Man Mo Temple & Sheung Wan

Incense coils adorn the entrance of the Man Mo Temple, the city’s oldest Taoist temple. It’s a great jumping-off point to explore Sheung Wan, a neighborhood that contains Chinese medicine, tea and food stores, as well as small outdoor markets.

Unique aspects of this area include Chinese medicine and food markets concentrated on Bonham Strand East and West and Wing Lok Street where ginseng and bird’s nest abound. Neighborhood temples are tucked away throughout the area including Tai Ping Shan and Hollywood Road, and outdoor fresh food markets are active in many of the alleys from early in the mornings until afternoon. “Old things” and antiques are for sale at every price level on Hollywood Road and Wyndham Street. Sheung Wan is the home of the world’s longest, steepest outdoor escalator, which allows people who live in the area to “escalate” to work, and it is also home to SOHO (South of Hollywood Road), one of the Hong Kong’s trendiest eating and bar areas.