Stanley market on Hong Kong Island is one of the most famous markets in Hong Kong, where many tourists go every day. Despite the many misunderstandings and sometimes even negative reviews on Tripadvisor, there are no fewer tourists every year. Let’s try to figure out what kind of place it is and whether it is worth visiting.
The first time I came to Stanley Market was on one of my business trips to Hong Kong. I can’t remember now if it was autumn or spring, but it was hot and there were a lot of people. However, as always. What kind of place is this, and why is it always so crowded? A market like a market, lots of pavilions and shops, clothes, shoes, accessories, watches, toys, all sorts of things and, for example, old photos of Hong Kong.
Opening hours and holidays
It is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Even if there is a holiday in the city, the market is open. The exception is Chinese New Year. There’s nothing to do there on his first day, a lot of things will be closed.
Each store owner sets their own opening hours, usually from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. All shops open and work until 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. By the way, the street where most shops and shops are located is open 24 hours a day. But if everything is closed, then there’s not much to do there. If you are there at 9 a.m., you risk not finding all the shops open, and if you arrive only at 11 a.m., there will already be quite a lot of people.
How to get there?
The easiest way is to take a taxi. Any driver knows Stanley market.
There are different ways to get to the market from the center.:
1) If you live somewhere near the Central or HongKong Subway stations, you need to walk to the bus terminal at Exchange Square, Central and take one of the following buses: 6, 6A, 6X, 66 or 260 from (Metro Central or HongKong)
Buses numbered 6 and 66 go uphill, not through the Aberdeen Tunnel, so the road may seem tedious, but on the way you can expect unusual views of Hong Kong.
There are more than 30 stops to go, slightly less than 260, which does not stop so often in the city. Whichever bus you choose, you need to get off at STANLEY VILLAGE station, do not confuse it, as there will be a couple more with the names “STANLEY something there” before this station. Buses usually have a board that allows you to monitor the next station on the way.
After getting off the bus, cross the road, you will go down a little and immediately find yourself in front of the entrance to the market.
2) If you live somewhere near Causeway Bay station, you can catch the 40th minibus, the so-called green minibus, make sure that it says Stanley market or Stanley prison – in this case it goes in the right direction. You can catch him on Hennessy Street. By the way, unlike buses, minibuses can stop on the streets and go wherever you want without waiting for a stop. If the bus is full (it can accommodate 16 people), the driver puts a FULL sign on the glass and does not stop at the request of those who want to stop it.
3) For those who live in Kowloon, that is, for example, near Kowloon or Tsim Sha Tsui subway station: walk a little way down to Star Ferry, this is a ferry that will take you to the opposite shore in a very short time. You need a ferry to Central Ferry Pier No.7 (Star Ferry Pier), 300 meters from it to Exchange Square, and then see point 1 above on the page.
4) The nearest metro station to Stanley Market is Chai Wan Station (Not to be confused with Wan Chai). If someone gives you a jetpack, it’s only 6 kilometers to the market. And if the year is not yet 2030 and jet backpacks are not being distributed yet, then you can get there in the traditional way: you will need an exit From the subway and there you will need to catch a green minibus number 16M.
Of course, these are not all possible ways to get to Stanley Market, buses run all over the city, and now you know which ones are needed. You can describe your experience in the comments, how you managed to get to it.
The Story of Stanley Market
From the moment Hong Kong became British, Stanley was a fishing village, and people went to the market mainly to buy fish. A lot has changed since then, and it’s not so easy to buy fish in pavilions. But clothes are easier than ever.
What to buy at the market and its surroundings?
First, of course, souvenirs. It makes no sense to describe all the many trinkets that you can take with you from the market. Chinese paintings, framed hieroglyphs, decorative boxes, various interior decorations, your name in Chinese, which will be written right in front of you (however, not always beautifully and efficiently), and so on. Secondly, textiles, clothing and shoes. There is no point in making explanations here. Third, electronics. Yes, it’s not an electronics market near Wan Chai, but it’ll do just fine. By the way, you can also buy a watch for a child here, the prices are quite adequate.
Where to eat?
The question is very extensive, and perhaps it would be better if I sent you to study this section – Stanley’s restaurants. Here is a list of restaurants, with their location and features. The list is constantly being updated, and you can leave reviews about your favorite (and not so much) restaurants right on our website.
What to do besides shopping at Stanley Market?
If you arrived at the market at 11 o’clock, managed to get around everything in 1 hour and were about to leave, here are some ideas for what you can do and where you can go from the market to see something else.
Idea 1. For those who like to walk, take a look.
We suggest to visit all the local attractions, namely:
– The old police station building (now used as a store)
– Hong Kong Correctional System Museum
Idea 2. For families with children and for lovers of walking
There is a park next to Stanley Market – Stanley Ma Hang Park – it has walking trails, and some elevated places offer good views.
In addition, if you come to Hong Kong from April to October, Stanley Beach is open on the opposite side. More precisely, the beach is public, it is open all the time, but the beach infrastructure is open during the bathing season.
Idea 3. For those who arrived and were disappointed.
If you are one of those who came to Stanley Market expecting something magical, but just got to an ordinary market, then you urgently need to do something so that disappointment does not stay with you for a long time.
Go to the Ocean Park amusement park – it’s not far away.
It makes sense to visit Stanley market if you have come to Hong Kong for more than 5 days. This visit will diversify your stay here. If you are in Hong Kong on a trip or for a short time, say, for 3-4 days, do not waste time, it will be better for you to visit other attractions.
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