| Product: |
Stanley |
| Date: |
03.04.07 (111 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Bargains, Bargains, Bargains
Disadvantages: Hot and crowded
~History~
Stanley or Chek Chue (; literally "Bandit's post" or "red pillar") is a village town on the south of Hong Kong Island It is located east of Repulse Bay and west of Shek O. Adjacent to Chung Hom Kok. Legend has it that the notorious pirate Cheung Po Tsai was active in Stanley. That is why the district became known in Chinese as Chak Chue.
It was the largest settlement on Hong Kong Island when the British arrived in the mid-19th century. The town's English name is after Lord Stanley, a Briton who held the grand title of Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. After the annexation of Hong Kong in 1842, the British made Stanley the administrative centre for a while, before moving to the newly founded Victoria City north of Hong Kong Island.
Stanley was the location where the British garrison in Hong Kong was defeated by the advancing Japanese troops in December 1941. The former British barracks at Stanley is now occupied by the People's Liberation Army, after Hong Kong was transferred to the People's Republic of China in 1997.
Now, Stanley has a large open-air marketplace that has become well known for its bargains in clothing - particularly silk garments and traditional Chinese dress - as well as toys, ornaments, luggage, souvenirs, and Chinese arts and crafts.
No trip to Hong Kong is complete without a trip there.
~How To Get There~
There are two basic ways to get to Stanley, by bus or taxi.
~Taxi~
If you are in a hurry about not on a budget the taxi from anywhere in Hong Kong is the easiest way.
Every taxi driver knows the way and the name "Stanley" in English so there is no problem there.
The ride is a very winding road though so those who get car sick in the back of cars need to beware.
It cost approximately £10 one way.
We choose to go by taxi as I was 5 months pregnant and not in the mood for a long, bumpy ride. We also wanted to go to a restaurant on another part of the island and going by taxi was just easier all the way around.
~Bus~
If you are more on a budget, the bus is your option.
There are several you can take from various locations in Hong Kong.
~First Bus~
To/From Stanley Market: 65 (Terminus: Exchange Square (Hong Kong))
To/From Stanley Prison: 63 (Terminus: North Point Ferry Pier)
To/From Stanley Fort: 14 (Terminus: Grand Promenade)
To/From Stanley Plaza: 66 (Terminus: Exchange Square (Hong Kong))
~Citybus~
To/From Stanley Market: 973 (Terminus: Tsim Sha Tsui)
To/From Stanley Prison: 6 6A 6X and 260 (Terminus: Exchange Square (Hong Kong), 73 (Terminus: Cyberport), 314 (Terminus: Siu_Sai_Wan Bus Station)
~Minibus~
To/From Stanley Market: 16M (terminus: Chai_Wan MTR station)
To/From Stanley Prison: 52 (Terminus: Aberdeen,_Hong_Kong), 40 (Terminus: Causeway Bay)
The bus is cheap at approximately £1-£2 one way.
However, be warned, it does take about longer to get there on bus than it does by taxi.
So, you may want to weigh the pros and cons if you only have a short amount of time.
~The Market~
Stanley Market is open seven days a week around Stanley New Street and Stanley Market Road. Try to get there early because the market quickly fills up and it takes a bit of energy to push your way through the crowds in the narrow aisles to find the best bargains. However, the truth be told, most of the prices are very similar.
We tended to find the stalls where we were able to browse unmolested and then when we wanted help they were happy to help us in a quickly and friendly fashion.
We did find that the narrow aisles can sometimes be confusing. If you do buy something and have to come back for it or you see something but not sure if you want it, WRITE down the number of the stall. If you have that number, you are sure to find the particular stall you want. They all begin to look the same.
We made a few purchases while at the Stanley Market. We picked up a cute little Chinese outfit for our friend's dog for £1. He looked adorable in it! I also picked up some GORGEOUS scarves. The colour and shimmer on them is amazing and I ALWAYS get lovely compliments on them as I have not seen any like these around here. I bought those for 5 for £5! I wish I had bought MORE! Then the best thing we got was a personalized gift for both my husband and I as a reminder of our holiday. It is two small dragons on the top of individual columns. The column each has our names in Chinese carved into them. Underneath the column is another carving of our names which you can use with a stamp pad or melted wax to make an imprint. They were individually carved while we continued our shopping. They came in a lovely presentation box with a stamp pad. The total cost was £10!
You can do some bargaining. I don't really like to bargain. However, if you show any interest in something and you ask the price and then put it down and start walking away, they usually will come back with a lower offer. How they make any money is a wonder sometimes!
~Other Things To Do In Stanley~
There are other things to do in Stanley. There are many different kinds of restaurants and pubs sprinkled throughout the village. We stopped off in a lovely open air British pub for a cool drink. It was lovely just to sit looking out across the bay.
To the west of Stanley Main Street, past the amphitheatre in Stanley Plaza is the Tin Hau Temple (Temple of the Queen of Heaven). Built by Cheung Po Tsai in 1767, it is one of the oldest temples in Hong Kong.
There are two main beaches in Stanley, Stanley Main Beach, located on the eastern side of the peninsular, and St. Stephen's Beach, on the western side. Like most beaches in Hong Kong, the perimeter is netted to keep out the sharks. That is something nice to know!
Another point of interest is Stanley Plaza with its elegantly rebuilt European-style Murray House and Village Square adjoining the seafront promenade. It is a nostalgic reminder of the Colonial-style architecture that dominated Central District in early Hong Kong. Murray House was carefully dismantled in 1982 to make way for the towering Bank of China glass tower that now occupies its former site.
~Other Tips~
-Wear comfortable shoes because it is a bit hilly and you will be doing lots of walking.
- Wear your sunscreen! Even on the cloudiest and coolest of days, you can get a nasty burn.
-Pack a few bottles of water. It can get very hot in the market and can take some time to get out of. My water came in VERY handy!
-Bring an empty backpack/rucksack to carry purchases in. Your arms and hands will get tired quickly holding your purchases and you can be sure not to leave a bag lying somewhere.
-Keep your money close to your body. I haven't heard of any pick pockets. However, the crowd can get VERY close and I rather you be safe than sorry.
~Conclusion~
I am very happy that we decided to go to the Stanley Market. I am even more pleased that we choose to go early and by taxi. If we had gone by bus, it would have been an all day affair. However, our time was short and we wanted to get in as much as possible and going by taxi afforded us with the luxury of extra time to do other things in Hong Kong.
If you are not a market person and really not "into" shopping, then this may not be the place for you. However, if you want to see a different part of the island and do a bit of bargain shopping, then hop a ride down to Stanley and enjoy your time.
This is always a place I suggest people visiting if they are on their way to Hong Kong.
Summary: A delightful place to visit if you want to get a few bargains and a bit of sight seeing as well.
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