Hong Kong with all its high rise buildings can sometimes be disappointing if you are looking for smaller family-run stores. The buildings in the Sai Ying Pun area, on Hong Kong Island, are remnants of a Hong Kong that has all but disappeared. On Third Street, you can not only find a variety of old-world stores selling traditional Chinese products.
Old Fashioned Rice Stores in Sai Ying Pun
In the past, rice was bought from specialist stores where it was cleaned in the back, and then sold from large sacks. These days we tend to get rice in the local supermarket, even in Hong Kong. The traditional rice stores, with the aroma of rice coming from the sacks, are harder and harder to find. The rice stores on Third Street keep rice in large wooden barrels and have done for the past 50 years. They also stock 1000-year-old eggs and a number of spices and sauces. Wander through Sai Ying Pun Hong Kong and soak up the atmosphere of the many mom and pop establishments. Take in Central Street and the surrounding area as well.
