Treasure Hunting At The Antique Market At Hollywood Road and Cat Street

August 12, 2023

Hong Kong's metropolis, Central, is home to interesting attractions that will pique your attention in addition to its skyscrapers, fancy boutiques, and government buildings. You can also explore museums, temples, an eco-park, the world's longest outdoor escalator, visit the historical compound — Tai Kwun, and other places while roaming through Central. This city also has a lot of historical spots. And one thing that you shouldn't miss visiting is Hollywood Road where you can find Antique Market. And from the name itself, you can guess what interesting things to see there.

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I decided to visit this famous street when I was walking in Central last weekend. I have never been to Antiques Street although I passed by Hollywood Road several times. You might think Hollywood Road is the place for Hollywood Stars or some sort. But no it isn't, except for the fact that it has several fancy shops and luxury hotels on the line.

Just a little bit of history of this road.

Hollywood Road was the second road that was built after Queens Road during the British Colony in Hong Kong. So royal engineers were responsible for the construction of most roads in Hong Kong during that period. The road was close to the coastline back in the day and became a spot where foreign merchants and sailors put up their collected antiques and artifacts for sale from China on their way to Europe. Source

That's how it started, and later the road became an antique market that attracts a lot of people. Although a lot of transformations and constructions happened on this road given that it is in the capital city, Antique Street still exists up to this date and has become a place for treasure hunting.

I located this place by following Google Maps' directions, and the first attraction that caught my attention was the Man Mo Temple. This is one of the declared monuments in Hong Kong just by looking at its appearance. It was built in 1847 for worshiping and is translated as Civil (Man) and Martial (Mo).

Based on the information I found on the side of the road, this temple was the main Chinese temple back in the day and served as a meeting place for Chinese merchants to discuss community affairs.

Along Hollywood Road are different antique shops where one could go treasure hunting. Porcelainware, ceramics, Buddha sculptures, accessories, trinkets, souvenir figurines, watches, portraits, horsemen, and other sorts of antiques from the old Chinese Dynasty can be found here. I bet @kerrislravenhill and @silversaver888 can find some treasures to buy in this place. I forgot to check for treasure coins. Probably next time.

Unfortunately, by the time I walked along this street, it was already six in the evening, so shops were already closed, and only a few were open. But it was even in my favor since I could take photos of the items through the outside glass windows. Taking photographs and videos in shops isn't allowed.

This shop contains several porcelain vases and jars, wood and stone sculptures and carvings, Buddha statues, and antique portraits. I wonder how buyers would carry those items as they look huge and heavy.

Outside Cheong Ming Antiques are these old Buddha statues that seem to be guarding the place. One looks polite, and the other is fierce-looking.

Most of the items on display in different shops are Buddha statues with different poses, expressions, and styles.

I spotted this yew wood tree root sculpture in one of the shops along the way. The label says it is around 500 years old and originated in China.

As I continued my walk, I passed by Cat Street also known as Upper Lascar Row, and I got curious about its name, so I entered the silent alley. I thought it was a street for cat shops but I haven't seen any cats in the area, lol. I found out that Cat Street is also part of the Antique Market.

Its history says:

Back in the 1920s, before developing a good reputation for stolen items, the local bazaar was selling antiques and pre-loved items. The term for stolen items in Cantonese is called "rat goods" while those buyers of stolen items are called "cats". And that's how the Cat Street name was formed.source

Before entering Lascar Row, this old vendor's stall caught my attention. And since it was already past six in the evening, he was about to close the stall, I immediately took photos of the items for sale so I could proceed to other shops before they closed.

These are lucky charms for different zodiac signs, which are auspicious items for the Chinese and those who believe in them.

Aside from lucky charms, there are antique gold figurines for different zodiac signs that are also considered lucky items. There are pagodas too for house display. They reminded me of the antique pagoda I bought at a reasonable price. However, mine was sent to my home country, so I can't show it to you.

These are said to be Henan Jade, one of the Chinese ornaments. They look authentic and antique, and intricately carved.

I proceeded to the alley where more shops are located, unfortunately, just like other shops on the highway, they were already closed, and only one or two were still open.

This was one of the open shops I spotted. I was grateful to see no vendors watching after the shop because I was able to take photos, lol.

Different gold-plated Buddha statues are all over the place, alongside animal sculptures that represent every zodiac animal.

Outside the shop are these brass doorknockers we usually see in traditional Chinese palaces and gardens. Some old houses have this too.

Old money bag fortune and Chinese books.

Auspicious beads and bracelets. Hey, @kerrislravenhill, do you wanna buy some antique swords and daggers? I'm seeing a gold-plated pistol in the photo too. I truly want to go back to this place to buy some antiques as souvenirs.

Most stalls were closed, but these old lanterns and bird cages for sale were still hung outside. They suit well for garden ideas.

An old man was about to close his stall, so I tottered and quickly took photos of his items. There were sculptures and figurines of Chinese Buddhas and different characters good for home decoration.

On his table were these Chinese tea cups with koi fish designs, and antique rings. Some have jade stone designs, and I wonder if they are authentic because jade rings in jewelry shops are so expensive.

On the other side were these scraps. Don't underestimate them. Some treasures can be found in scrap items like these. You just have to look carefully. The watches look authentic, but I'm not sure if they are functional. Did you know that my tiny black leather Quartz wristwatch was bought in shops like this? If you are curious, you can check out my photos in my previous blogs, hehe. It is functional and has looked sturdy up until now.

The creme soda can is definitely not a treasure, lol. But seriously, why does it cost HK$30? There's probably something inside it.

There were some memorabilia items in this shop too, just like an old tape of the legendary Bruce Lee, and old photos of Chinese personalities.

I regretted not going to this market earlier. The Cat Galleries and Halfway Museum were already closed. There must be interesting antiques and memorabilia inside. I will definitely visit them the next time I decide to treasure hunt in this market.

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There are cafes and restaurants in the area too that are usually occupied by foreigners and old Chinese people.

It isn't the end of the antique market yet. Walking farther down to the lower area near the main highway, there are more antique shops. There are porcelain vases, jars, and figurines for porcelain lovers. Can you identify which one is authentic and not? It reminded me of a Chinese series where the main character can figure out the difference between fake and authentic antique items by just looking at and touching them.

Sometimes, the designs on porcelain items are the basis for checking if they are authentic or not. Designs from old dynasties are distinct and authentic. In visiting different museums with porcelain relics, you'll learn about designs from different Chinese dynasties.

I know some of the items in the porcelain shop above aren't antique, but the designs of these ceramic vases and jars probably are. They are similar to those from Jiajing's Emperor era, and Qing Dynasty.

You can check these blogs to figure it out.

Stepping Into The Virtual World Of Jiajing's Emperor

Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Center: Discover The Ancient Shu Civilizations

I continued walking and stopping in every antique shop to take photos of the items. It's free to wander around and buy whatever antique you want if you have a lot of money, haha.

These are definitely authentic. You can tell by rusty and deteriorating appearances.

The item in the middle in the photo below looks like a two-pillar incense burner. And can you see the designs? Those have symbolic and auspicious meaning. I've been to different Chinese antique shops, and this, by far, was the prettiest I've ever seen. If it's not an incense burner, maybe @magicmonk knows what it is. ☺️

Do you want to have some treasure hunting in Hong Kong? This Antique Market is definitely the best place for it. Antique lovers would love wandering around here. Even if you don't shop, those items are visual pleasure.

Happy late #MarketFriday everyone ☺️.Although @dswigle is on vacay mode. For sure, she'll read this soon.

(All photos are mine)

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