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The temptation of shopping in HK
Linda Hollands , The Jakarta Post , Macau | Fri, 07/18/2008 11:17 AM | Supplement
Shops line the sidewalk of Macau’s Fisherman’s Wharf, a sprawling complex adjoining the Babylon Casino. (JP/Linda Hollands)
The Hong Kong of today is in stark contrast to the days when shopkeepers rudely pestered shoppers to enter their stores and purchase their wares. These days, people can have pleasant days in a vast variety of shops and malls, not to mention the markets.
On a recent trip to Hong Kong, our first port of call was Citygate, a modern mall not far from the international airport on Lantau Island. With three floors of stores offering more than 50 international brand names with up to 70 percent discounts, it's every shopper's dream. IT seems to be the busiest store here, with locals snapping up bargain clothes and footwear. Hours can be spent in this shopping center, and the choice of food at the various food outlets gives a shopper the chance recharge to make sure they get their fill in Hong Kong's only factory outlet shopping center. Apartment blocks surround the shopping center, and lots of locals were out browsing or having afternoon tea in the cafes when we visited.
After our afternoon of shopping and checking into our hotel, we decided to visit the Peak, and after taking the customary photos and experiencing Madame Tussard's, we decided to have dinner. Unfortunately it was misty on the night we arrived to we couldn't enjoy the view from Cafe Deco, but we did have a great meal. There are a number of restaurants and cafes to choose from, some with outdoor seating.
The next day, we did the rounds of a few stores in the Hong Kong Summer Temptations program and were pleasantly surprised. First we headed for trendy Causeway Bay, where the 13-story Sogo and 16-story Times Square are located. Also in this area is Delay No More, which is an arty store selling lifestyle products.
GOD, or Goods of Desire, which is the phonetic sound of the Cantonese slang "to live better", sells household goods, clothing and accessories. Old 1960s radios and the like can be seen in display cabinets. Merchandise is tastefully displayed and it would be impossible for anyone not to find something that they like. Beverly Island is another treasure trove in this district. The tiny shops in this four-story shopping center are jam-packed with a variety of party wear and jewelry for young hipsters.
Later that night we went to Lan Kwai Fong, a popular area pulsing with nightlife. There was a Canadian promotion booth set up on the street on the night we were there, and adding to the crowd were locals and tourists alike trying their hardest to win prizes. Obviously many were lucky, for they were strolling around wearing white straw cowboy hats with Canadian promotional banners, adding to the festive atmosphere. Restaurants and bars appear to do thriving business in Lan Kwai Fong and it is obviously the place to see and be seen once the sun goes down.
The next day we checked out more shops in the Secret Addresses program. First we went to Elements, a towering structure with what looked to be literally thousand of apartments above it. Inside was a high-end designer buff's heaven, with stores like Bogetta Venata, Armani, Prada and Fendi, as well as a Zara store, H&M and other international chains. There is also an enormous ice skating rink and a rooftop with a landscaped garden.
With all the browsing we had worked up an appetite, and so we headed for SoHo for a snack. SoHo has the world's longest covered escalator, running through the Mid-Level area to the CBD. SoHo is known for its galleries, antique stores and restaurants and bars. Its name is derived from its location: South of Hollywood Rd, where Buddhas, Ming furniture and affordable knickknacks and Chinese Communist propaganda items can be found.
Next on our shopping destination list was Gough Street. Ranee K, which had lively music from decades ago playing when we entered, is reminisce of the Roaring 40s, and its racks are crammed with dresses for the party-minded, Chinese inspired robes and cheongsams.
Across the road from Ranee K is Addiction, which sells arty housewares. Art deco "self-portrait" wall mirrors, charming teapots and cups and, what seems to be the store's signature item, decorative sheep standing on all fours with woolly fleece.
Further along the street is the iconic Homeless, a lifestyle concept store selling fun home accessories. Many of its wares would make great conversational pieces in anyone's home, such as a ram rocking-horse and giant chess pieces candles. Arty clocks and candelabras are displayed on shelves of functional household items that had me smiling in delight.
And just as unique as the shops, Gough Street even has its own public toilet for dogs -- a patch of soil with a yellow signpost picturing a dog on a leash cocking its hind leg.
The Secret Addresses booklet, which lists the favorite shopping haunts of local celebrities and the elite, can be viewed at http://kompas.com from July 21.
