Lei Yue Mun is actually a relatively big area that encompasses a sector in Hong Kong Island and a zone within the Kowloon Peninsula. Our focus today shall be the one at the Kowloon Peninsula area; accessible via the Yau Tong MTR station.
鲤鱼 refers to carp and 门 can mean door / gate. According to Wikipedia and a few online sources, 鲤鱼门 is the name of the water channel in between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Peninsula and while i am unsure if there used to be a lot of carps in the area; there's a fishing village and people do visit for the seafood.
Why did i visit as Lei Yue Mun isn't your usual Singaporean tourist-spot? To keep the story short, i was searching for places to buy Kai Zai Bing (chicken biscuit / pork baked cake) and chanced upon a stall located in Lei Yue Mun. What intrigued me was its status as a seafood district and i thought; why not a visit.
It was about an 8-minute, non-sheltered walk from Yau Tong MTR station before we finally got to the main street leading towards Lei Yue Mun seafood district. Be ready for the pictures!
There were already quite a number of seafood restaurants and shops along the street but i think business wasn't good. Timing was about 6.00 pm on a Monday and the dinner crowd should have descended by then. For seafood in Hong Kong, my understanding is that people would commonly think of Sai Kung.
Going into the proper district which has narrower, non-vehicular pathways with seafood shops and restaurants flanking on both sides. I can imagine how cramped it would be on a busy day; which i would prefer as it's easier for me to take photographs!
Eye-popping amount of seafood in glass tanks and the variety was so wide! I am thankful Alex didn't join me as we might be persuaded to have a seafood dinner and i doubt it would come cheap; given the higher standard of living in Hong Kong.
For a moment, i thought these were cooked prawns submerged in water! This begets the question; how would you know whether the prawns were ready for consumption after boiling them? Maybe have to wait until no movement.
Along the empty street; more staff than customers.
One of the posher seafood restaurants; the kind you can hold weddings or elaborate parties to celebrate your parents' birthday / anniversaries.
Is this the Chinese pastry shop that i was looking for? Nope, it isn't but it has chicken biscuit / pork baked cake too! Best of all, you can sample for free!
Although the pricing for the chicken biscuit / pork baked cake is much cheaper (HKD$10 for 6 pieces) than 瑞香園餅家 (HKD$8 for 2 pieces), there was this off-putting nan ru (fermented beancurd) taste i don't like.
Here's the shop for 瑞香園餅家; click here for my review and pictures of its crispy and deliciously addictive Kai Zai Bing (chicken biscuit / pork baked cake)!
A basketball court in the middle of the seafood district. Maybe it serves the residents in the nearby fishing village. My memorable moment here was almost stepping into a pile of dog poo!
Some of the restaurants had a great view of the breathtaking cityscape on both sides of Victoria Harbour. If weather permits, you may even catch a spectacular sunset.
Noticed the signage pointing towards a viewing point; of course have to go!
Just slightly beyond the seafood district, it's a pretty good place to chill out after a heavy dinner. There's even a lighthouse and if you choose to walk further inwards, you can even visit the 200 years old Lei Yue Mun Tin Hau Temple! For more photographs, click here.
Lighted neon signboards when i left; the next time i come, i shall ask my Hong Kong friends for recommendations. With the amount of cash in my bank, it would be better to go with a local-recommended eatery!
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Location
44號 Lei Yue Mun Praya Rd,
Hong Kong
Map
As above.
Floor Map
As above.
For the summary of my seven days' itinerary to Hong Kong (with a day trip to Shenzhen), please click here.
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