Ladies’ Market, officially the southern stretch of Tung Choi Street in Mong Kok, Kowloon, is one of Hong Kong’s most iconic street markets. The street takes its name (Tung Choi, meaning water spinach) from the vegetable paddies that covered the area when it was first laid out in 1924, long before Mong Kok became one of the most densely built-up districts on Earth. By the 1970s, the fields had given way to an open-air hawker zone, and the southern section earned its nickname because the stalls there mainly sold women’s clothing and accessories.
Today the market runs for roughly one kilometre between Argyle Street and Dundas Street, with more than 100 licensed stalls crammed along the pedestrianised strip. Shoppers can expect inexpensive women’s and men’s clothing, handbags, watches, jewellery, toys, souvenirs, and homewares, almost all open to haggling — bargaining down to half the asking price is part of the experience, not an exception to it. Stalls typically set up by late morning and stay open until around 10 or 11pm, with the street filling with locals and tourists alike once the evening crowds arrive.
The market sits a short walk from Mong Kok MTR Station (Exit E2) and connects directly into the adjoining Goldfish Market to the north, famous for its aquarium shops. Side streets off Tung Choi are also lined with cha chaan teng diners, dessert shops, and street-food stalls selling Hong Kong classics, making Ladies’ Market as much a food stop as a shopping destination.
