Jade / Pearl Market in Hong Kong
 

I was in Hong Kong several years ago and spent a very pleasurable afternoon at a Jade / Pearl Market that was underneath a huge tent.

I'm going to be in Hong Kong for a couple of days towards the end of October. Anyone know if this is a daily Market? If it's only open on Thursdays, for example, I'd plan my other side trips around it.

The Jade Market is in an old parking structure, though there are nearby vendors under tarps. I've never heard it referred to as the pearl market - perhaps someone else has.

As far as I know, it is open daily. I've been to Hong Kong several times, and each time I;ve been there, I have gone to the Jade market and it's been open. Perhaps I was just lucky.

I assume you know it's "buyer beware" at the Jade Market. I always just smile when the vendor tells me the stone trinket I'm looking at is Han dynasty. Buy something because you like it, not because you think it might be valuable.

It should be open every day.

The Jade Market is a hoot, I think it is a lot of fun, as long as you don’t kid yourself that you are buying great (or even real) jade or pearls. It is not open at night, but I believe is open every day, it closes between 4-5 pm. The Jade Market is a few blocks up and over from Nathan Road and the Jordan stop on the MTR. From the MTR, take Exit Door A, turn left out the exit, then left again onto Nathan Road and walk up Nathan Road (away from the harbour) about 4-5 blocks to Kansu Street and turn left and walk down Kansu, the market is down on the right 3-4 blocks under a highway overpass, it looks like a shanty town.

Note that Chinese freshwater pearls are so, so cheap these days that you may as well go to a jeweler in Hong Kong and have a string made, rather than buying what are more than likely fakes in the market (and overpaying for them). You should be able to get strands of nice size and luster for US$40-60 in most jewelers here, larger sizes will be more, longer lengths a bit more, etc. These are not the great quality Japanese cultured pearls, but are quite nice.

Or use the Yau Ma Tei MTR, which is a few steps closer. Use Exit C (Man Ming Lane), then walk south along Nathan Road. Turn right on Public Square Street, and you'll walk past a Tin Hau Temple (which is where the name "Temple Street" comes from), as well as the public square where people perform small scale Cantonese operas at night.

After Shanghai St, turn left to the Jade Market just before the clinic building.