The much-awaited revamped night market at Hong Kong’s iconic Temple Street kicked off on Friday and offered a range of local delicacies and selfie spots to woo visitors, with the revamp launching amid government efforts to tackle a sluggish economy.

The market spans from Jordan Road to Yau Ma Tei’s Tin Hau Temple Complex and hosts 22 culinary stalls and 10 nostalgic street food booths offering delicacies such as dim sum, beef offal stew, fish balls, imitation shark fin soup and “fried three stuffed treasures” – a colourful veggie snack filled with fish paste.

Visitors heading to the six-month extravaganza can also savour exotic delights, including Turkish coffee, French-style rack of lamb, cuttlefish cakes, signature oyster omelettes and Nepalese grilled meat.

“We are also offering some nostalgic things that people have heard about, but may not have been able to try before, such as glutinous rice puddings with red beans, dragon’s beard candy and licorice olives,” Hong Kong Tourism Board executive director Dane Cheng Ting-yat said.

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He added that the market would help support Hong Kong’s nightlife scene, with organisers focusing on more than just boosting the night economy.

“Many people are asking about how much additional foot traffic and business this event is expected to generate,” he said.

“But we hope to revitalise Temple Street in a new and engaging way, which goes beyond only boosting local consumption, and strive to enhance the overall vibe.”

The revamped market is part of the “Night Vibes Hong Kong” government campaign to get more residents to spend and support the night economy.

Cheng said his team had worked closely with the Temple Street Association of Hawkers to determine the best location to gather the food stalls in one place, with 70 per cent of the stands run by neighbourhood vendors.

The night bazaar will run from 2pm to 11pm each day. Organisers have also arranged spaces for vendors to store their stalls and merchandise.

The board said a patrol team was also being deployed to ensure the location stayed clean and to keep noise disturbances to a minimum for nearby residential areas.

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“We will review the footfall and the reactions of visitors to determine what the next step will be during these six months,” Cheung said. “It’s very important to ensure our residents fall in love with Temple Street and promote it to our visitors.”

He added that the board would promote the night market through creative videos on social media platforms such as YouTube and Xiaohongshu, where vloggers could also share their own first-hand experiences.

The bazaar is also collaborating with architect Stanley Siu Kwok-kin and displaying illuminated art installations in 11 locations. The pieces include nods to the neighbourhood and Chinese culture.

Alongside the night market, the century-old Tin Hau Temple Complex, a declared local monument, will extend its opening hours every Saturday from 5pm to 10pm to promote the city’s culture and heritage.