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Introduction
MK culture, as known as Mong Kok culture, has been well known in Hong Kong since the 2000’s.

Not only does it literally refer to the culture in Mong Kok, but also mostly because of the certain behavior, dressing style and speaking pattern of youngsters who often hang out in Mong Kok, Hong Kong.

“MK” isn’t simply a term known by the locals, but such culture is reported on news and websites worldwide. It is even on Urban Dictionary, which defined “mk” as “Of or related to the styles, community, culture, or behaviours of Mongkok, a Kowloon neighbourhood in Hong Kong known for the alternative crowds it attracts such as punk, hipster, goth, and other non-traditional subcultures”, which shows that such term is gaining its global significance.

As Mong Kok is a densely populated area in Hong Kong, it has become one of the centers of both teenagers and fashionista who look for cheap deals from Argyle Centre to Fa Yuen Street, where great bargains could be found. As a consequence of Mong Kok’s popularity, people often recognize common characteristics of the teenagers who hang out a lot in Mong Kok and they would identify people with such characteristics as “MK people”.

However popular the culture is, most local Hong Kongers seem to associate the term “MK people” with negative impacts. It could be translated to “fashion wannabes” in foreign countries; as clothes in Mong Kok are a lot cheaper than those in branded shops, therefore the “MK people” in those clothes tends to pretend to be trendy, yet they’re just wearing cheap alternatives of fashionable items.

It is also said that “MK culture” is a culture where teenagers imitate the style of Japanese with their look-alike spiky hair and edgy outfits, yet the difference between both “MK people” and Japanese fashionistas is that “MK people” made a poor imitation as their clothes aren’t really of luxury brands and their behavioral pattern shows that they are trying too hard for the look.

Characteristics of Mong Kok Culture
Street Performance

Ever since Hong Kong government set up the pedestrian precinct in the year of 2000, Mong Kok has become the world of dream chasers. Starting from four in the afternoon until midnight, as designed by the Transport Department, people are allowed to perform at the Sai Yeung Choi Street. Despite the large influx of people passing in every night, there are people coming from background to join the street stage every day, especially holiday, in a bid to boost their own popularity. For example, Lung Siu Kwan, the famous masked singer is now a celebrity thanks to the supports given by the people passing through Sai Yeung Choi Street few years ago and spotted her talent.

Street Photography

In March 2010, Polariod revived through a project launched in the Netherlands. It successfully saved the production machinery and brought it back into the market. Under this fast-growing trend, taking Polaroid pictures becomes people’s collection of memory. Therefore, in Hong Kong, the city of collective memory, also attracts a group of non-professional photographers to set up their little boutiques along Sai Yeung Choi Street to take photos for the passengers. Given that it only takes 20 dollars for one Polariod picture, street photography becomes another attraction at Mong Kok and thus becomes part of its culture.

Commercial practices
The commercial practices in Mong Kok is relatively different from other areas in Hong Kong. Apart from huge shopping malls like Langham place and New century shopping mall, there are also countless small shopping malls, for instance, Sino Centre, Sin Tat Plaza, Argyle Centre etc. Sin Tat Plaza is well known for its cheap and efficiency expertise at fixing and selling Mobile phones and argyle centre is famous for being the pulsating heart of Hong Kong street style which sell the hottest trends from Japan, Korea and Taiwan etc. Nonetheless, the peddlers in the pedestrian streets are the most attractive part of the commercial practices in Mong Kok. There are accessories and handmade products and all kinds of products that you may not be able to find in other places and the utmost crucial thing is that they are usually the cheapest you can ever find in Hong Kong.