In a city where the ancient and the modern effortlessly co-exist, traditional herbal remedies are anything but alternative. One in five medical consultations in Hong Kong are with practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine; an approach to healthcare that has developed over 5,000 years.

Ko Shing Street is the heart of the wholesale herbal medicine trade in Hong Kong, and its dispensary employees have earned a reputation for being highly knowledgeable. But you don’t need to be carrying a shopping list of exotic ingredients to get something out of this place; a mere stroll down the street will expose you to the sights and smells of ancient remedies that provide a tangible link between Asia’s world city and its distant past.