If you’re looking for some nostalgic souvenirs to pick up on your Hong Kong trip, look no further! Here are 5 souvenirs that are bound to evoke nostalgia, as well as where to buy them in Hong Kong.
Looking for more nostalgia? Check out my guide to 9 activities you can do to experience nostalgic, retro Hong Kong.
Cha chaan teng cups
No trip to Hong Kong is complete without visiting a cha chaan teng. There’s many things to love about a cha chaan teng: the food, the vintage decoration, or the rude service. One thing that makes cha chaan tengs so unique are the cups that the milk tea is served in. The 2 most popular cup and saucer sets are the Black & White brand cups (the condensed + evaporated milk brand that most CCTs use) or the red/green rimmed cups. The Black & White brand cups used to be only available to cha chaan tengs as a way of advertising, but you can find these cups available for sale now.
You can buy these at:
Shanghai St
Shanghai St is a block full of multiple restaurant supply stores next to each other, and the Black & White brand cups are available at many of those stores. Prices and styles can vary by store, so shop around to find the lowest price!
Price: 70-120 HKD per set.
Hak Dei
Hak Dei is one of my favorite homeware stores in Hong Kong. They have a variety of retro styled homewares and vintage cups and bowls as well. You can get the red/green rimmed cup set here.
Price: 24 HKD per set. Hak Dei Google Maps link here.
Rooster bowls
If you’ve eaten noodles anywhere in Southeast Asia, China, or Hong Kong, it’s likely that it was served in a rooster bowl. A rooster bowl consists of a rooster, a banana leaf, and a peony to symbolize wealth, luck, and prosperity.
Newly produced rooster bowls bowls, originally hand painted, are now screen printed. You can find rooster bowls at most places that sell dishes, such as Shanghai St. Hand painted bowls are discontinued as the rooster painting is a dying craft, however you may have luck finding vintage hand painted ones at Hak Dei or other vintage shops.
A unique place to shop for rooster bowls is Fuk Shing Yuen Kee (Google Maps link here), a stall on the street in Sai Ying Pun. This stall is run by just one man. He has a great selection of dishes, and the display of the dishes makes it a unique attraction! Check out more in my Instagram reel.
Vintage dishes
If you’re searching for a particular vintage Chinese design, you may have luck finding it in Hong Kong! A famous Chinese design is the “Longevity” or “Wan Shou” pattern. I saw this pattern available in its classic red, yellow, and green colors in bowl, teacup, and teapot form. You can find dishes with this pattern available at the places listed above (Shanghai St, Hak Dei, Fuk Shing Yuen Kee) as well as other vintage finds.
Red white blue plaid bags
These are famous bags, not just in Hong Kong, but globally as well because they are widely used around the world! However, Hong Kong is the birthplace of these plaid bags after a Hong Kong tailor first used the fabric to make these bags in the 1960s. They gained popularity because they’re cheap, light, and convenient with a zipper top closure. You can find these bags sold everywhere in Hong Kong, at local stores and street markets. They’re super useful to pick up to bring home all your purchases from the inevitable shopping that you will do in Hong Kong!
The bags are mostly found in large sizes, as people use them as “luggage”, or for transporting laundry, goods, etc. However, if you want to find the small sized bags (like in the picture above), which are harder to find, I found them at a street market at Shanghai St & Fife St. See my Instagram reel above for more information!
Price: starts 8 HKD for the small sizes.
Because the plaid design is so famous, you can also find versions of the plaid design printed on fabrics at Hong Kong fabric stores. I also picked up a fancier, handmade purse in the plaid design at Wan Chai market for 120 HKD.
Good morning towels
Another iconic item, not just in Hong Kong, but also Southeast Asia. These are towels that read “Good Morning” in red lettering with blue trim on the edges of the towels. They’re widely used in restaurants and cha chaan tengs as, well, whatever a towel is needed for. You can find them sold at towel stalls at street markets or local shops.
Price: about 5 HKD+ each.
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