196 Best Places to Shop in Hong Kong, China

You can find decent deals on computer goods and accessories in the labyrinth of shops spanning several floors. It's not as easy to negotiate prices here as it once was, but there are technicians who can help you put together a computer in less than a day if you're rushed; otherwise, two days is normal. The starting price is around HK$3,250 depending on the hardware, processor, and peripherals you choose. This is a great resource, whether you're a techno-buff who's interested in assembling your own computer (a popular pastime in Hong Kong) or a technophobe looking for high-quality headphones.

Hong Kong has a surprisingly strong outdoor culture given its many hiking trails, and this independent store with a Japanese aesthetic will ensure you're stylishly dressed to tackle them. It's packed with chic camping gear sourced from around the world, and it has a section of vintage clothing, too. 

Spread over the city, this chain—the CVS of Hong Kong—sells western medicines, health and beauty items, plus a selection of traditional Chinese products. Some branches also have pharmacies.

Run by affable expert Jonathan Wattis and his wife Vicky since 1988, Wattis Fine Art specializes in antique maps, prints, and photographs of Hong Kong, China, and Southeast Asia.

This redbrick Edwardian-style building in the Sheung Wan district is a declared monument and the oldest existing market building in Hong Kong; when built in 1906 it was used as a produce market. These days, kitschy commerce dominates its ground floor, where a few unmemorable shops sell crafts, toys, jewelry, and collectibles. Skip these, and head up the escalator, where you'll find a remarkable selection of fabric: satins, silks, and sequins are all here and worth a look. A more authentic experience is lunch, dinner, or high tea in the Grand Stage Ballroom Restaurant on the top floor. After a great Chinese meal, you can while away the afternoon with the old-timers trotting around the room to a live band belting out the cha-cha and tango. The restaurant is also a popular spot for weddings and receptions. Visit in the evening, and you're likely to snap up cashmere and chiffon while a violin sings overhead.

For those who prefer to shop in air-conditioned comfort, this reliable dealer is discreetly positioned on an upper floor of the elegant Prince's Building. The selection here caters to both amateur and professional photographers.

Clean, wide corridors distinguish this less frantic computer arcade from the others. It has two floors of products with a wide selection of Mac and PC computer games, video games, laptops, desktops, and accessories. This is a reputable center with competitive prices.

Also known as Dried Seafood Street, Wing Lok Street is a hot spot for stores selling dried delicacies. You can find almost anything your heart desires, whether it be dried goji berries or dried bird's nest.

Opened in 1907, this old-style Hong Kong department store in Sheung Wan made its name with cheap deals on household appliances, kitchenware, and crockery. Of chief interest to overseas visitors are the local cosmetics, porcelain tea sets, and snacks.

There's a nostalgic charm to the butterflies, birds, and natural forms fashioned from jade, pearls, precious stones, and gold here. Everything looks like an heirloom inherited from your grandmother. With on-site gemologists and artisans, and a commitment to post-sale service, this store has a long list of repeat customers. If, however, you lean toward Scandinavian aesthetics and clean lines, this probably isn't the place for you. Wing On Jewelry also has a Causeway Bay branch at 459 Hennessy Road.

If you've seen a notable pair of spectacles on a Hong Kong celebrity, chances are they're from this retro shop that's been around for more than 50 years. Woo Ping has a reputation for stocking unusual, statement-making vintage eyewear that often can't be found anywhere else. Prices run affordable, and they do regular prescriptions, too.

This is the place for Hong Kong–based artist Hu Yongkai's charming, slightly cartoonish depictions of Chinese women in traditional settings (you've almost certainly seen fakes in a Stanley Market stall). Among emerging and established local artists the gallery, which isn't as stuffy as some and more commercial than others, also represents Bob Yan, whose extremely popular and colorful dog portraits are commissioned by private clients.

One of Hollywood Road's oldest shops is at the Cat Street end, next to Man Mo Temple. Its vast and varied stock includes porcelain, stone carvings, and ceramics.

Though mostly built as a neighborhood park in which bird-owning residents can meet and "walk" their caged pets, the Urban Renewal Authority also included some 70 stalls to be used by those who lost trade when the famous Hong Lok Street songbird stalls were demolished in a revitalization project in the late nineties. Though it sells various kinds of feathered creatures, you can also pick up the picturesque, empty carved cages and put them to better (empty) use in your home decor. Access the main entrance from Boundary Street, a short walk from the Prince Edward MTR station.

Need a kilt? This is where the Hong Kong Highlanders Reel Club comes for custom-made ones. The Yuen repertoire, however, extends to well-made suits and shirts. The tiny shop on an unimpressive gray walkway is filled from floor to ceiling with sumptuous European fabrics. It's a good place to have clothes copied, and prices are competitive.

The gallery's massive street-level windows still hold court on this sleek bar and restaurant strip. Inside you'll find contemporary, often abstract, paintings from China, with a smattering of work from Burma and Vietnam.