushed and shoved then the Ladies Market is not for you, it can get very crowded with people from every country on the planet it seems but the crowds generate a very lively atmosphere which just gets a whole lot better when darkness falls and trust me the atmosphere in the Ladies Market is a lot better than the smaller Temple Street Night Market.
Unlike the Temple Street Night Market where ladies of the night offering a good time are very common on the streets and on the sidewalks behind the stalls, this is not the case at the Ladies Market in Mong Kok, it is always lurking in the background (and if you read signs then a Hotel that offers rates by the hour is more than likely a rather tacky love hotel!) my point, The Ladies Market is family friendly.
My guests generally ask me about pickpockets, well it is NOT a major issue, there are always plenty of Police around both in uniform and plain clothes and in any event street crime is pretty rare in Hong Kong, just observe the basic precautions and you will be fine.
So the big thing about the Ladies Market and street markets in general is the art of bartering which frankly for me personally is very tedious but it is part of the great game
So working on the assumption that most of the products on sale come from Mainland China and are produced for pennies…… (or they could have fallen of the back of a lorry)
Most of the people that work the stalls are female and the level of English is rudimentary at best and they have perfected the “hurt look” when you haggle, it is simply all part of the game.
I should point out that many products are for sale on multiple stalls and I have always suspected that all the stalls are owned by just a handful of individuals so no matter what, they get the sale and how much profit they make depends on the skill of the employees and trust me, they are very well versed in playing the game.
Haggling is an art form and in my experience women are much better at it than men! I suck at haggling, my wife could get a 2 carat Graff diamond for less than wholesale!
the price of any product is negotiable and more savvy people than me will start the bidding with a 50% or 60% discount!
many stalls have signs that state a “fixed” price with no discounts, just ignore that, everything is subject to a discount
the stall holder will look horrified and in broken English give a million reasons why there price is the cheapest and there are no discounts oh and their husband just died and she has 5 kids to feed (I have heard this a few times myself)
you will then mutter a few words, turn your back and walk away as you know better
the plainly “shocked” stall holder will shout after you or manhandle you and agree to your discount or an even steeper discount if you reach for your wallet | purse
cash payment, deal done, smiles all around!
I always wonder why people slag off the Ladies Market the format has been in place for 50 years!, a lot of people make comparisons with other markets in other Asian Cities and yes some of the products may appear to be cheaper but what are the odds of a Hong Kong fridge magnet being sold in a Vietnam street market.?
Yes, there is a lot of junk or tourist crap on display, yes the level of English of the stall holders is not great, yes, the bartering can be tedious and the crowds can get on your nerves but… it is an awesome place to visit particularly at night time, it really is a lot of fun and you get to play in the great game and do not worry about hurting the feelings of stallholders, thousands upon thousands of people visit the market daily 365 days of the year, there is always another customer.
So what about food at the Ladies Market?
As far as I can tell there are NO food stalls (unlike the Temple Street Night Market) but behind the trinket stalls and all around the area are a gazillion dodgy restaurants offering up street food or sit down fare, dessert places are quite common (I always buy the waffles) so finding something to eat is pretty easy and there are a load of convenience stores selling quality drinks and snacks.
Mong Kok is NOT really known for gourmet fare, it is cheap and cheerful but there are Michelin starred restaurants in the area so do your research in advance.
Tripadvisor (via a google search) is a good place to check on restaurants in and around the Ladies Market in Mong Kok
For the record I do not do food tours in any shape or form but my friends do and they offer tours that are part food and part visiting the street markets, they are also great fun.
Sneaker Street that intersects with the Ladies Market
“Nicknamed Sneaker Street, the 150-metre-long Fa Yuen Street is lined with specialty sportswear and sporting goods stores, offering a wide selection of sneaker styles and sizes that cater to every taste. On the same street is sports-themed concept mall, The Forest, which brings together top global sports and athleisure brands. It also features a free interactive sports experience zone where participants can hone their sports skills through motion-based games. Sports enthusiasts would not want to miss out — be sure to book in advance.”
This blurb is courtesy of the Hong Kong Michelin Food Guide which is an excellent for food choices in and around the Ladies Market.
Why is the Ladies Market in Mong Kok called the Ladies Market?
“In case you wonder how the Ladies Market got its name, it is because stalls, shops and hawkers catered primarily to the female customers and sold everything fashion related (clothes, accessories, shoes, handbags and stockings) at the beginning.”
Sum it up rather nicely although it is pretty obvious but basically these days it sells stuff that is of interest to everybody.
So the obvious question - what does the Ladies Market sell?
Anything and everything it seems, my 20 images below will give you some idea….
clothes for women, men and kids
stuff | junk
bags, all kinds
tourist souvenirs, whatever you can think of really
belts and other menswear
hats
shoes and sneakers
fashion accessories and cheap jewellery
paintings (and these have proven popular with my guests)
fake brand name goods of varying degrees of quality
fridge magnets and keychains
fake watches and cheap genuine watches
luggage, any and all sizes
gadgets
electronic gadgets
toys, all varieties
smart phone cases
… and the perennial favourite : chopsticks
You get the idea!
My insider tip
Please note I find the easiest and quickest way to get to the Ladies Market is to exit the Mong Kok MTR Station (subway) at exit D3, you do have to navigate about 30 steps up to the road.
When you exit the exit look left and you will see an alleyway that leads directly into the Ladies Market, it takes less than a minutes walk and is perfectly safe day or night as you walk the alleyway you will see the stalls, You will be around 30 seconds from the start of the Ladies Market, turn left to start from the beginning or turn right to proceed along the length of the Ladies Market, roughly around 1 km.
click on the image to enlarge
So one of the logical things the Hong Kong Government could do to spice up the Ladies Market is to add a street food section somewhere along the 1 km length of the Market and it should be based exactly 0n what they have done at the Temple Street Night Market in Jordan, the street food section has totally revitalised the market and the place hops now.
click on the image to enlarge
This is the street food section of the Temple Street Night Market in Jordan, Kowloon, they could easily transplant this idea to the Ladies Market in Mong Kok.
My final point is that an overhaul of the Ladies Market is long overdue, as much as I love it and I love to take my guests there, it needs a few fresh ideas to liven it up slightly, the addition of a specific street food section at the Temple Street Night Market has worked wonders for it and I get the impression that it is pulling away visitors from the Ladies Market.
Food for thought!
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