Only 2 MTR stops away from the jam-packed shopping hub Mong Kok, the Apliu Street flea market area in Sham Shui Po is a place that can fulfil your treasure hunting desire: from bargain and second hand electronics, including vintage cameras, power tools and pre-owned homeware, to cheap and wide ranging fabrics; or sometimes, if you are lucky enough, you might discover a few exotic restaurants.
Under rapid city development and urban renewal, Sham Shui Po is one of the few districts in Kowloon that still preserves the authentic Hong Kong's 70s vibe. However, the fact that it is strongly contradictory to other parts of Hong Kong has left the district with an adverse image: labels like "grassroot" and "cage rooms", and considered as one of the poorest "sin cities" in Kowloon. Undeniably, the district has its very own unique characteristics: rather dense "Tong Laus" – tenement buildings with balconies that were built in the 19th century to 1960s, overhanging neons signs as well as signboards with a calligraphic touch, rusty corrugated metal walls and the vibrant colours from the iconic red-white-blue canvas, are elements used to be Hong Kong's visual identity in the past. Not only do these features mark the long working-class history of the district, they also reflect one of the most arguable contradiction in reality Hong Kong – and this is why Sham Shui Po remains to be my favourite districts in Hong Kong.
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Shot with Nikon D3100.
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