Article Summary

There are a variety of spots for street photography in Hong Kong. Here are the highlights:

• Mongkok, Tung Choi Street at night.

• Jordan, Temple Street.

• Sham Shui Po during the day.

• Lei Yue Mun at night.

• Tseung Kwan O on a weekday.

• Wanchai at night.

• North Point during the day.

Introduction

Despite the streets of Hong Kong undergoing massive changes in the past few years, it remains an incredible place for street photography. Whether you’re looking for popular ‘insta’ style spots or more organic, spontaneous street shots of everyday moments, you can find it all here. Hong Kong is a relatively small city in terms of area, but due to the sheer density of the buildings and people packed into it, it can be hard to know which districts are best for street snaps. In this article I’ve summarized the best places for street photography in Hong Kong, including the best time of day to go, what there is to do there and what the best subjects are. 

Top Locations for Street Photography:

Location: Mongkok, Tung Choi St.

Time: Evening 

Subjects: Neons, Taxis, Pedestrians

Lenses: Wide (~24mm), Zoom (70 - 200mm)

With neon lights disappearing daily, it’s hard to find areas that still have these iconic staples of classic Hong Kong street photos. Fortunately, Mongkok still has clusters of bright signs that illuminate the streets and cast a wide, colored light on surrounding subjects. The corner of Tung Choi street still has some large red and purple neons that look particularly good in the early evening or in the rain. With the right timing and positioning you can capture a variety of subjects passing under them and mess around with the shadows, reflections, and positioning. Be sure to visit them soon as there is no knowing when they might suddenly disappear. 

Location: Jordan, Ladies Market

Time: Day or night

Subjects: Market stalls, vendors

Lenses: Zoom (24 - 70mm)

Another staple of Hong Kong photography. This market was unnaturally quiet during the pandemic and, with the demolition of the car park at the end of the street that provided an incredible vantage point, it was quieter than ever. Now that things have opened up the street is slowly coming back to life, once again making it a haven for photographers wanting to capture real moments. My advice is to walk down the center of the stalls once, then back down the sides to check out the small shops at the edges of the street. The large gate at the end of Temple Street is also a good focal point to capture passersby. If you have a bit more time on your hands, you can leave the MTR at Jordan station and walk in the direction of Sham Shui Po - it should take you about 30 - 40 minutes to walk comfortably between the stations, allowing time for you to pause and take in the sights.

Location: Sham Shui Po

Time: Day or night

Subjects: Market stalls, vendors

Lenses: Zoom (24 - 70mm)

Similar to Temple Street, the stalls of the markets just outside Sham Shui Po MTR station offer some interesting activity worth exploring. Get here during the day to capture the sunlight hitting the stalls for some interesting shadowplay, or during the evening as the lights of the stalls switch on and illuminate the vendors that run them. Keep in mind that there are numerous roads and back alleys to explore, although some of the lighting can be poor and there can be a lot of rubbish to look out for. Certain stalls have a great number of wares hanging up, providing some great context or background for your photograph. 

Location: Lei Yue Mun

Time: Night

Subject: Neons, fishermen, restaurants

Lenses: Wide (12 - 24mm), Zoom (24 - 70mm)

To get to Lei Yue Mun, you’ll need to take the MTR to Yau Tong and walk about 15 minutes to get to the village. This is a popular spot for diners and shoppers, offering some of the freshest seafood in Hong Kong - this means that it’s always busy during the night and there is a constant source of interesting subjects. Before you get to these restaurants though, you should spot the restaurant neons from the entrance, with the boats providing a good foreground for your shots. Check out the fruit stalls and other shops along the road that lead to the restaurants and make use of the classic red lights in your photos.    

Location: Tseung Kwan O

Time: Day

Subject: Mechanics, Car repair stalls, Narrow roads

Lenses: Zoom (24 - 70mm)

More of an undiscovered treasure than the other locations, Tseung Kwan O is a veritable trove of opportunities. Unlike the other places on this list, TKO is better to visit during the week as the numerous car shops are open during these times. You’ll need to pack a zoom lens so that you can get closer to subjects in the stores and you’ll need to keep an eye out for mahjong games, lunch breaks and people taking naps. My recommendation is to walk back and forth along the rows of streets with your camera at the ready, take your time and keep your eyes peeled. 

Location: Wan Chai

Time: Night

Subject: Pedestrians, Neons, Trams, Taxis

Lenses: Zoom (24 - 70mm)

If you’re looking for somewhere a bit closer to Central, Wan Chai is a good option. Whilst it has something of a ‘seedy’ reputation thanks to the many bars and restaurants located there, the streets are still worthy of a walk around. Some smaller shop lights are still up and the atmosphere is great. Be sure to venture to the backroads so that you can get a wider variety of views, angles and surroundings. 

Location: North Point

Time: Day or Night

Subject: Market, Tram, Stalls

Lenses: 24mm, Zoom (70 - 200mm)

One of the best streets for photography in Hong Kong (in my opinion) is the Chun Yeung Street market. This road has the tramway bisecting it, meaning that on busy days you get the flurry of shoppers with the tram cutting through the crowds. Take a wide angle if you want to include some of the stores, or use a zoom to get the compression with the buildings behind the tram. Be sure to watch your step, and make your way to the end of the road to ensure you have enough time to catch the trams. If you miss one, don’t worry - they usually come once every 5 minutes. 

Hopefully you found this article useful. If you have any questions or comments, or would like to share your shots, please get in touch or follow me on my instagram account (blairsugarman1).