![HK Mong Kok view2008](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/HK_Mong_Kok_view2008.jpg)
Mong Kok (also spelled Mongkok, often abbreviated as MK) is an area in
Kowloon
Kowloon () is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. With a population of 2,019,533 and a population density of in 2006, it is the most populous area in Hong Kong, compared with Hong Kong Island and ...
,
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...
. The
Prince Edward subarea occupies the northern part of Mong Kok.
Mong Kok is one of the major shopping areas in Hong Kong. The area is characterised by a mixture of old and new multi-story buildings, with shops and restaurants at street level, and commercial or residential units above. Major industries in Mong Kok are retail, restaurants (including fast food) and entertainment. It has been described and portrayed in films as an area in which
triads run bars, nightclubs, and
massage parlour
A massage parlor (American English) or massage parlour (Canadian/British English) is a place where massage services are provided for a fee. In the 19th century, the term began to be used in English as a euphemism for a brothel.
Context
In 1894 ...
s. With its extremely high population density of , Mong Kok was described as the busiest district in the world by the ''
Guinness World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
''.
Name
Until 1930, the area was called Mong Kok Tsui (芒角嘴). The current English name is a
transliteration
Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one script to another that involves swapping letters (thus ''trans-'' + '' liter-'') in predictable ways, such as Greek → , Cyrillic → , Greek → the digraph , Armenian → or L ...
of its older Chinese name 望角 (; ), or 芒角 (; ), which is named for its plentiful supply of
fern
A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes exce ...
s in the past when it was a coastal region. Its present Chinese name "旺角" (; ), means "prosperous corner" or "crowded corner", however, the English name did not change.
For a period, the area was also called Argyle, and this name was used for
the MTR station when it opened in 1979. The office building , which was named after the area, is known in English as ''Argyle Centre'' rather than ''Mong Kok Centre.''
Administration
Mong Kok is part of
Yau Tsim Mong District. It was part of the
Mong Kok District
Mong Kok District () was one of the districts of Hong Kong, covering the areas of Mong Kok and Tai Kok Tsui in Kowloon. In 1994, the district was merged with Yau Tsim District, which covered Tsim Sha Tsui, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Yau Ma Tei, King' ...
before the district was merged in 1994. The area belongs to the
Kowloon West geographical constituency
In Hong Kong, geographical constituencies, as opposed to functional constituencies, are elected by all eligible voters according to geographically demarcated constituencies. There are currently 5 geographical constituencies in Hong Kong, return ...
of the
Legislative Council of Hong Kong
The Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (LegCo) is the unicameral legislature of Hong Kong. It sits under China's " one country, two systems" constitutional arrangement, and is the power centre of Hong Kon ...
.
History
Displays at the
Chinese University of Hong Kong
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a public research university in Ma Liu Shui, Hong Kong, formally established in 1963 by a charter granted by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. It is the territory's second-oldest university and ...
include antique potteries indicating that there might have been settlements in the area as early as the western Han dynasty (206 BC to AD 8 ) to
Jin Dynasty (266–420)
The Jin dynasty (; ) or the Jin Empire, sometimes distinguished as the (司馬晉) or the (兩晉), was an imperial dynasty of China that existed from 266 to 420. It was founded by Sima Yan (Emperor Wu), eldest son of Sima Zhao, who had p ...
.
The area used to be a
Hakka
The Hakka (), sometimes also referred to as Hakka Han, or Hakka Chinese, or Hakkas are a Han Chinese subgroup whose ancestral homes are chiefly in the Hakka-speaking provincial areas of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan, Zhej ...
settlement, with about 200 villagers according to
Bao'an records in 1819.
The heart of the present-day Mong Kok is along
Argyle Street near
Sai Yeung Choi Street whilst the proper Mong Kok used to be to the north, near the present-day
Mong Kok East station. Mong Kok was an area of cultivated lands, bounded to the south by Argyle Street, to the west by Coronation Road (a section of present-day
Nathan Road
Nathan Road is the main thoroughfare in Kowloon, Hong Kong, aligned south–north from Tsim Sha Tsui to Sham Shui Po. It is lined with shops and restaurants and throngs with visitors, and was known in the post– World War II years as the Gol ...
), and to the east by hills. To the southeast of Mong Kok is
Ho Man Tin
Ho Man Tin is a mostly residential area in Kowloon, Hong Kong, part of the Kowloon City District.
History
Section of lists of villages in the book ' (literally ''The History of Xin'an County'') published in twenty fourth year of Jiaqing er ...
and to the west
Tai Kok Tsui
Tai Kok Tsui is an area west of Mong Kok in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The mixed land use of industrial and residential is present in the old area. The Cosmopolitan Dock and oil depots were previously located there. Blocks of high-rise residential ...
.
On 10 August 2008, the
Cornwall Court fire broke out. More than 200 firefighters were involved in the rescue operation. Four people died, including two firefighters.
Mong Kok received a lot of negative media attention for many
acid attacks
An acid attack, also called acid throwing, vitriol attack, or vitriolage, is a form of violent assault involving the act of throwing acid or a similarly corrosive substance onto the body of another "with the intention to disfigure, maim, tortu ...
on
Sai Yeung Choi Street from December 2008 through January 2010.
The area was the site of protracted demonstrations during the
2014 Hong Kong protests
A series of sit-in street protests, often called the Umbrella Revolution and sometimes used interchangeably with Umbrella Movement, or Occupy Movement, occurred in Hong Kong from 26 September to 15 December 2014.
The protests began after t ...
, including the ''
gau wu
''Gau Wu'' () (Cantonese pronunciation: Gau1 Wu1), is a Cantonese expression that was coined shortly after an interview clip in which the term was used was broadcast by HK cable TV in August 2014. The expression means "disorderly shouting" or "sq ...
'' campaign, and was also the site of the
2016 Mong Kok civil unrest.
Streets and markets
![NewCenturyPlace](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/NewCenturyPlace.JPG)
Mong Kok preserves its traditional characteristics with an array of
markets, small shops, and food stalls that have disappeared from other areas during the past several decades of economic developments and urban transformation. As such, a few of these streets in Mong Kok have acquired nicknames reflecting their own characteristics. Some interesting sites are:
*
Tung Choi Street () (also known as , ''Ladies' Market'') – This market specialises in women's clothing, accessories, and cosmetics, and is open daily from noon to midnight. There are also food stalls selling noodles, seafood, and
congee
Congee or conjee ( ) is a type of rice porridge or gruel eaten in Asian countries. It can be eaten plain, where it is typically served with side dishes, or it can be served with ingredients such as meat, fish, seasonings and flavourings, most ...
. An open-air market of fruits and vegetables is also located in the vicinity.
*
Sai Yeung Choi Street South () – A street full of shops selling consumer electronic products, cosmetics, and discount books. The latter are usually located on the lower floors of buildings.
*
Yuen Po Street Bird Garden
Yuen Po Street Bird Garden () is located in Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong, directly west of Mong Kok Stadium and near Mong Kok East station. The garden occupies an area of (3,000m2) and is bounded by Boundary Street, Embankment Road, Prince Edwar ...
() – Hundreds of songbirds in exquisitely crafted cages can be seen at this market. The garden is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is located near
Mong Kok Stadium
Mong Kok Stadium () is a stadium in Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong. With a capacity of 6,664 (comprising four stands of 1,666), it hosts Hong Kong Premier League football matches, with Southern and Kitchee currently sharing the venue. The stadiu ...
, to the north of
Mong Kok East station and east of
Prince Edward station
Prince Edward is a station of the MTR rapid transit system in Hong Kong. It is located in Mong Kok, Kowloon, under the intersection of Nathan Road and Prince Edward Road West. The station is named after this road.
History
As Prince Edward ...
.
*: The garden was completed in 1997
for the relocation of booths selling birds at Hong Lok Street (), aka. "Bird Street", which was closed due to
urban renewal
Urban renewal (also called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address urban decay in cities. Urban renewal involves the clearing out of blighte ...
in June 1998.
*
Fa Yuen Street () (also known as ) – This is a small neighbourhood of small retailers selling sports equipment and clothing. The shops stock a diversity of sports shoes, including many shoes of rare or special editions from different places.
*
Flower Market Road () – The street and the nearby side streets are packed with florists and street vendors selling flowers and plants. At the end of the street is Yuen Po Street Bird Garden.
*
Goldfish Street () or Goldfish Market – Centered on a section of
Tung Choi Street, north of Bute Street. There are dozens of shops and hawkers selling tropical freshwater and marine fish, aquariums and accessories. This market opens
very early in the morning.
* Tile Street () – This is a section of Portland Street near Argyle Street and Bute Street with more than 50 retailers selling materials for construction or renovation, such as tiles, wall paper, window frames and bath tubs.
* Photocopy Street () – A neighbourhood near Yim Po Fong Street and
Soy Street is noted for its remarkable number of photocopying shops due to the number of schools in the vicinity.
*
Portland Street () – A
red-light district
A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light districts are partic ...
featuring numerous shops and restaurants.
* Kwong Wa Street (), between Dundas Street and Yim Po Fong Street, is famous for shops selling
airsoft
Airsoft is a team game in which participants eliminate opposing players by tagging them out of play with spherical plastic projectiles shot with mock air weapons(usually powered by an electronic motor) called airsoft guns.
Although similar ...
,
RC racing,
modelling and other
hobby
A hobby is considered to be a regular activity that is done for enjoyment, typically during one's leisure time. Hobbies include collecting themed items and objects, engaging in creative and artistic pursuits, playing sports, or pursuing oth ...
ing equipment.
* Dundas Street () marks the southern end of the shopping area in eastern Mong Kok, where Sai Yeung Choi Street South, Tung Choi Street and Fa Yuen Street terminate. It is named for
Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, former
British Home Secretary
The secretary of state for the Home Department, otherwise known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The home secretary leads the Home Office, and is responsible for all nationa ...
and
Secretary of State for War
The Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, was a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, which existed from 1794 to 1801 and from 1854 to 1964. The Secretary of State for War headed the War Office and ...
. It is unclear why the street was bestowed in his honour although, as a former
British colony
The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remnants of the former Bri ...
, many of Hong Kong's streets and institutions were named in memory of prominent English historic and political figures.
Ho King Shopping Centre,
Ka Lok Shopping Arcade and
Trendy Zone are major shopping centres on the street. Various kinds of food shops concentrate on this street.
Kwong Wah Hospital
Kwong Wah Hospital is a 1,141-bed Charitable district general hospital in Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong. Located on 25 Waterloo Road, the hospital was founded by the Tung Wah Group in 1911, and managed by the Hospital Authority since 1991. It provi ...
is also situated on the street. Across
Nathan Road
Nathan Road is the main thoroughfare in Kowloon, Hong Kong, aligned south–north from Tsim Sha Tsui to Sham Shui Po. It is lined with shops and restaurants and throngs with visitors, and was known in the post– World War II years as the Gol ...
, the section in the western Mong Kok is relatively quiet and there are many cafés above street level in several buildings.
Some popular shopping plazas located in this dense area include:
![Langham Place Void 2008](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Langham_Place_Void_2008.jpg)
*
Sino Centre () – Shops sell comic books,
VCD
Video CD (abbreviated as VCD, and also known as Compact Disc Digital Video) is a home video format and the first format for distributing films on standard optical discs. The format was widely adopted in Southeast Asia, Central Asia and the ...
s and DVDs related to Japanese cartoons, and regular CD albums. There are also several Japanese style karaoke booths, which can be booked by the hour.
*
Ho King Shopping Centre () – Visitors can find computer and video games sold for relatively low prices. The fourth floor of the plaza is infamous for being formerly the biggest base of pornographic CDs and DVDs, and activities have diminished due to police and customs operations. However, some shops have been driven to the office section of the building.
*
Grand Century Place () – Situated next to Mong Kok East station, visitors can find famous-brand and popular shops.
*
Mong Kok Computer Centre () – This three-story computer mall has around 50 to 70 computer shops, selling
laptops
A laptop, laptop computer, or notebook computer is a small, portable personal computer (PC) with a screen and alphanumeric keyboard. Laptops typically have a clam shell form factor with the screen mounted on the inside of the upper li ...
, software,
hardware and computer accessories.
*
Langham Place () – This is a 59-storey complex with a shopping mall, a hotel, and offices. It opened in 2004 and was constructed based on the Hong Kong Government urban redevelopment scheme. It is the tallest building in Mong Kok.
*Argyle Centre () – This usually crowded centre, located next to Mong Kok Station, has three floors of shops selling low-priced clothes and shoes, plastic toys and heavy metal CDs.
Other streets in the area include:
* Bute Street (), named after
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute, (; 25 May 1713 – 10 March 1792), styled Lord Mount Stuart between 1713 and 1723, was a British nobleman who served as the 7th Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1762 to 1763 under George III. He was arguabl ...
,
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As modern pr ...
between 1762 and 1763. It may also have been named after the Scottish
peerage of the same name, following the naming pattern of several other streets in the area.
* Fife Street () is a street that is north of
Argyle Street, south of Mong Kok Road, and perpendicular to
Nathan Road
Nathan Road is the main thoroughfare in Kowloon, Hong Kong, aligned south–north from Tsim Sha Tsui to Sham Shui Po. It is lined with shops and restaurants and throngs with visitors, and was known in the post– World War II years as the Gol ...
. The Chinese name means "fast wealth" in English, but the name is a
loanword
A loanword (also loan word or loan-word) is a word at least partly assimilated from one language (the donor language) into another language. This is in contrast to cognates, which are words in two or more languages that are similar because th ...
based on the English pronunciation of the
fife
Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...
instrument.
*
Soy Street ()
Food
The Mong Kok area has many
food-booths selling traditional snacks such as
fish ball
Fish balls are rounded meat balls made from fish paste which are then boiled or deep fried. Similar in composition to fishcake, fish balls are often made from fish mince or surimi, salt, and a culinary binder such as tapioca flour, corn, or p ...
s, fried
beancurd
Tofu (), also known as bean curd in English, is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness; it can be ''silken'', ''soft'', ''firm'', ''extra firm'' or ''super fir ...
(tofu) and various
dim sum. These fingerfoods are very popular in Hong Kong, especially for folks on the run. In addition, there are restaurants serving different kinds of cuisine, ranging from
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
to
Thai
Thai or THAI may refer to:
* Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia
** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand
** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand
*** Thai script
*** Thai (Unicode block ...
to
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
.
Built heritage
![HK ShanghaiStreet CantoneseVerandahTypePrewarShophouses](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/HK_ShanghaiStreet_CantoneseVerandahTypePrewarShophouses.JPG)
Built heritage in Mong Kok includes:
* Several ''
tong-lau
Tong lau or ke lau are tenement buildings built in late 19th century to the 1960s in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southern China, and Southeast Asia. Designed for both residential and commercial uses, they are similar in style and function to the shophouse ...
'', including
Nos. 600–626 Shanghai Street
Nos. 600–626 Shanghai Street, or more specifically Nos. 600, 602, 604, 606, 612, 614, 620, 622, 624 and 626, is a group of ten pre-war shophouses (''tong-lau'') in the Mong Kok section of Shanghai Street, in Hong Kong, that have been liste ...
and
Lui Seng Chun
Lui Seng Chun is a Grade I Historic Building located at 119 Lai Chi Kok Road, in Mong Kok, Hong Kong, at the junction with Tong Mi Road. It is a four-storey ''tong-lau'' (the local term for Hong Kong shophouse typology) that was built in 1931 ...
on
Lai Chi Kok Road
Lai Chi Kok Road is a road in western Kowloon, Hong Kong. It links Lai Chi Kok to Mong Kok, via Tai Kok Tsui, Sham Shui Po and Cheung Sha Wan. It starts from a junction with Nathan Road near Pioneer Centre in the south and ends near Mei Foo ...
. Both are listed as
Grade I historic buildings.
* Old Kowloon Police Headquarters, built in 1925. Grade II historic building and one of the
historic police station buildings in Hong Kong Several police buildings in Hong Kong are listed as historic monuments. While some of them are still serving their initial purpose, most of them have been decommissioned and have been redeveloped or are awaiting redevelopment.
Historic police stati ...
. Now part of the
Mong Kok Police Station
Mong may refer to:
People
*A proposed original name for the Hmong people, based on the main group, the Mong community
* Bob Mong (), American journalist and academic administrator
*Henry Mong (), American surgeon and Presbyterian missionary
*Mong ...
.
* Shui Yuet Temple (水月宮), located at No. 90
Shantung Street
Shantung Street () is a street in Mong Kok, Kowloon in Hong Kong. It spans from Ferry Street in the west to Yim Po Fong Street in the east.
Features
Major landmarks including Langham Place and Macpherson Playground are situated along the str ...
. Built in 1927, it is dedicated to
Guanyin
Guanyin () is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara ( sa, अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion. She ...
.
Grade III.
* All Saints' Church, No. 2 Yim Po Fong Street
* Parts of
Kowloon Hospital
Kowloon Hospital is a general care hospital located in Kowloon City District, in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The complex was built on land between Argyle Street and Prince Edward Road.
The hospital used to be an acute hospital with accident and eme ...
Sport venues
![HK MongkokStadium Scoreboard](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/HK_MongkokStadium_Scoreboard.JPG)
*
Macpherson Stadium
* Macpherson Playground
*
Mong Kok Stadium
Mong Kok Stadium () is a stadium in Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong. With a capacity of 6,664 (comprising four stands of 1,666), it hosts Hong Kong Premier League football matches, with Southern and Kitchee currently sharing the venue. The stadiu ...
: home to
Citizen AA
The Citizen Athletic Association (), simply known as Citizen or TCAA, is a Hong Kong athletic club. Its football team () currently competes in the Hong Kong First Division. The club has a long history in playing in the top-tier Hong Kong First ...
and
Sun Hei SC
Sun Hei Sports Club () is a Hong Kong football club which currently competes in the Hong Kong Third Division. The club has a long history in playing in the top flight, but decided to self-relegate in the 2013–14 season after declining to parti ...
*
Boundary Street Sports Centre
Education
Educational institutions in Mong Kok include:
*
Chinese University of Hong Kong
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a public research university in Ma Liu Shui, Hong Kong, formally established in 1963 by a charter granted by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. It is the territory's second-oldest university and ...
campus in
Shantung Street
Shantung Street () is a street in Mong Kok, Kowloon in Hong Kong. It spans from Ferry Street in the west to Yim Po Fong Street in the east.
Features
Major landmarks including Langham Place and Macpherson Playground are situated along the str ...
*
Diocesan Boys' School
The Diocesan Boys' School (DBS) is a day and boarding Anglican boys' school in Hong Kong, located at 131 Argyle Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon near Mong Kok East station. The school's mission is "to provide a liberal education based on Christian pr ...
* Hong Kong & Kowloon Chiu Chow Public Association Secondary School
*
Hong Kong College of Engineering
*
Queen Elizabeth School
* Sheng Kung Hui All Saints' Middle School
Mong Kok is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 32. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money) and Tong Mei Road Government Primary School (塘尾道官立小學).
Transport
![HK MK Nathan Road Prince Edward MTR B1 Exit](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/HK_MK_Nathan_Road_Prince_Edward_MTR_B1_Exit.JPG)
The main thoroughfares are:
*
Argyle Street
*
Canton Road
Canton Road is a major road in Hong Kong, linking the former west reclamation shore in Tsim Sha Tsui, Jordan, Yau Ma Tei, Mong Kok and Prince Edward on the Kowloon Peninsula. The road runs mostly parallel and west to Nathan Road. It st ...
*
Nathan Road
Nathan Road is the main thoroughfare in Kowloon, Hong Kong, aligned south–north from Tsim Sha Tsui to Sham Shui Po. It is lined with shops and restaurants and throngs with visitors, and was known in the post– World War II years as the Gol ...
*
Prince Edward Road
Prince Edward Road East and Prince Edward Road West are roads in Kowloon, Hong Kong, going in an east-west direction and linking Tai Kok Tsui, Mong Kok, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon City and San Po Kong (outside the retired Kai Tak Airport).
The roa ...
*
Shanghai Street
Shanghai Street is a 2.3 km long street in the Jordan, Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok areas of Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. Completed in 1887 under the name of Station Street (差館街), it was once the most prosperous street in Kowloon. It origina ...
Three rail lines serve the area:
* The
MTR Tsuen Wan
Tsuen Wan (formerly also spelled Tsun Wan) is a town built on a bay in the western New Territories of Hong Kong, opposite of Tsing Yi Island across Rambler Channel. The market town of Tsuen Wan emerged from the surrounding villages and flee ...
and
Kwun Tong lines have two stations in this area:
Prince Edward station
Prince Edward is a station of the MTR rapid transit system in Hong Kong. It is located in Mong Kok, Kowloon, under the intersection of Nathan Road and Prince Edward Road West. The station is named after this road.
History
As Prince Edward ...
to the north and
Mong Kok station to the south.
* The MTR
East Rail line
The East Rail line () is one of ten lines of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) system in Hong Kong. It used to be one of the three lines of the Kowloon–Canton Railway (KCR) network. It was known as the KCR British Section () from 1910 to 199 ...
has
Mong Kok East station in the eastern part of the area.
Popular culture
Mong Kok was the setting for the 2004 hit film ''
One Night in Mongkok
''One Nite in Mongkok'' () is a 2004 Hong Kong crime thriller film written and directed by Derek Yee and starring Daniel Wu, Cecilia Cheung and Alex Fong. The film is a sequel to the Yee produced 2000 film, '' Double Tap'', with Fong reprising ...
'' directed by
Derek Yee
Derek Yee Tung-sing () is a film producer, director and a former Shaw Brothers actor from Hong Kong.
Early life
Yee was born Yee Tung-sing in Hong Kong on 28 December 1957, the son of Yee Kwong (爾光), a film producer from Tientsin (Tianjin), ...
. The movie portrays Mong Kok, one of the most densely populated places on Earth, as a hotbed of illicit activity. Similarly, the district was also the setting of the 1996 film ''
Mongkok Story
''Mongkok Story'' () is a 1996 Hong Kong film directed by Wilson Yip.
Cast
* Chan Man Fai
* Chan San-Pang
* Michael Chan (actor), Michael Chan - Fook
* Cheng Bo-Sui
* Roy Cheung - Ching
* Chin Wing-Wai
* Choi Hiu-Yee
* Kwok Wai Chung
* ...
'' (旺角風雲) directed by
Wilson Yip
Wilson Yip Wai-Shun (; born 1964) is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker and screenwriter. His films include '' Bio Zombie'', '' The White Dragon'', '' SPL: Sha Po Lang'', '' Dragon Tiger Gate'', ''Flash Point'' and the ''Ip Man'' series.
Early caree ...
, which depicts a young man who becomes involved in a
triad gang. The 2009 film ''
To Live and Die in Mongkok
''To Live and Die in Mongkok'' () is a 2009 Hong Kong drama thriller film directed by Wong Jing and Billy Chung.
Synopsis
Fai (Nick Cheung), a legendary triad figure, was convicted and sent to prison for life, for slaughtering rival gangsters ...
'' and the 2013 film ''
Young and Dangerous: Reloaded'' are also set in Mong Kok. The literal Chinese title of the 1988 film ''
As Tears Go By'' by
Wong Kar-wai
Wong Kar-wai (born 17 July 1958) is a Hong Kong film director, screenwriter, and producer. His films are characterised by nonlinear narratives, atmospheric music, and vivid cinematography involving bold, saturated colours. A pivotal figure ...
is "Mong Kok Carmen". Part of
Robert Ludlum
Robert Ludlum (May 25, 1927 – March 12, 2001) was an American author of 27 thriller novels, best known as the creator of Jason Bourne from the original '' The Bourne Trilogy'' series. The number of copies of his books in print is estimated b ...
's 1986 novel ''
The Bourne Supremacy
''The Bourne Supremacy'' is the second Jason Bourne novel written by Robert Ludlum, first published in 1986. It is the sequel to Ludlum's bestseller '' The Bourne Identity'' (1980) and precedes Ludlum's final Bourne novel, '' The Bourne Ultima ...
'' was set in Mong Kok.
The area is known locally for a youth subculture, the
Mong Kok culture.
2014 protests
Mong Kok was one of the main sites of the
2014 Hong Kong protests
A series of sit-in street protests, often called the Umbrella Revolution and sometimes used interchangeably with Umbrella Movement, or Occupy Movement, occurred in Hong Kong from 26 September to 15 December 2014.
The protests began after t ...
. Banks, jewellery stores and clothing stores were closed as a result of the pro-democracy protests.
References
External links
Flickr: Photos tagged with MongkokPhoto gallery featuring Flower Market Road over the Chinese New Year.
{{coord, 22, 19, 21, N, 114, 10, 14, E, source:kolossus-plwiki, display=title
Hakka culture in Hong Kong