Yau Ma Tei Market and Reclamation Street

A pink 1957 public market on Kansu Street, with open-air green tin stalls along Reclamation Street outside.

Facts checked 22 October 2026 against the sources listed below

At a glance

• Name: Yau Ma Tei Market (油麻地街市).
• Address: 20 Kansu Street, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon.
• Market hours: 6 am to 8 pm.
• Cooked food centre: none listed by the FEHD.
• Run by: the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD).
• Nearest MTR station: Yau Ma Tei.

Address and hours are from the FEHD, checked 22 October 2026. Hours can change, so check the FEHD page before a special trip.

The 1957 pink building

Yau Ma Tei Market is easy to spot: look for the pink walls on Kansu Street. The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) says the building went up in 1957, and that it was once the largest post-war market in Kowloon. Fresh produce was sold on the ground floor.

Today the HKTB describes it as a local landmark that stocks specialty ingredients and spices from around the world, as well as everyday fresh food. It is a working public market, run by the FEHD.

What's inside

The FEHD publishes how many stalls trade in each category. These are the main food and shopping groups it lists for Yau Ma Tei Market:

The FEHD counts the stalls that currently sell each type of goods, so the numbers move as stalls open and close. Fish stalls are by far the biggest group, so this is a market to come to for fish and seafood. There are only a few vegetable and fruit stalls indoors, but the street stalls outside sell fresh produce too. See what is in season on our market calendar.

Reclamation Street's green tin stalls

Step out of the building and you are on Reclamation Street. The HKTB describes an open-air market here, lined with green tin stalls. They sell fresh produce, pastries, fresh flowers, dried goods and sundries.

The stalls sit right on the street, so you can walk along, compare prices and pick up a pastry without going indoors. The HKTB says the busy stretch keeps old Yau Ma Tei's lively community spirit alive.

Nearby: the fruit market and Temple Street

Wikipedia names two daytime markets worth a visit in Yau Ma Tei: the wet market on this page and the fruit market. They are separate places, so do not mix them up.

• Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market. A separate wholesale fruit market at 202 Reclamation Street, popularly known as Gwo Laan in Cantonese. The HKTB says its rows of historic low-rise buildings trade through the early hours of the morning, when the rest of the city is asleep.
• Temple Street. After dark, the action moves to the night market on Temple Street. Our Temple Street Night Market food guide covers what to eat there.
• Tin Hau Temple. Wikipedia notes that the temple on Temple Street dates from 1876 and stands at Public Square Street.

A short history

The name Yau Ma Tei (油麻地) can be read two ways. Yau means "oil", ma can mean "sesame" or "jute", and tei means "field" or "open ground". So it is either "oil-sesame field" or "oil and jute ground", which may be why there are two stories about where the name came from.

Before 1860, Yau Ma Tei was a beach and a bay where many Tanka fishing families gathered. Land was reclaimed from the sea several times, and the new ground became homes for a fast-growing population, with shops at street level. Shanghai Street was the main street before Nathan Road took over. The fishing harbour lived on as the Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter, where boat restaurants served local seafood. Those "typhoon shelter" dishes are still famous, and you can now order them on land too.

Tips for visiting

• Go in the morning. The market opens at 6 am and closes at 8 pm.
• Eat elsewhere. The FEHD lists no cooked food centre here, so plan a meal nearby.
• Wear sensible shoes. Wet market floors stay damp all day. Our wet market guide explains why.
• Learn the weights. Fresh food is often priced by the catty. See our market words.

More market guides: Pei Ho Street Market in Sham Shui Po and Ngau Chi Wan Market in east Kowloon.

Frequently asked questions