8 Awesome Things to Do in Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong

This is our list of eight best things to do in Sham Shui Po! Even though this is a major district of Hong Kong, it is seldom covered in Hong Kong travel guides. This is a pity because there are many interesting attractions in this vibrant and heterogenous neighbourhood. This article was last updated on 29 May 2019. Also read: 15 Best Night Markets in Hong Kong You Must Visit

Sham Shui Po is a large area that consists of various “themed” streets, each selling different goods such as electronics, vintage items, toys, computer hardware, fabrics and many more.

For example, Apliu Street is famous for electronics, Fuk Wing Street is known for toys, Cheung Sha Wan Road is lined with fashion outlets, etc.

We enjoyed exploring the various street markets which consisted mostly of locals. It definitely felt less touristy than the Mong Kok markets.

Sham Shui Po is also a wonderful place for bargain shopping, because most of the street markets here cater to locals and do not overly inflate prices.

Below are the eight best Sham Shui Po attractions. You can choose to visit every one or just pick those that interest you!

1. Apliu Street Flea Market

Located at Apliu Street, Apliu Street Flea Market is an electronics flea market where you can find brand new and second-hand electronics goods at bargain prices.

The market stretches between Yen Chow Street and Nam Cheong Street.

We saw a large variety of electronics such as power plugs, USB speakers, cameras, microphones, sound mixers, karaoke systems and other audiovisual equipment.

Interestingly, we also saw several stalls selling fishing tools, as well as retro shops selling vinyl records, antique watches, coins and other vintage items.

And there were also the usual stalls selling phone accessories, bags, clothes, etc.

Even though we are not tech heads, we loved this street for its “local” vibe and interesting variety of merchandise!

Google Map Location
Address: 121 Kweilin St, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 8pm

2. Sham Shui Po Toy Street

Sham Shui Po Toy Street is located at Fuk Wing Street. It is best known for its huge number of toy shops. You will also find plenty of children clothes, festive decorations (Chinese New Year, Christmas, Halloween, etc), party accessories, and affordable stationery.

If you look at Google Maps, there are actually several separate sections of “Fuk Wing Street”. This is due the street being separated by urban developments.

Toy Street is located at the section between Pei Ho Street and Nam Cheong Street. It is quite near Sham Shui Po MRT station.

For the foodies, the section between Kweilin Street and Pei Ho Street houses many Asian food eateries, including the popular Man Kee Cart Noodle.

Google Map Location
Address: 62 Fuk Wing St, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 9pm

3. Dragon Centre

Dragon Centre is a nine-storey shopping mall that is home to a variety of shops, eateries, and a food court. There is even an ice skating rink on the 8th floor and a games arcade on  the 9th floor.

This is a nice air-conditioned mall to take a break from exploring Sham Shui Po. It is also a good place if you are looking for clean toilets.

Google Map Location
Address: 37K Yen Chow St, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 9pm

4. Cheung Sha Wan Road

If you are looking for clothes at bargain prices, then Cheung Sha Wan Road is the place to go! This street is lined with over 250 fashion shops selling ladies’ clothing, mens’ clothing, children clothes, fashion accessories, and more.

The shops start from Yen Chow Street and stretches for about 800 metres to Boundary Street.

The clothes here are definitely not high-end fashion, and in fact some of them are of quite bad quality. BUT they are very affordable and if you patiently browse through the shops you may find a hidden gem at a great price.

The famous vinyl record shop, Vinyl Hero, is located along this road too.

Google Map Location
Address: Cheung Sha Wan Road, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong
Opening Hours (varies between shops): | Mon to Fri: 9am to 6pm | Sat: 9am to 12pm | Sun: Closed |

5. Golden Computer Arcade

Located at Fuk Wa Street, Golden Computer Arcade is a popular mall in Hong Kong to shop for bargain video games, gaming consoles, computers, and computer hardwares. We visited on a Sunday at around 8pm and the narrow corridors here were still quite packed.

On the higher floor, I saw many shops selling games and consoles such as Playstations, X-Boxes, etc. There was even a super cool arcade-style console printed with the words “拳霸” (Fist Master).

The lower floor consisted mainly of laptops and a whole variety of computer hardware and gadgets.

Google Map Location
Address: 146-152號 Fuk Wa St, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 10pm

6. Yen Chow Fabric Market

Yen Chow Fabric Market is a wholesale fabric market that has been around since 1978. It is extremely popular with fashion students, professionals and craft hobbyists.

This covered market may look uninspiring from the outside but it is a treasure trove of quality textiles at bargain prices.

The market also conducts fabric workshops sometimes.

Sadly, this venerable market is slated to be demolished for redevelopment soon.

Google Map Location
Address: 373-551 Lai Chi Kok Rd, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong
Opening Hours: | Mon to Fri: 9am to 6pm | Sat: 9am to 12pm | Sun: Closed |

7. Bead Street (Yu Chau Street)

Bead Street is located at Yu Chau Street. This street is better suited for walk-in customers because the shops sell smaller quantities of textiles. There are also fashion-related paraphernalia such as embellishments, sequins, zippers, buttons, glue guns, etc.

The textile shops are located between Nam Cheong Street and Wong Chuk Street.

Google Map Location
Address: Yu Chau Street, Mong Kok, Hong Kong
Opening Hours: | Mon to Fri: 9am to 6pm | Sat: 9am to 12pm | Sun: Closed |

8. Ki Lung Street

Ki Lung Street runs parallel to Yu Chau Street and sells similar fabric and fashion accessories as Yu Chau Street. In addition, you will find a few leatherwork shops here too.

If you are a DIY fashion enthusiast, this is the place for you.

The textile shops are also located between Nam Cheong Street and Wong Chuk Street.

Google Map Location
Address: Ki Lung Street, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong
Opening Hours: | Mon to Fri: 9am to 6pm | Sat: 9am to 12pm | Sun: Closed |

History of Sham Shui Po

For much of its modern history, Sham Shui Po has been a relatively poor and underdeveloped area compared to the rest of Hong Kong. Even today, it is known to be a neighbourhood for working-class immigrants and refugees.

During the 1960s, the district became a prominent wholesale and manufacturing textile hub. Consequently, a wholesale textile market was established here in 1976.

From the 1970s, Sham Shui Po started becoming a holding area for Vietnamese refugees escaping communism and poverty from their homeland.

Nowadays, the refugees will set up flea markets on Pei Ho Street during the twilight hours of 5am to 7am, and also from 10pm to 12am. This is one of their only few ways to make ends meet.

Sham Shui Po Map

Conclusion

It was fun exploring the colourful and diverse Sham Shui Po neighbourhood, where we saw a wide variety of interesting merchandise on sale for bargain prices.

When exploring the markets, take care of your belongings because the area has been known to have pickpockets.

Sham Shui Po is definitely a good place to visit if you want to experience something different from the touristy night markets of Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei!

Sham Shui Po
Directions: Take the MTR to Sham Shui Po Station. Once you exit you will be in the heart of Sham Shui Po. You can refer to our map above to plan your tour of this area.