‘It’s the Hong Kong you see in movies’: Chinese street food, massages and more draw intrigued Scots to the Hong Kong Market in Glasgow

A pop-up market event in Glasgow brought Hong Kong culture to the Scottish city by way of 25 stalls selling everything from egg tarts to TCM and haircuts

The Hong Kong Market was billed as part of Hong Kong March, a series of cultural events that have taken place across the Britain throughout the month

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Ricky Lun and Helena Lam at the Hong Kong Market in Glasgow in March 2023. They were selling chicken pot pie, cashew nut cookies, sugar rings and coconut osmanthus jelly. The pop-up event brought a little of the Lion Rock spirit to the Scottish city. Photo: Sarah Gillespie

Published: 6:15pm, 31 Mar 2023Updated: 8:22pm, 31 Mar 2023

The Barras Market – like much of Glasgow – is not much to look at, initially. It appears to be a place in which to flip through dog-eared Toyah Willcox records or buy jeans of questionable origin.

In its 1930s heyday, though, the indoor market – and its adjacent ballroom – formed the nexus of the Scottish city’s social life.

But there is regeneration afoot. Shops are springing up that reflect modern, multicultural Glasgow: bubble tea here, bao buns there. The Hong Kong Market – a pop-up event that took place for the first time on March 25 and 26 – is the latest chapter in the Barras renaissance.

Although independently organised by Scotland’s Hong Kong community – officially the Wee Union Hong Kong in Scotland – the pop-up was billed as part of Hong Kong March, a series of cultural events that have taken place across Britain throughout the month. There were 25 stalls and all the vendors were originally from Hong Kong.

The entrance to the Hong Kong Market in Glasgow. Photo: Sarah Gillespie

As I entered, I found myself back in Asia. There were wife cakes and washi tapes, bubble waffles and beef balls. A woman sat on the edge of a massage table, having her spine realigned.

I heard the buzz of a shaver and turned to see a barber carving a coiffure. So far, so Hong Kong – except that almost all the customers were white.