Yau Ma Tei is a highly urbanized area in the heart of Kowloon, to the south of the Dundas Street and to the north of the Austin Road, and is located between Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui. The area is well known with tourists because of the Temple Street, which is one of the most famous open-air markets in Hong Kong. Also, there are a number of interesting spots, such as Tin Hau Temple and other architectural buildings.
What To Do & See
Yau Ma Tei has a number of "cultural" spots, such as Tin Hau Temple, Yau Ma Tei Theatre and Yau Ma Tei Police Station. Tin Hau is the Goddess of the Sea. There are a lot of Tin Hau temples, which are located throughout Hong Kong, and this one in Yau Ma Tei is the largest in Hong Kong. Yau Ma Tei Theatre and Yau Ma Tei Police Station are now historic buildings. Located on the Waterloo Road, the Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market is the major wholesale fruit market in Hong Kong.
Perhaps the major things to do in the Yau Ma Tei area are shopping and dining. There are two major street markets. The first is the Temple Street Night Market. It is very popular with tourists and locals as a place where you can buy a lot of cheap clothes, such as jackets, jeans, t-shirts, Chinese traditional wear, mostly for men. Aslo, you can buy there souvenirs, kid's toys, handbags & luggage, arts, cell phone accessories, sunglasses, bijouterie, etc. The best time to visit the market is 8:00pm-10:00pm. In addition to a wide variety of goods, there are a number local eateries that offer to try favorite Chinese dishes.
Located nearby, at the junction of Kansu and Battery Streets, the Jade Market is a nice place to buy jade items. It is divided into two zones, separated by the Battery Street. The market comprises of about 350-400 stalls selling a wide variety of jade rings, animals, earrings, souvenirs, bracelets and carvings in various sizes and colors.
Another popular place to buy jewelry is the Canton Road between the Jordan Road and Kansu Street. This part of the street also called "Jade Street". It includes a number of jewelry shops located on either sides of the street. These sell gold, silver and jade items.
Located between the Temple Street and the Canton Road, Shanghai Street has a number of tea houses, shops selling traditional Chinese medicine and dry seafood, and several jewelry shops.
Also, Yau Ma Tei offers a large number of dining options ranging from small local eateries with few tables to luxury restaurants at hotels or commercial buildings. There are plenty of local eateries on the Temple Street. Here you can try Chinese cuisine like dim sum, dumplings or noodles.
Transport
The easiest way to get around the city is Hong Kong MTR. It is fast, inexpensive, with the convenient navigation in trains and on stations. There are several stations in the Yau Ma Tei area. The Yau Ma Tei MTR station is located in the northern part of the area, at the junction of Waterloo and Nathan Roads. In the southern part is the Jordan MTR station. It is only 1 MTR stop from Tsim Sha Tsui and 2 stops from Hong Kong Island. Both stations are part of the MTR Tsuen Wan Line. Also, there is the Austin MTR station in the western part of the area.
How to get to the Yau Ma Tei area from the Hong Kong International Airport.
Taxi is one of the most popular ways to and from the Hong Kong International Airport. It is fast, comfortable and offers point-to-point travel. The taxi rank is located outside the Arrival Hall on the left side. Follow the direction signs. The estimated fare is HK$220-230 plus HK$5 for each piece of luggage stored inside the baggage compartment, and each piece of luggage with total dimensions (length + width + height) exceeding 140cm stored inside the cabin. The journey time is about 30-40 minutes. The fare and time depend on traffic conditions. Hong Kong taxi drivers know all the major hotels, but it is a good idea to note the address of your hotel or destination point on a piece of paper.
Also, visitors to Hong Kong may take the Airport Express train. The journey to Kowloon station costs HK$90 and takes 21 minutes. The trains run every 10 minutes from 5:50am to 1:15am daily. There are discounts up to 40% for those who travel in a group or family. HK$140 for a group of 2, HK$190 for a group of 3 and HK$220 for a group of 4. Then take a taxi or Free Airport Express Shuttle Bus to your hotel or destination point.
Take the shuttle bus K1 to the following places:
Jordan Station (Austin Road)
Eaton Smart Hong Kong
Take the shuttle bus K5 to the following hotels:
The Cityview Hong Kong
The cheapest way is the Airport Bus. The bus stop (Ground Transportation Centre) is located outside the Arrival Hall on the right side. Follow the direction signs. The Yau Ma Tei area is served by the Cityflyer Route A21. Take the Citybus A21 and get off at stops #9-11 depending of your destination point. The fare is HK$33 and the journey takes about 50-60 minutes depending on traffic conditions. The buses run daily from 6:00am till midnight with a frequency 10-20 minutes. The buses have plenty of luggage space and come with a display on the upper deck, which announces in advance an upcoming bus stop in English and Chinese. The bus stops are shown on the map below.
| Hotels in Yau Ma Tei and bus stops of the A21 route nearby | ||
| Hotel | Stars | Bus stop # |
| Bridal Tea House Yau Ma Tei Hotel |  |
9 |
| Caritas Bianchi Lodge | |
9 |
| Casa Hotel | |
9 |
| CHI Residences 279 |  |
9 |
| Comfort Lodge Hong Kong | |
11 |
| Dynasty Commercial Hotel |  |
10 |
| Eaton Smart Hong Kong | |
10 |
| E-Dragon Hotel | |
11 |
| Embassy Hotel | |
11 |
| Evergreen Hotel Hong Kong | |
10 |
| Galaxy Wifi Hotel |  |
9 |
| Goodrich Hotel Hong Kong | |
10 |
| Jordan Comfort Inn | |
11 |
| Kings De Nathan Hotel | |
9 |
| Largos Hotel | |
10 |
| M Hotel | |
9 |
| Madera Hong Kong | |
10 |
| Nathan Hotel | |
10 |
| Novotel Nathan Road Kowloon Hotel | |
10 |
| Prudential Hotel | |
11 |
| Shamrock Hotel | |
11 |
| Silka Seaview Hotel | |
9 |
| Sky Dragon House | |
11 |
| The Cityview Hong Kong | |
9 |
| West Hotel | |
10 |
Hotels marked with gray color are at a distance of more than 400 meters from the bus stop.
Note: This information is for reference only and is subject to change without prior notice.