Mong Kok

Mong Kok
Mong Kok
	Sai Yeung Choi Street South in Mong Kok

Last updated December 16, 2024

IPA: [mɔːŋ˨kɔːk˧] ), or 芒角 (Jyutping:mong⁴ gok³; IPA: [mɔːŋ˨˩kɔːk˧] ), which is named for its plentiful supply of ferns in the past when it was a coastal region. Its present Chinese name, "旺角" (Jyutping:wong⁶ gok³; IPA: [wɔːŋ˨kɔːk˧] ), means "prosperous corner" or "crowded corner"; however, the English name did not change.

For a period, the area was also called Argyle, and this name was used for the MTR station when it opened in 1979. The office building Mong Kok Centre [ zh ], which was named after the area, is known in English as Argyle Centre.

Administration

Mong Kok is part of Yau Tsim Mong District. It was part of the Mong Kok District before the district was merged in 1994. The area belongs to the Kowloon West geographical constituency of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong.

History

Displays at the Chinese University of Hong Kong include antique potteries indicating that there might have been settlements in the area as early as the western Han dynasty (206 BC to AD 8 ) to Jin Dynasty (266–420).^[4]

The area used to be a Hakka settlement, with about 200 villagers according to Bao'an records in 1819.^[5]

The heart of the present-day Mong Kok is along Argyle Street near Sai Yeung Choi Street whilst the proper Mong Kok used to be^{[ when? ]} to the north, near the present-day Mong Kok East station. Mong Kok was an area of cultivated lands, bounded to the south by Argyle Street, to the west by Coronation Road (a section of present-day Nathan Road), and to the east by hills. To the southeast of Mong Kok is Ho Man Tin and to the west Tai Kok Tsui.

On 10 August 2008, the Cornwall Court fire broke out. More than 200 firefighters were involved in the rescue operation. Four people died, including two firefighters.^[6]

Mong Kok received a lot of negative media attention for many acid attacks on Sai Yeung Choi Street from December 2008 through January 2010.

The area was the site of protracted demonstrations during the 2014 Hong Kong protests, including the gau wu campaign, and was also the site of the 2016 Mong Kok civil unrest.

Streets and markets

Grand Century Place. Mong Kok East station is visible at the bottom left. The area in the background is part of Kowloon City District. NewCenturyPlace.JPG — Grand Century Place. Mong Kok East station is visible at the bottom left. The area in the background is part of Kowloon City District.

Mong Kok preserves its traditional characteristics with an array of markets, small shops, and food stalls that have disappeared from other areas during the past several decades of economic developments and urban transformation. As such, a few of these streets in Mong Kok have acquired nicknames reflecting their own characteristics. Some interesting sites are:

Tung Choi Street (通菜街) (also known as 女人街, Ladies' Market) – This market specialises in women's clothing, accessories, and cosmetics, and is open daily from noon to midnight.
Sai Yeung Choi Street South (西洋菜南街) – A street full of shops selling consumer electronic products, cosmetics, and discount books. The latter are usually located on the lower floors of buildings.
Yuen Po Street Bird Garden (園圃街雀鳥花園) – Hundreds of songbirds in exquisitely crafted cages can be seen at this market. The garden is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is located near Mong Kok Stadium, to the north of Mong Kok East station and east of Prince Edward station.
The garden was completed in 1997^[7] for the relocation of booths selling birds at Hong Lok Street (雀仔街), aka. "Bird Street", which was closed due to urban renewal in June 1998.
Fa Yuen Street (花園街) (also known as 波鞋街; 'Sneakers Street') – This is a small neighbourhood of small retailers selling sports equipment and clothing. The shops stock a diversity of sports shoes, including many shoes of rare or special editions from different places.
Flower Market Road (花墟道) – The street and the nearby side streets are packed with florists and street vendors selling flowers and plants. At the end of the street is Yuen Po Street Bird Garden.
Goldfish Street (金魚街) or Goldfish Market – Centered on a section of Tung Choi Street, north of Bute Street.^[8] There are dozens of shops selling tropical freshwater and marine fish, aquariums and accessories. This market opens very early in the morning.
Tile Street (瓷磚街) – This is a section of Portland Street near Argyle Street and Bute Street with more than 50 retailers selling materials for construction or renovation, such as tiles, wall paper, window frames and bath tubs.
Photocopy Street (影印街) – A neighbourhood near Yim Po Fong Street and Soy Street is noted for its remarkable number of photocopying shops due to the number of schools in the vicinity. The shops also have ID photo taking service.
Portland Street (砵蘭街) – A red-light district featuring numerous shops and restaurants.
Kwong Wa Street (廣華街), between Dundas Street and Yim Po Fong Street, is famous for shops selling airsoft, RC racing, modelling and other hobbying equipment.
Dundas Street (登打士街) marks the southern end of the shopping area in eastern Mong Kok, where Sai Yeung Choi Street South, Tung Choi Street and Fa Yuen Street terminate. It is named for Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, former British Home Secretary and Secretary of State for War. It is unclear why the street was bestowed in his honour although, as a former British colony, many of Hong Kong's streets and institutions were named in memory of prominent English historic and political figures. Ho King Shopping Centre and Trendy Zone are major shopping centres on the street. Various kinds of snack food shops concentrate on this street. Kwong Wah Hospital is also situated on the street. Across Nathan Road, the section in the western Mong Kok is relatively quiet and there are many cafés above street level in several buildings.

Some popular shopping plazas located in this dense area include:

T.O.P (This is Our Place) - Latest fashionable shopping centre for youngers. No high-end shops there but specially characteristic store. An overpass corridor connected to Argyle Centre (旺角中心).
Sim City (星際城市) - There are shops selling first or second hand cameras and lens, photographic and videographic equipment, gadget, phone accessory, computer accessory.
Sino Centre (信和中心) – Most shops sell Japanimation figures and merchandising. Other shops sell comic books, VCDs and DVDs related to Japanese cartoons, and regular CD albums.
Ho King Shopping Centre (好景商場) – Visitors can find computer and video games sold for relatively low prices. The fourth floor of the plaza is infamous for being formerly the biggest base of pornographic CDs and DVDs, and activities have diminished due to police and customs operations. However, some shops have been driven to the office section of the building.
Grand Century Place (新世紀廣場) – Situated next to Mong Kok East station, visitors can find famous-brand and popular shops.
Mong Kok Computer Centre (旺角電腦中心) – This three-story computer mall has around 50 to 70 computer shops, selling laptops, software, hardware and computer accessories.
Langham Place (朗豪坊) – This is a 59-storey complex with a huge shopping mall, a hotel, and offices. It opened in 2004 and was constructed based on the Hong Kong Government urban redevelopment scheme. It is the tallest building in Mong Kok.
Argyle Centre (旺角中心) – This usually crowded centre, located next to Mong Kok Station, has three floors of shops selling female low-priced clothes and shoes. Also a lot of snack food and drinks shop there.
Trendy Zone (潮流特區)
W Plaza (W 商場)
Hollywood Shopping Centre (荷李活購物中心)
Sincere Podium (先達中心)
Richmond Shopping Arcade (皆旺商場)
Hollywood Plaza (荷李活商業中心)
CTMA Centre (兆萬中心)

Other streets in the area include:

Bute Street (弼街), named after John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom between 1762 and 1763. It may also have been named after the Scottish peerage of the same name, following the naming pattern of several other streets in the area.^[9]
Fife Street (快富街) is a street that is north of Argyle Street, south of Mong Kok Road, and perpendicular to Nathan Road.^[10] The Chinese name means "fast wealth" in English, but the name is a loanword based on the English pronunciation of the fife instrument.^[11]
Soy Street (豉油街)

Food

The Mong Kok area has many food-booths selling traditional snacks such as fish balls, fried beancurd (tofu) and various dim sum. These fingerfoods are very popular in Hong Kong, especially for people on the run. In addition, there are restaurants serving different kinds of cuisine, ranging from Japanese to Thai and Italian.

Built heritage

Built heritage in Mong Kok includes:

Several tong-lau , including Nos. 600–626 Shanghai Street and Lui Seng Chun on Lai Chi Kok Road. Both are listed as Grade I historic buildings.
Old Kowloon Police Headquarters, built in 1925. Grade II historic building and one of the historic police station buildings in Hong Kong. Now part of the Mong Kok Police Station.
Shui Yuet Temple (水月宮), located at No. 90 Shantung Street. Built in 1927, it is dedicated to Guanyin. Grade III.^[12]^[13]
All Saints' Church, No. 2 Yim Po Fong Street
Parts of Kowloon Hospital

Sport venues

Macpherson Stadium
Macpherson Playground
Mong Kok Stadium: home to Citizen AA and Sun Hei SC
Boundary Street Sports Centre

Education

Educational institutions in Mong Kok include:

Chinese University of Hong Kong campus in Shantung Street
Diocesan Boys' School
Hong Kong & Kowloon Chiu Chow Public Association Secondary School
Hong Kong College of Engineering
Queen Elizabeth School
Sheng Kung Hui All Saints' Middle School

Mong Kok is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 32. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money) and Tong Mei Road Government Primary School (塘尾道官立小學).^[14]

Transport

The main thoroughfares are:

Three rail lines serve the area:

The MTR Tsuen Wan and Kwun Tong lines have two stations in this area: Prince Edward station to the north and Mong Kok station to the south.
The MTR East Rail line has Mong Kok East station in the eastern part of the area.

Popular culture

Mong Kok was the setting for the 2004 hit film One Night in Mongkok directed by Derek Yee. The movie portrays Mong Kok, one of the most densely populated places on Earth, as a hotbed of illicit activity. Similarly, the district was also the setting of the 1996 film Mongkok Story (旺角風雲) directed by Wilson Yip, which depicts a young man who becomes involved in a triad gang.^[15]^[16] The 2009 film To Live and Die in Mongkok and the 2013 film Young and Dangerous: Reloaded are also set in Mong Kok. The literal Chinese title of the 1988 film As Tears Go By by Wong Kar-wai is "Mong Kok Carmen". Part of Robert Ludlum's 1986 novel The Bourne Supremacy was set in Mong Kok.

The area is known locally for a youth subculture, the Mong Kok culture.

2014 protests

Mong Kok was one of the main sites of the 2014 Hong Kong protests. Banks, jewellery stores and clothing stores were closed as a result of the pro-democracy protests.^[17]

Related Research Articles

Sham Shui Po is an area of Kowloon, Hong Kong, situated in the northwestern part of the Kowloon Peninsula, north of Tai Kok Tsui, east of Cheung Sha Wan and south of Shek Kip Mei (石硤尾). It is located in and is the namesake of the Sham Shui Po District.

Prince Edward is an area of Mong Kok south of Tong Mi surrounding Prince Edward station in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Named after Prince Edward Road West, the Prince Edward station of the MTR rapid transit system is an interchange station on the Tsuen Wan and the Kwun Tong lines.

Mong Kok station is a MTR station in Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong. The station is one of the first MTR stations established in the city, serving Kwun Tong and Tsuen Wan line. It is now used by more than 200,000 passengers daily. The colour scheme for Mong Kok station is dim red. The station was initially named after Argyle Street as Argyle.

Nathan Road is the main thoroughfare in Kowloon, Hong Kong, aligned south–north from Tsim Sha Tsui to Sham Shui Po. It is lined with shops and restaurants and throngs with visitors, and was known in the post–World War II years as the Golden Mile, a name that is now rarely used. It starts on the southern part of Kowloon at its junction with Salisbury Road, a few metres north of Victoria Harbour, and ends at its intersection with Boundary Street in the north. Portions of the Kwun Tong and Tsuen Wan lines run underneath Nathan Road. The total length of Nathan Road is about 3.6 km (2.2 mi).

Mong Kok East station – formerly Mong Kok railway station and Yaumati railway station – is a station on Hong Kong's East Rail line. Only out-of-system interchange is available with Kwun Tong line and Tsuen Wan line at Mong Kok station via a footbridge. The station is connected to Grand Century Place, a large shopping mall.

Argyle Street is a four-lane dual-way thoroughfare in Kowloon, Hong Kong, connecting the districts of Mong Kok, Ho Man Tin, Ma Tau Wai and Kowloon City. It runs on an east-west alignment starting at its intersection with Cherry Street, Ferry Street and Tong Mi Road in the west, and ending near the former Kai Tak Airport in the east. Due to the street's proximity with the latter, a variety of aircraft could be seen from this street and thus photographers seized the opportunity to capture landing aircraft.

Shanghai Street is a 2.3 km long street in the Jordan, Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok areas of Kowloon, Hong Kong. Completed in 1887 under the name of Station Street (差館街), it was once the most prosperous street in Kowloon. It originates from the south at Austin Road, and terminates in the north at Lai Chi Kok Road. Parallel to Shanghai Street are Nathan Road, Temple Street, Portland Street, Reclamation Street and Canton Road. Though parallel, Shanghai Street was marked by 2- to 3-floor Chinese-style buildings while Nathan Road was marked by Western-style buildings.

Canton Road is a major road in Hong Kong, linking the former west reclamation shore in Tsim Sha Tsui, Jordan, Yau Ma Tei, Mong Kok and Prince Edward on the Kowloon Peninsula. The road runs mostly parallel and west to Nathan Road. It starts from the junction with Salisbury Road in the south and ends in the north at the junction with Lai Chi Kok Road in the Prince Edward area. The southern section of Canton Road is home to many upscale retail shops, shopping centres and others business establishments, with busy traffic from both vehicles and pedestrians from morning till late at night.

Fa Yuen Street is a street between Boundary Street and Dundas Street in Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong. With over fifty stores selling sport shoes, the street is famous for selling sport gear and is known as Sport Shoes Street or Sneaker Street (波鞋街). Fa Yuen (花園) means "garden" in Cantonese.

Sai Yeung Choi Street are two streets in Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong, namely, Sai Yeung Choi Street South (西洋菜南街) and Sai Yeung Choi Street North (西洋菜北街). Although officially two streets, local people seldom make distinction between them. They are separated by the Mong Kok Police Station. Sai Yeung Choi Street South is a popular hotspot for shopping and a tourist attraction.

Soy Street is a street in Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It starts from Tak Cheong Street in the west, crosses several major streets including Nathan Road, and ends near Waterloo Road.

Mong Kok Computer Centre is a shopping mall for computers and computer related products in Nelson Street, in Mong Kok, Hong Kong.

Shopping is a popular social activity in Hong Kong, where basic items for sale do not draw any duties, sales taxation, or import taxation. Only specific import goods such as alcohol, tobacco, perfumes, cosmetics, cars and petroleum products have associated taxes. For companies, there is a 17.5% corporate tax, which is lower than international standards. Shoppers reportedly spend over US$5.2 billion a month in Hong Kong shops.

Yuen Po Street Bird Garden is located in Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong, directly west of Mong Kok Stadium and near Mong Kok East station. The garden occupies an area of 32,000 sq ft (3,000m²) and is bounded by Boundary Street, Embankment Road, Prince Edward Road West and Yuen Po Street.

Nelson Street is a street in Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. The street is 240 metres in length and runs in the east–west direction. It can be accessed from exits E1 and E2 of the Mong Kok station. The section between Portland and Sai Yeung Choi South Street is closed to vehicular traffic.

Civil unrest occurred in Mong Kok, Hong Kong from the night of 8 February 2016 until the following morning. This incident occurred following the government's crackdown on unlicensed street hawkers during the Chinese New Year holidays. Eventually, violent clashes broke out between police and protesters, resulting in injuries on both sides.

Night markets in Hong Kong are bazaars usually located in older areas like Sham Shui Po, Mong Kok or Sheung Wan. Besides selling toys, clothes and food, some Hong Kong night markets also provide divination to visitors, such as the Temple Street Night Market, which is popular with foreign visitors.

The Argyle Street Waterworks Depot was a building of the Water Supplies Department located in Mong Kok, Yau Tsim Mong District, Hong Kong.

Pitt Street is a street in one of the busiest sections in Yau Ma Tei of Hong Kong. The street is named after William Pitt the Younger, prime minister of the United Kingdom, and before Acts of Union 1800, of Great Britain. It hosts several prominent sites including Kwong Wah Hospital and the headquarters of Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong. Pitt Street spans across three thoroughfares, namely Ferry Street in the west, Waterloo Road in the east and Nathan Road in the middle, which connect the north and south of Kowloon Peninsula. While said to be in Yau Ma Tei, it could be in Mong Kok or Mong Kok Tsui, depending on context. Its name in Chinese character is 碧街, which the character 碧 /pik/, literally greenish jade, is a phonetic approximation of Pitt in Cantonese and 街 a literal translation of street.

Mong Kok Road is a road in Kowloon, Hong Kong, running through the entirety of Mong Kok. It begins at Tong Mi Road in the west, and runs past Nathan Road until reaching Sai Yee Street in the east. There is a footbridge that runs over Mong Kok Road between MOKO and Portland Street, providing access between Mong Kok Station and Mong Kok East Station.

References

↑ Ruwitch, John; Baldwin, Clare (3 October 2014). "Hong Kong protesters face backlash, threaten to abandon talks". Reuters . Retrieved 3 October 2014.
↑ Boland, Rory. "Mongkok Ladies Market". About.com Guide. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
↑ Yau Tsim Mong District Council, You Jian Wang Qu Fengwuzhi (油尖旺區風物志), Hong Kong: 1999. p18. "Mong Kok Tsui" (芒角嘴)
↑ Kan, Nelson Y. Y.; Tanf, Miranda K. L. "Chapter two". New Journey Through History 1A. Aristo Educational Press LTD. p. 48.
↑ "旺角古名芒角客家人聚居" [Mong Kok, the ancient name of the Hakka settlements Mangjiao] (in Chinese). 1 August 2011.^{[ dead link ‍]}
↑ "Four dead as HK nightclub fire spreads". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on 30 December 2008. Retrieved 28 August 2008.
↑ "Yuen Po Street Bird Garden". Leisure and Cultural Services Department.
↑ "Theme Shopping Streets". Hong Kong Tourism Board.
↑ Yanne, Andrew; Heller, Gillis (2009). Signs of a Colonial Era. Hong Kong University Press. p. 26. ISBN 978-962-209-944-9.
↑ Chan, Wing-yip Thomas (2001). Redevelopment of Mong Kok Urban Complex: An Urban Valley Along Fife Street (PDF) (Thesis). University of Hong Kong. doi:10.5353/th_b3198564 (inactive 1 November 2024). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.{{cite thesis}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link)
↑ 潘國靈 (2017). "快富街, 一個拾荒者" [Fife Street, scavengers]. 消失物誌 [Lost Biography]. Hong Kong: Chung Hwa Book Company (Hong Kong) Limited. ISBN 978-988-8488-18-6 . Retrieved 18 June 2020.
↑ "List of the Historic Buildings in Building Assessment (as of 23 November 2011)" (PDF). Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 December 2011.
↑ "Shui Yuet Kung, Shan Tung Street". Chinese Temples Committee.
↑ "POA School Net 32" (PDF). Education Bureau . Retrieved 13 October 2022.
↑ "Wong Gok fung wan". IMDb. 7 September 1996. Retrieved 28 August 2008.
↑ "Mongkok Story". Yahoo! Movies. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2008.
↑ "Protests in Mong Kok, Causeway Bay". The Standard . 29 September 2014. Archived from the original on 4 November 2014.

External links

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[1] Ruwitch, John; Baldwin, Clare (3 October 2014). "Hong Kong protesters face backlash, threaten to abandon talks". Reuters . Retrieved 3 October 2014.

[2] Boland, Rory. "Mongkok Ladies Market". About.com Guide. Retrieved 6 April 2013.

[3] Yau Tsim Mong District Council, You Jian Wang Qu Fengwuzhi (油尖旺區風物志), Hong Kong: 1999. p18. "Mong Kok Tsui" (芒角嘴)

[4] Kan, Nelson Y. Y.; Tanf, Miranda K. L. "Chapter two". New Journey Through History 1A. Aristo Educational Press LTD. p. 48.

[5] "旺角古名芒角客家人聚居" [Mong Kok, the ancient name of the Hakka settlements Mangjiao] (in Chinese). 1 August 2011.^{[ dead link ‍]}

[6] "Four dead as HK nightclub fire spreads". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on 30 December 2008. Retrieved 28 August 2008.

[LCSD-7] "Yuen Po Street Bird Garden". Leisure and Cultural Services Department.

[8] "Theme Shopping Streets". Hong Kong Tourism Board.

[9] Yanne, Andrew; Heller, Gillis (2009). Signs of a Colonial Era. Hong Kong University Press. p. 26. ISBN 978-962-209-944-9.

[10] Chan, Wing-yip Thomas (2001). Redevelopment of Mong Kok Urban Complex: An Urban Valley Along Fife Street (PDF) (Thesis). University of Hong Kong. doi:10.5353/th_b3198564 (inactive 1 November 2024). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.{{cite thesis}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link)

[11] 潘國靈 (2017). "快富街, 一個拾荒者" [Fife Street, scavengers]. 消失物誌 [Lost Biography]. Hong Kong: Chung Hwa Book Company (Hong Kong) Limited. ISBN 978-988-8488-18-6 . Retrieved 18 June 2020.

[12] "List of the Historic Buildings in Building Assessment (as of 23 November 2011)" (PDF). Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 December 2011.

[13] "Shui Yuet Kung, Shan Tung Street". Chinese Temples Committee.

[POA32-14] "POA School Net 32" (PDF). Education Bureau . Retrieved 13 October 2022.

[15] "Wong Gok fung wan". IMDb. 7 September 1996. Retrieved 28 August 2008.

[16] "Mongkok Story". Yahoo! Movies. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2008.

[17] "Protests in Mong Kok, Causeway Bay". The Standard . 29 September 2014. Archived from the original on 4 November 2014.

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