Dragon Centre – where locals shop in Hong Kong

[dropcap]I[/dropcap] was privileged to have been invited to travel to Hong Kong just recently and although it was not my first time, I have to admit that there are still of a lot of places I have not been to in this country.

During my last visit, I was brought to Dragon Centre, one of the destinations frequented by the locals which was a good sign since I was wondering where most of them shop, dine and get their share of entertainment.

The iconic nine-floor Dragon Centre, located at West Kowloon is a mixed use building, one of the tallest in that area and is the only large-scale shopping mall in the Sham Shui Po District. In 1994, it even won the Certificate of Merit Award from the Hong Kong Institute of Architects.

At the ground floor, a huge image of a dragon greeted me as I entered the building to go up their escalator leading to the atrium.

At the atrium, l noticed that the establishment makes good use of natural light as sunlight shone through its sky roof.

The building houses the Sky Rink, an ice-skating rink at the eight floor along with a Food Court;  the Apple Mall occupying the 5th and 7th Floors; and the Sky Fantasia, a gaming and entertainment hub for kids and kids-at-heart.

THE SKY RINK AT THE 8TH LOOR

THE FOODCOURT AT THE 8TH FLOOR

THE SKY FANTASIA AT THE 9TH FLOOR

APPLE MALL AT THE 7TH FLOOR

The Apple Mall that I visited at the 7th Floor has got to be the busiest area at the Dragon Centre. Here you can find all sorts of items, not only for teens but for hobbyists and collectors of all sorts of stuff but also crafts that people can make money out of. And yes, there are lots of fashion apparel, jewelry, precious stones, and every imaginable thing one can think of. Most prizes are fixed but if one buys in bulk, the store staff can give you a discount.  I bought a few Pokemon stuff which was perfect for some people I love back home.

This is surely a shopper’s paradise. And the prices are all for local consumers so don’t worry about them being touristy.

Dragon Centre is but one of the various places in Hong Kong that tourists like me should visit.  Not only are we afforded very inexpensive dining, entertainment and shopping choices but it gives us a peek into where and how the locals go for quality and affordability.  So glad I made it part of my Hong Kong adventure.

HOW TO GET THERE

To reach Dragon Centre, take the MTR and get off the Sham Shui Po STATION.  From there, you can walk less than 5 minutes to Dragon Centre.  Check out the Google Map below.