China, Hong Kong SAR, Kowloon - Re-discovering Sham Shui Po

The blue-collar neighbourhood of Sham Shui Po is located in Kowloon. While it is seldom mentioned or considered in travel articles on Hong Kong, Sham Shui Po is actually a particularly vibrant part of what Hong Kong is. Populated by working class folks, the traveler will find in Sham Shui Po the "real" Hong Kong. 

Interspersed amongst this densely populated neighbourhood are many shops, street markets and food vendors. Here, one can easily discover that the shopping and food are much more affordable than in the more affluent parts of Hong Kong.

The vibrant streets of Sham Shui Po are always crowded with people coming and going, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China (2019)

Personally, I always make it a point to drop by Sham Shui Po for its food, especially the freshly baked egg tarts which I really enjoyed. There is also the shopping. Stuffed toys, modelling kits, stationery and clothing are just the few of the many stuff that can be bought here.

During my many visits to Sham Shui Po, my attention and focus have always been at the street level due to the myriad amount of activities going on here. But in my most recent visit in January 2019, I somehow looked up from the street and saw the buildings which make up this bustling neighbourhood. While the buildings themselves were nothing much to marvel at from an architectural perspective, they however are the heartbeats of Sham Shui Po. It is these buildings that made Sham Shui Po what it is. It is here in these buildings where the people of Sham Shui Po reside. These buildings are the pulses that provided Sham Shui Po its vibrancy.

As I stared at the buildings wandering what life was like within each densely packed unit and who were the people who lived there, I was brought back to my childhood days when I used to stare at the units in the buildings opposite my block with the exact same thoughts. It was like going back in a loop in time.

I was soon taken out of my stupor when my travel partner hurried me along to the next shop in search of more good and enticing bargains. In a snap, I was brought back to the present. And the binge shopping and eating activities continue.......

Building in Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China (2019)

Just below these buildings are the shopping streets where all many of merchandise are on sale, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China (2019)

Typical residences of the working class people of Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China (2019)