Along Man Wa Lane near the Sheung Wan MTR station, there are many little shops selling "chops", or carved stone Chinese seals that bear names and personal data. Chops are still used on official documents in Hong Kong and carving them is a Chinese art.

Des Voeux Road West has a lot of dried-seafood shops stocking preserved oysters, squid, pressed ducks, and a multitude of herbs and dried fruit.

Western Market
At the corner of Connaught Road Central and Morrison Street is a red bricked Edwardian building that was renovated as a shopping complex in 1991. Western Market houses a variety of merchandise from imported "peasant art" to vintage European watches. The first floor recreates Hong Kong's former "Cloth Alley," a treasure trove for fabric buyers. The second floor is a good place for dim sum, and on the ground floor is a quaint antique shop-cum-cafe.

An old couple outside a temple

One of the many antique and curio shops selling silk carpets, Neolithic pots, beautiful Chinese furniture, Ming dynasty ceramic horsemen and kitsch Maoist memorabilia on Hollywood Road. This street also has trinkets and knick-knacks like ancient opium pipes and historic maps and photos.

Cat Street
"Cat Street" refers to a Chinese slang for sellers of odds and ends. It's filled with shops and stalls selling antiques.

Man Mo Temple is one of Hong Kong's oldest and most famous temples, named after Man, the God of Literature, easily recognizable in his vibrant red robes holding a calligraphy brush; and Mo, the God of War, garbed in green and carrying a sword. The temple's other gods are the God of Justice with his black face and the God of the City, protector of urban dwellers. Two antique sedan chairs on display serve as carriages for the gods' images during festival processions. Incesnse spirals hang from the ceiling and joss sticks burn as fragrant petitions to the gods. Man Mo was founded by effort of prominent local Chinese to assist China settle dispues and provide social amenities because the government paid little attention to social welfare of the Chinese people.

Hong Kong Museum of Medical Science
The Old Bacteriological Institue was established in 1906 and it was the first purpose build medical lab in HK. It became the Pathological Institute and used as a lab until the 1950s. In 1990 it petitioned to a museum. The building was situated in hills above Sai Yung Pun in the upper part of Tai Ping Shan area where the plague outbreak happened 100 years ago. During the 1894 Plague, the government realized that there was no study of the disease. Smallpox vaccine production was done at this location using calves. A calf is fastened manually on table. The calf's right leg was then fastened to the curved iron retort stand so that it's belly was completely exposed and ready for shaving, cleansing, disinfecting and eventually vacinnation by scarification.

Central-Mid-Levels Escalator
On Hong Kong Island, you can ride from harbour to hillside on the world's longest outdoor escalator and get an intruiging glimpse of HK life. Snaking through some of the world's most expensive real estate, the escalator provides a leisurely view of busy markets, neighborhood shops, trendy bars and cafes, and the impressive colonial facade of the Central Police Station. Completed in 1993 at a cost of HK $32 million, it is used by its residents.

Hong Kong Central Police Station

view from the escalators

SoHo
SoHO means "South of Hollywood Road. The neighbourhood offers a wide range of upmarket eateries and watering holes congregated mainly on Staunton and Elgin streets. Among the restaurants are La Pampa (Argentina), Kiyotaki (Japanese), Nanbantei of Tokyo (Japanese), La Comida (Spanish), Cafe Au Lac (Vietnamese), NEPAL & Sherpa (Nepalese), Himalayan Coffee (Nepalese), Bistro Manch (Cubana), Toika (Russian), Riserva (Italian), Royal Thai Cuisine (Thai), Sawadee (Thai), India Today (Indian), The Bayou Bar & Restaurant (Cajun), Carambe (Mexican)

The original premises of this site was the property of Huang Yongshang, a core member of the Xingzhonghui. The Xingzhonghui,a revolutionary organization for overthrowing the Qing government, was set up by Sun Yat Sen in 1895. This site was used as the HQ of the society under the cover of a firm named Qianhenghang.