Market shopping in Asia
-
A
Jade Market
The Jade Market, near the Gascoigne Rd overpass just west of Nathan Rd, has some 400 stalls selling all varieties and grades of jade from inside two covered markets. Unless you really know your nephrite from your jadeite, it’s probably not wise to buy any expensive pieces here, but there are plenty of cheap and cheerful trinkets on offer as well. Shanghai Street on the other side of Kansu St will take you back to a time long past. Once Kowloon’s main drag before Nathan Rd, Shanghai St is still flanked by stores selling embroidered Chinese wedding gowns, sandalwood incense, professional kitchenware and Buddha statues. There’s also a pawn shop at the junction of Saigon…
reviewed
-
B
Bogyoke Aung San Market
A half-day could easily be spent wandering around this sprawling 70-year-old market (sometimes called by its old British name, Scott Market). Besides the fact that it has over 2000 shops and the largest selection of Myanmar handicrafts you’ll find under several roofs, the market is a fantastic opportunity to smile, laugh and haggle alongside local shoppers. You’ll find a whole variety of interesting souvenirs, from lacquerware and Shan shoulder bags to t-shirts and puppets. Pick up some nice slippers here, convenient for all the on-and-off demanded by paya protocol. Gems and jewellery are also on hand. If you need somewhere to store all this booty, several shops in the…
reviewed
-
C
Stanley Market
No big bargains or big stings, just reasonably priced casual clothes (plenty of large sizes), bric-a-brac, toys and formulaic art, all in a nicely confusing maze of alleys running down to Stanley Bay. It’s best to go during the week; on the weekend the market is bursting at the seams with tourists and locals alike.
reviewed
-
D
Chinatown Complex
Once famously rundown and grungy, Chinatown Complex was inevitably closed for upgrading at the time of writing. Hopefully, when it reopens, the singular charms of its wet market, barking stallholders and famous hawker centre will not be lost – but we have our doubts.
reviewed
-
E
Psar Tuol Tom Pong
Haggling at this market requires peering over mounds and mounds of clothing and quality kramas (chequered silk scarf worn around the necks, shoulders and waists of nearly every Khmer). It is often referred to as the Russian Market, as back in the 1980s it was the Russians' retail outlet of choice. It is the best place for souvenir T-shirts, CDs, DVDs and miniature carvings.
reviewed
-
F
Janpath Market
Aka the Tibetan Market, this touristy strip sells the usual trinkets: shimmering mirrorwork textiles, colourful shawls, brass oms, and dangly earrings and trinkets galore. It has some good finds if you rummage through the junk. Haggle hard.
reviewed
-
G
Temple St Night Market
Temple St, which extends from Man Ming Lane in the north to Nanking St in the south and is cut in two by the Tin Hau temple complex, is the place to go for cheap clothes, dai pai dong (open-air street stalls) food, Chinese memorabilia, watches, pirate CDs and DVDs, fake labels, footwear, cookware and everyday items. Any marked prices should be considered mere suggestions - this is definitely a place to bargain. It’s also a place to catch some entertainment.
reviewed
-
H
Shilin Night Market
Considered by many to be the king of Taipei's night markets, the sprawling Shilin Night Market is a nightly carnival of snacking and shopping. Teeming with stalls selling delectable edibles far beyond our ability to describe, the latest in trendy clothing from shoes to hats (and everything in-between), games of skill and chance and much, much more. If you have only one night to spend in Taipei, spend it here.
reviewed
-
I
Ameya-yokochō
This market has a flavour unlike any other in Tokyo, resembling noisy, pungent bazaars elsewhere in Asia. It was famous as a black-market district after WWII, and is still a lively outdoor shopping arcade where bargains abound. There are sneakers, dried squid and shirts emblazoned with Japanese motifs. Look for its big archway sign opposite Ueno Station's south side.
reviewed
-
J
Flower & Bird Market
The Flower & Bird Market has long been one of the more enjoyable and relaxing strolls in the city. It's also known as lǎo jiē (old street) and comprises several downtown blocks surrounded by buildings of immense, gleaming modernity and bustle. Flowers and birds most certainly aren't the main draw here anymore, though on weekends the chirping, yawping and cawing can still be heard a block or more away.
Instead, strollers pack this surreal hawkers' ghetto and its mazy neighbourhood walk of stalls chock-full of flora and fauna (well, again, not so much of these anymore, endless curios, knick-knacks, and doo-dahs, the contents of someone's back hall on more than one…
reviewed
Advertisement
-
K
Sunder Nagar Market
Just south of Purana Qila, this genteel enclave specialises in Indian and Nepali handicrafts and ‘antiques’ (most are replicas). There are two outstanding teashops here: Regalía Tea House (open 10am to 7.30pm Monday to Saturday, 11am to 4pm Sunday); and its neighbour Mittal Tea House (open 10am to 7.30pm Monday to Saturday, 10am to 4.30pm Sunday). They stock similar products and offer complimentary tea tastings. There’s plenty on offer, from fragrant Kashmiri kahwa (green tea with cardamom; Rs110 per 100g), to the finest of teas, Vintage Musk (Rs700 per 100g). The white tea (Rs600/350 per 100g organic/non-organic) is said to contain even more antioxidants than…
reviewed
-
L
Seoul Folk Flea Market
Relocated to a new two-storey building that already looks worn, the 1st-floor stalls at the back have a fascinating collection of artworks, collectables and general bric-a-brac. You could root through this lot for hours hunting for hidden treasures – wooden masks and ink drawings, vintage golf clubs, battered trumpets, elephant-shaped teapots, Beatles LPs, valve radio… Follow the signs from the subway station exit, it’s only a few minutes’ walk.
reviewed
-
M
Phahurat Market
If it sparkles, then this market has it. Phahurat proffers boisterous Bollywood-coloured textiles, traditional Thai dance costumes, tiaras, sequins, wigs and other accessories to make you look like a cross-dresser, a mŏr lam (Thai country music) performer, or both. This is cloth city, and amid the colour spectacle are also good deals on machine-made Thai textiles and children’s clothes.
reviewed
-
N
Pasar Burung
Elsewhere in Denpasar, a short distance north on Jl Veteran, Pasar Burung is a bird market with hundreds of caged birds and small animals for sale, including guinea pigs, rabbits and monkeys. There are also gaudy birdcages. An impromptu dog market also operates directly opposite the bird market. While you're here, have a look at the elaborate Pura Sutriya, just east of the market.
reviewed
-
O
Bugis Street Market
Lock up your teens. A far cry from its seedy past as Singapore’s most notorious red-light area, the Bugis St market is now a teeming three-level hive of stalls selling clothes, shoes and accessories, plus a few manicurists and nail bars, food stalls and, in a nod to the area’s past, a sex shop.
reviewed
-
P
Angkor Night Market
Something different on the Siem Reap shopping scene, this lively night market includes handicrafts, souvenirs and silks. Shopping by night is a great way to avoid tropical torpor, plus there is the Island Bar at the back of the market for a spot of libation.
reviewed
-
Q
Crawford Market
Also known as Mahatma Jyobita Phule, Crawford Market is the largest municipal market in Mumbai. From the outside it looks more like a medieval fortress than a place to buy household goods.
reviewed
-
R
Fashion Street Market
Snap up a bargain backpacking wardrobe at Fashion Street Market, the cheap stalls lining MG Rd between Cross and Azad maidans (fields.) Hone your bargaining skills.
reviewed
-
Oloy Bazaar
This heavily policed market lacks the character of Chorsu, but will serve you well if your hotel is in the Amir Timur maydoni area.
reviewed
-
Upali Jayakody
Kandy has a number of batik manufacturers. Check out the original designs at this shop.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
S
Han Market
Han Market is a fine place for a casual stroll or to shop in the evenings.
reviewed
-
T
Namdaemun Market
You could spend all day in this awesome night-and-day market and not see it at all. Each section has hundreds of stalls. The market specialises in cheaper-range clothing and accessories for all ages and styles, but you can find anything under the sun here – from food and flowers to spectacles and seaweed. The seaweed may be natural or factory-made, and these days can be flavoured with wasabi, kimchi, green tea or even chocolate. Different sections of the market have different opening hours – wholesalers are open all night and many shops open on Sunday. Alpha has two floors of toys and two floors of stationery. Samho has a jaw-dropping amount of fashion jewellery…
reviewed
-
U
Naran Tuul Market
Naran Tuul Market, east of the centre, is also known as the Black Market (Khar Zakh), but it's not the sort of place where you go to change money illegally and smuggle goods - though this certainly happens.
The market is huge, one of the biggest in Asia and in summer up to 60,000 people a day squeeze inside. There's an around Tug50 entrance fee. You can buy cheap gear for a camping trip, among other things, but the real reason to visit is to marvel at this enormous emporium.
An undercover area has a decent selection of clothes, such as bags, leather boots and fake North Face jackets. This is also one of the cheapest places to get traditional Mongolian clothes such as a del
reviewed
-
V
Gyeongdong Market
You could spend hours exploring the biggest and best Asian medicine market in Korea. All the leaves, herbs, roots, flowers and mushrooms piled up in the shops and stalls are medicinal. Bark is sold to be made into soup, and jine is a long millipede that is boiled to make a soup or else eaten dry – it is said to be good for backaches, and a handful costs W12,000. Hwang-gi is a white root that is mixed with rice and is supposed to prevent sweating. Omija, both dried and undried, are tiny red berries that are soaked in boiling water overnight to produce a delicious ‘five flavour’ tea. Rose petals and chrysanthemum flowers are also made into tea. The tiny dried nashis are…
reviewed
-
W
Amulet Market
Catholics with their parade of saints and protective medals will recognise a great kinship with this streetside amulet market. Ranging from pendant-sized to medallion-sized, prá krêu·ang (amulets) come in various classes, from rare objects or relics (like tusks, antlers or the dentures of abbots) to images of Buddha or famous monks embossed in bronze, wood or clay. Itinerant dealers spread their wares on blankets along the broken pavement across from the temple, and more-permanent shops proliferate in the sunless alleyways along the river. Taxi drivers, monks and average folk squat alongside the displays inspecting novel pieces like practised jewellers. Mixed in with…
reviewed