The Old Wanchai Market was constructed in 1937. It is located at 264 Queen's Road East, at the Wan Chai Road crossing, opposite Stone Nullah Lane in Wan Chai, Hong Kong Island. It is a Grade III Historic Building.
Its architectural style is influenced by Streamline Moderne (also known as Streamlined Moderne or Art Moderne) architecture, a popular style of building of the 1930s. It is often erroneously referred to as a Bauhaus-style building. Wan Chai Market, the wet market housed in the old market building since 1937, has moved into the new market complex on the lower levels of "The Zenith", a newly built residential development located just opposite to the market building, in September 2008. The Wan Chai Market was initially a wet place where merchants would sell their belongings. It was also used as a garage for Bullock Carts and thus was called the 'Wet Garage' (Chinese: 濕車庫). It was named in 1917.
During Japanese occupation, the basement of the Wan Chai Market was used by Japanese soldiers for the storage of corpses.[2] In 1961, the Market underwent a renovation to improve its facilities and environment so that the Market could compete with other market places in the district.[2] The Land Development Corporation obtained approval from the Executive Council to acquire land in Wan Chai, including this site, for redevelopment as part of an urban renewal project. A consortium was formed comprising Chinese Estates (40%), Kwong Sang Hong (25%), Chi Cheung Investment (20%) and Peregrine Group (15%). Chinese Estates, controlled by Joseph Lau Luen-hung, agreed with the Urban Renewal Authority in 1996 to jointly redevelop the site into a luxury residential-commercial complex. Phase two of the project, which requires the demolition of the building, was scheduled to start early 2008 and be completed by mid-2011. In 2007, the Urban Renewal Authority and the Development Bureau jointly announced that the facade and the front part of the historic market building will be preserved in the redevelopment project; the front part will be used as a shopping centre. A residential building will stand at the back of the...
Read moreWan Chai, a district in Hong Kong, is home to several markets where you can find a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Here are some popular options:
Wan Chai Market (Wan Chai Road Market): Located on Wan Chai Road between Queen's Road East and Johnston Road, Wan Chai Market is a bustling wet market. Here you will find a wide variety of fresh produce, including a large selection of fruits and vegetables. It's a great place to explore and discover seasonal produce at affordable prices.
Tai Yuen Street Market (Toy Street): While not exclusively a fruit and vegetable market, Tai Yuen Street Market is known for its vibrant atmosphere and diverse offerings. Located in Wan Chai, this market is popular for its street food, snacks, toys and household items. You can also find fruit stalls offering a variety of fresh fruits.
Lee Tung Avenue (Sunday Market): Lee Tung Avenue hosts a Sunday market where local vendors set up stalls selling a variety of goods, including fresh produce. While the market is not exclusively dedicated to fruits and vegetables, you can still find a good selection of them alongside other products such as handicrafts, artisanal foods and more.
Queen's Road East Market: Located on Queen's Road East in Wan Chai, this market features a mix of vendors selling fresh produce, meat, seafood and other grocery items. It's worth exploring for its selection of fruits and vegetables, and offers a glimpse into the daily lives of Wan...
Read moreThere is a nice street market scene that covers a few blocks between Johnston Road an Queen's Road East in Wan Chai. This includes a proper wet market building as well as several blocks of street markets that are fun to explore and potentially to make a purchase or two.
In short, the Wan Chai Street Market is a bit of a mix of the Jardine's Crescent (Causeway Bay) and Fai Yuen (Mongkok) with that of typical Hong Kong wet market scene, like what you will see around Graham Street (Central).
Here you will find all matter of foods (fruits, veggies, pork, seafood, sundries, etc..) being sold out of street shops and stalls sprawling onto the street. A couple pedestrian only streets are flooded with stalls selling consumables, cheap clothes and other items for daily use. You'll find cheap Thai and Philippine Sari-sari like shops as well Tai Yuen Street, which is known for the collectable toy shops that line the street. These are fun places to pop into as well.
The Wan Chai Market is not promoted like the Mongkok, Stanley and other popular street market locals in Hong Kong. As such, you'll see far fewer tourists here. Its more a place for locals to do a bit of low-cost street shopping and food purchases. You can walk in any of the shops and don't worry about taking pictures. I've never found any of the shop or stall-keepers to take issues...
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