Following the release of a Hong Kong coffee shop guide, HYPEBEAST ZH has compiled a list of 10 unique cultural shops to visit in the city. The independent storefronts mentioned, encompass a broad range of categories including fashion, music, comics, plants, art, antiquities, and daily necessities, with each shop offering its own distinct theme. Follow us below as we introduce the hidden gems.
Plants of Gods
Caudex plants have been a hot topic in Hong Kong in recent years, as they take minimal care, which suits the busy urban lifestyle of the city. While small, the plants easily add a dash of life and color to the home. Founded by LMF member Prodip Leung and his friends, Plants of Gods combines the study of ancient civilization with the art of bonsai, offering an artistic take on bizarre plants consisting mainly of succulents, cacti and root plants imported from Madagascar. Plants of Gods runs an online store and holds regular pop-ups throughout the city with brands such as 432Hz, where it exhibits hand-made plant pottery.
Address: Room S, Floor 24, Wing Kin Industrial Building, 4-6 Kwai Chung
THE SHOPHOUSE
Tucked away in a quiet neighborhood in Tai Hing, creative agency Unveil Limited transforms a five-story prewar tenement into a unique hybrid space. The building consists of a tea and coffee bar on the ground floor, a vintage clothing and furniture store on the floor up, a gallery space on the third floor, and studio space and garden at the top. Previous showings include an archival workwear exhibition from Kiko Kostadinov, and currently on display is a contemporary art series from Chinese artist Yang Bodu. New exhibitions and merchandise rotate frequently, providing the public with a constant flow of unique perspectives from both local and international creatives.
Address: 4 Second Lane, Tai Hang
ZBFGHK Store (紙本分格)
After operating online for six years, the local comics group ZBFGHK recently opened its first physical store which also functions as a studio space for its team. The store holds an extensive range of comics from local artists as well as classic mangas from prominent Japanese manga creators. Decorating the walls and shelves is a thought-provoking assortment of specialty figures, artworks, and posters. Some of the books featured are for sale while others are for reading only.
Address: Room A, Floor 11, King Win Factory Building, Kwun Tong
White Whale & Co.
With the popularization of Japanese fashion culture and the return of retro Americana in the last decade or so, vintage stores have been popping up in the city, and White Whale & Co. is one of them. The store holds vintage pieces in excellent condition such as '60s Western Jackets, French military garments, and Japanese workwear, some of which are collected by the shop founder Ajax's travels to Europe. It also stocks contemporary retro-style brands and recently launched its own indigo bourgeon jacket.
Address: 2nd Floor, 39 Yin Chong Street, Mong Kok
Still House
As Hong Kong is now seen as an international financial center, the era in which its manufacturing and garment industry flourished has gradually been forgotten. The once prevalent "MADE IN HONG KONG" labeled garments are now mainly found in second-hand stores due to the high production costs and low output. Despite the potential downsides, Still House in Causeway Bay is one of the few local brands that insist on producing its clothing in the city, offering a range of minimal urban lifestyle apparel with a focus on comfort and details.
Address: G/F, No. 25 Xiyun Street, Causeway Bay
Analog Dept. Records
Analog Dept. Records is a record label and indie record store started by founder Jan and two friends. After working in the recording industry for many years and selling records online, the trio opened the store out of their deep passion for vinyl. There are only a handful of record stores left in Hong Kong, including Lamma Vinyl in Yue Shue Wan, Walls of Sound in Central, Yan Yan LP in Kwai Chung, and White Noise Records in Sham Shui Po, each with its own specialized tastes and curations. Analog Dept. offers a vast and unique selection of alternative music and a sanctuary where music lovers can learn and gather.
Address: 17-23 Hing Yip St, Kwun Tong
WANDERS*
Select shop WANDERS* offers an assortment of items designed for both the city and the great outdoors. As a mountainous island metropolis, Hong Kong is the perfect place to utilize the hybrid wares. The store mainly includes Japanese and Korean brands such as GAIJIN MADE, which specializes in indigo dyeing and BORO patchwork, and EASTLOGUE which takes inspiration from retro military uniforms.
Address: Shop B, G/F, 13-15 Cleveland St, Fashion Walk, Causeway Bay
Blackpool (黑池)
Blackpool offers hand-made daily necessities prevalent in the Shōwa period (1926–1989) including clothing, cooking utensils, etc. The most precious thing about ancient props is that most of them were made by the craftsmen at the time, which bear the traditional techniques and wisdom. Pete, the founder of the ancient prop shop, has a deep knowledge of Japanese traditional woodwork, ceramics, furniture, and plants present in his store, and also sells antiquities he transforms by himself and cooperative items with other Japanese artists.
Address: Room 12, 4th Floor, Yuen Fat Industrial Building, 25 Wang Chiu Road, Kowloon Bay
Waichi Street Playground (黑地)
Waichi Street Playground is a modern take on Hong Kong "mountain goods" stores, which were very common in the 1950s, mainly selling household items made of natural materials, such as chicken feather brushes, bamboo brooms, sunflower fans, steamers, and so on. The store continues the traditional concept of focusing on daily necessities while adding other product types in steel and porcelain. The owner, who's a designer himself, deliberately placed the goods in a chaotic yet orderly manner, taking into account the color combinations to restore the authentic sense of randomness in the traditional "mountain goods" stores.
Address: G/F, 618 Shanghai Street, Mong Kok
Pimary
Born out of a desire to produce sustainable and ethical products, Pimary offers a range of natural skincare products, eco-friendly homeware, and green groceries for a lifestyle in tune with nature. Pimary has two locations in Hong Kong, one in The Mill's Nan Fung Spinning factory, and the other in a village house in Tai Po. The former is to facilitate more people to understand the brand, while the latter is a hidden concept space that's open for appointments here. The "Pimary Experience" is priced at a minimum charge of $50 HKD and is a pet-friendly escape from the bustle of the city offering visitors sustainable shopping, refreshments, gardening, and a holistic slow-living experience in the countryside.
Address: Shop 105, Nan Fung Spinning Factory, Tsuen Wan and 25 Lo Tsz Tin Tsuen, Tai Mei Tuk, Ting Kwok Road, Tai Po
Elsewhere in Hong Kong, take a closer look at the HYPEBEAST Pokémon TCG 25th-anniversary BELOWGROUND pop-up.
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