As I remember, the old-style shopping centres in Kowloon City District, Hung Hom Square especially, were relatively small and they housed local businesses which had been open for a long time. I had a friend living in To Kwa Wan when I was young. We had limited pocket money as students. To save money, we walked from To Kwa Wan to Hung Hom together. It can be exhausting, but it was completely fine for teenagers like us.
Our most-visited destination was the book rental shop in Hung Hom Square. It was small. It took us some time to search for the desired comics and novels from the dense and cramped bookshelves. It contained some of the latest publications that were not yet available in the libraries. The rental fee for three days and two nights was just about HK$10 and we shared equally. We later shared our reading comments and discussed the story together. It was the best entertainment in my school life.
There were also some snack shops in the centre. They were less crowded and the prices were relatively cheap. Compared to the new mega centre in Whampoa with bright and modern interior, the quaint old-style centres were somewhat more student-friendly. Unfortunately, some small shops have been closed down in recent years. Visiting these old-style shopping centres in Kowloon City District were my precious childhood memories.
