Finding Stanley Market in Hong Kong Pays Off

HONG KONG â€”  The hustle and bustle are famous. Crowds are an integral part of the Hong Kong experience. So it’s a pleasure to escape to a quieter section, to Stanley, on a peninsula at the island’s southern edge.

Stanley is one of Hong Kong’s preferred residential districts. It has lovely large houses and gardens, splendid beaches, public parks and temples.

And it has Stanley Market, one of Hong Kong’s great discount shopping areas. Stanley Market is crowded, but not as crowded as the shopping districts in central Hong Kong or Kowloon. The bargains are so good that some hotels and tour companies have organized day trips to the area (ask your hotel concierge for information and schedules), but it’s easy to get to Stanley Market on your own.

Take a taxi (about $5 from Star Ferry) or one of the several buses (No. 6 or 260 from Central Bus Terminal, 35 cents and 55 cents respectively, or No. 63 from Tung Lo Wan Road in Causeway Bay, 35 cents; exact change required).

Best buys include gift items such as porcelain plates, bowls, vases and spoons, woodcarvings, brassware, rattan furniture, designer jeans and sportswear, as well as leather and silk clothing.

Renamed for Lord

Stanley was one of the island’s principal fishing villages when Hong Kong was ceded to the British in 1842. Stanley Village was originally called Chuck Chu (Robbers’ Lair). The village was renamed in 1845 in honor of Lord Stanley, then British secretary of state for the colonies.

It is no longer a den of thieves, but shoppers should examine merchandise before buying from the small shops and stalls. Most of the vendors are honest but some of the merchandise is irregular or second quality, and it would be a pity to discover a crack in your new teapot or an extra seam in your jeans after you arrive home.

Stanley Market covers several blocks along Stanley Main Street, Stanley New Street, Stanley Market Road and several twisting, narrow alleys. There are dozens of shops and stalls to browse. Comparison shopping is advisable, but if you see something really appealing, don’t wait to buy it. It may be gone by the time you get back for a second look.

Shops are constantly changing merchandise, but the basics are always there and there is a lot of duplication of goods from shop to shop, especially of porcelain and small gift items.

Brass, Cloisonne Gifts

Lung Sang Hong (45A, G/F Stanley Main St.) is a reliable source for brass and enamel cloisonne items at reasonable prices. Most of the shop’s business is wholesale, but retail shoppers are welcome and may take advantage of great prices on decorative vases and bowls. Especially popular are the lovely bangles with colored floral patterns ($2.50 to $6) and unusual cloisonne pens ($5 and $10). The shop also has undecorated brass vases and platters.

Tong’s Sheets & Linen Co. (55/57 Stanley Main St.) has an array of hand-embroidered table linens, luncheon sets, bed sheets, quilts and blanket covers, as well as an excellent selection of silk nightgowns, pajamas, dressing gowns and blouses.

Prices are good. For example, a 45-square-inch silk tablecloth with hand embroidery costs about $31. Linen mats and napkins in white or bright colors cost about $1 each. A queen-size sheet set (one fitted, one flat, two pillowcases) costs about $15, and the same set with two flat sheets costs $16.50. Pure silk embroidered long-sleeved blouses sell for $20, and reversible pure silk blue and white vests go for $15.50.

David Arts (11 Stanley Main St.) has antique items including silver, porcelain and enamelware, as well as contemporary objets d’art. This store has been approved for membership in the Hong Kong Tourist Assn. The association’s symbol, a red Chinese junk, is prominently displayed and guarantees reliability.

Ah Kam’s Arts & Craft Co. (7 Main St.) offers small gift items such as carved wood letter openers in bamboo-like cases ($18), lacquer seashell dishes ($13 to $20), miniature paintings in frames ($2.50 and up), eel skin purses and others.

Buying Sports Clothes

Sports clothes are among the best buys. At Style House (66 Main St.) Gloria Vanderbilt women’s jeans sell for $8, Bonjour stretch jeans are $10, YSL men’s cotton shirts cost $8, Pierre Balmain men’s silk shirts $10, Fila men’s underwear is $2 per piece.

At Fat Kee Fashions (18A-20 Stanley Main St.) are women’s dresses and blouses that bear designer labels or the labels of prominent U.S. retailers. For example, a silk two-piece dress with a Saks Fifth Avenue label costs $26. A raw silk dress by Sassoon costs $44, and one by Liz Claiborne is $30. Silk blouses with I. Magnin labels are sold for $8. Silk dresses ($17 to $42) and raw silk suits ($70) are also available at Sakura (19A Stanley St.).

Men’s silk shirts are plentiful at China Town (41 Stanley Main St.) for $8 to $14, and at 2/3 Market (2-3 Stanley Market Road) for $12, and men’s cotton shirts are sold at Hoi Yuen Emporium Co. (45 Stanley Main St.) for $10.

Leather jackets for men, mostly with Italian designer labels, are also sold at 2/3 Market, for $96 to $122. And a large selection of leather clothing for men and women is available at Cave (three locations: 2, 5 and 74 Stanley Main St.). Elegant suede bomber jackets cost about $130. The shop also has suede slacks in black, brown, gray, olive and tan for $35 to $70, and both men’s and women’s suits for about $200 that would cost triple that in the United States.

Shops also sell sweater dresses and regular sweaters in the latest styles.

Most of the sweaters are wool, but there are many samples of fine silk and Angora blends in the soft pastel colors. Sweater prices range from about $5 to $16.

Shopping Stanley Market requires a lot of walking. In case your feet get tired, shops carry a formidable selection of running shoes at discounted prices ranging from $12 to $28. At Po Hong Yuen Sports Co. (47 Stanley Main St.) you’ll find Fila, Nike, New Balance, Converse, Reebok and other brands in various styles and colors. Toby Shoes (15 Stanley Main St.) has kids’ shoes in abundance, including all major brands of athletic shoes.

Prices quoted in this article reflect currency exchange rates at the time of writing.