Temple Street night market shines spotlight back on hidden gems to attract not only tourists but also locals

The Tourism Board will be rolling out on Friday a new six-month promotion at Temple Street, introducing a new night market as well as art installations to the unique night-time hotspot in a bid to “reactivate” the atmosphere and attract more visitors - not only tourists but also locals.

The promotion brings together the elements of food and art. Opening from 2 pm to 11 pm each day, the night market “A taste of Temple Street” will feature 22 food stalls and about 10 stalls offering nostalgic snacks such as fish balls, crispy deep-fried pork intestine, beef offal, snake soup, Turkish coffee, and beef skewers. 

Over 70 percent of the food stalls at the market had their own establishment operating on Temple Street, allowing visitors to explore more on their own after getting “a taste of Temple Street”.

In addition, local architect Stanley Siu has been invited to design a series of illuminated art installations and road signs with Hong Kong and Temple Street-themed elements to embellish the area.

The art installations are set up at 11 locations, including neon signs of the Chinese character of fortune, the bat with a coin icon that brings luck and blessings, as well as birds, fish balls, a pear-shaped herbal tea container, and the spicy crab.

These artistic elements, injecting a refreshing impression to the traditional Temple Street culture, will make Temple Street an excellent photo option, said the Tourism Board.

Speaking to the press at a media gathering this afternoon, Dane Cheng Ting-yat, Executive Director of the Tourism Board, said they would not set specific indicators to measure the outcome of this promotion, adding that the event is not solely about driving consumption but rather aims to enhance the overall atmosphere in the city.

He hoped that after injecting new vitality into Temple Street, it would become a place that local residents love, so that they would recommend it to their friends from overseas.

Therefore, this event is not only targeting tourists but more importantly with locals as one of the main focus, said Cheng.

As for the budget for the event, the tourism chief said the Tourism Board has allocated funds for promotion and did not specifically calculate the expenses for this project.

Meanwhile, the Tourism Board noted that they have publicized the event through social media platforms like Xiaohongshu, or the “Little Red Book.” 

Influencers will be invited to visit Temple Street to experience themselves and promote online the immersive street culture of Hong Kong, it added.