This place becomes a staple during arts festival time and I find myself coming here a lot. They…read morehave a few different sized theatres all with very good views and sound quality, it does get a bit chilly in the air conditioning so I would recommend having an extra cardigan or jacket to put on if you feel on the cold side. It's a little bit of a walk from either wan chai or admiralty stations but isn't too hard to find. I most recently saw Jane Eyre and The Scent of Ink here. Jane Eyre was a fantastically adapted play with a great stage set and beautiful song choice (I was pleasantly surprised by this). The Scent of Ink was performed by a dance company from Korea, showcasing Korean traditional dancing. The music and moves were very hypnotic, with the set design and costumes being very simplistic and aesthetically pleasing. They had a meet and greet with the dancers afterwards but it was late for me and I didn't stay for that part of it.

I came here for the very first time for an amazing play that was on during the summer, called "I…read moreLove Football". It was a spectacular performance - if they ever do a re run for it, i highly recommend it. The stage drama was about a young football player who aspires to be a professional football player here in Hong Kong. As we all know, being a professional football player is already a difficult career, and being in HK, it's even harder as there are only a few professional teams. Throughout the process, he loses himself, ruins relationships and even injures himself. He neglects people around him and he only focuses himself on winning. Overall, this story was about how the main character defeats all of his obstacles, going for what he is truly passionate about, what he's willing to give, or give up to accomplish his dreams. The reason why this theatre contributed to the overall play was because, first of all, the seats were comfy, the sitting area was spacious, there was very good room outside of the theatre where people could chill during intermission and while waiting to get into the theatre, finally, the sound projection was excellent. The other reason this theatre made this stage drama stand out, is because, the play is about football. How often do you see a stage drama about a sport like that? how can you play an actual game of football on a regular stage? The producers of the stage drama did it, and they did it well at the HKAPA lyric theatre. bravo!

I've been to 3D museum in Bangkok and it was so much fun, so when I learned that there's one in…read moreHong Kong I just have to visit!! I was warned that this place is small, so I know not to expect the two storey high gigantic backdrops I've seen before. The museum is actually not as tiny as I expected, but the backdrops are really small. They should find a building with taller space, and expand the drawings a few feet each way. Right now you have to be very careful not to include the outside area and the spot lights in your photos. Also, the low ceiling means that the light makes the seams between floor and walls more obvious. Another disappointment I have is that there are only a few scenes that are Hong Kong related. Otherwise it's over 90% related to One Piece. For people who are not anime fans, this just isn't very interesting. They seem to change their artworks regularly, many of the photos I saw in the reviews are no longer around. Nonetheless, we still have fun, and there is a nice guy who goes around showing us how to pose (he also snap pictures which hopefully you'll buy from him but there isn't much pressure.) Some scenes posted a sample pics to give you an idea how to post but unfortunately a lot of them don't have one and left us rather clueless as to where we are supposed to stand. The 4 stars here is a bit generous but I do want this place to succeed and improve and see similar businesses opening up. You do need to have friends to go with you. And better some friend who's a perfectionist, instead of just pressing the shutter, to advise you where to stand, how to pose, and don't mind stepping around a bit to get at the perfect angle for the best effect. Useful tips: - they have lockers available but charge for it. - wear jeans/shorts but not dresses and skirts which are less gravity defying. - if you go on your birthday with a friend, it's $149 for two instead of $128 each.

Ahh so fun!!! Came here with my dad because he was the best at taking pics (girl gotta get that…read moreinsta pic right??) and surprisingly, we both had a great time!! They changed some of their pictures when I went (for example there wasn't a water wing) but it was still a great experience. They have different sections such as an area for One Piece and another one for HK lifestyle. There's an area where the place gets a bit crowded but I didn't care much for those backdrops so I just skipped ahead. We made two rounds around the place before leaving and it wasn't overwhelmingly long :) Came on a Saturday afternoon too! But...a huge crowd came in right after we left so thank god we left!

Another historical site revitalized/remodeled into an artsy area! Formerly a slaughterhouse, it is…read morenow an area for art studios, workshops, and galleries. Unfortunately I didn't see a clear map of where particular studios with exhibits vs private art studios were so it was kinda confusing just walking around. I still had a good time overall because the red bricks and green-accented windows make it a great backdrop of pics! There were also lots of posters for hands-on artsy classes such as ring-making and hair accessory-making workshops. I wish I had learned about these cool activities earlier on so I'd recommend doing some research and planning ahead.

The Cattle Depot used to be a few blocks away from where I lived. When it was still used as a…read moreslaughterhouse till the 90s, locals seldom walk pass that area and avoided it like a plague, because of the intense smell of pigs and cows emitting from within (people who frequented locations next to the old times KCRC railway tracks would know what I meant, same thing as when the livestock carts pass by, only that for the depot, the smell STAYS). Around the year millennium, it ceased operation finally, and was listed as grade 2 historical building by the Antiquities and Monument Office. It was revitalized (well, revitalization is a new term, there was no such terminology back then, simply - kept and reused) as an Artist Village, aimed at providing studio space for the artists expelled from Oil Street Artist Village when the land was reclaimed by the government. During its early days as an Artist Village, it was managed like a private rental premise and wasn't opened for public visits, expect for the open day origanized for a few times, when the artists display their works like an exhibition. There was a guard at the gate, and back then architectural students had to reason quite a bit with the guard, showing student cards and all, to ask for permission to visit the place and take pictures for school projects, paper research etc. etc. (or sneak in when Mr. Guard was shirking somewhere). Coming to the present day, the depot outdoor area is finally open daily for free visits from 10 to 10. I'm truly glad about the change in policy and in the raised social awareness about historical sites in HK. It is most certainly beneficial for citizens to feel a sense of belonging when given more access to places of local history merits. One can't help but compare the Depot with recent revitalization-for-art projects like the PMQ in central (which I have a separate review) that generated much more buzz. The low-profile Depot had been repurposed for over 10 years but still seems to be lacking a 'business model' that can elevate it to the communal level, and explore its full potential in activating the district or the art-design scene. On the other side of the coin however, as it is not managed by a private group, it is less governed by commercial viability and the rent can remain low, for the benefit of artists to retain their independent stature.This give and take, how would you balance? More details about this heritage:- https://www.heritage.gov.hk/tc/conserve/cattleDepot.htm

Really spacious and next to many artworks and displays outside. Has a souvenir shop with…read moreinteresting trinkets and also small business items.

The building's exterior is a major hot spot for Instagram pictures, as is the rest of the…read morepromenade. It really doesn't look like much at first glance, but it looks amazing in photographs. I, personally, have never saw a performance here, but I did go inside to use the restroom. There's also seats in the middle of the lobby, which is absolutely perfect for resting aching feet after strolling around East Tsim Sha Tsui.

This should be a very familiar name to the dancing community in Hong Kong; more likely still, you…read moremight have taken classes in here if you ever danced~ One of the leading dance institutes in Hong Kong, Studiodanz (SD) was established in year 2003 by Angela Hang and Yvette Nie. Offering a wide rage of dance styles from the more popular Hip Hop and Jazz funk to contemporary and Ballroom, SD believes that dancing is for everyone and anyone can dance. Located in an industrial building in Fortress Hill, a large space is reserved for the 2 dance studios for dance classes to take place. Normal dance classes hold around 20 or so people whereas during big events such as dance festival, in which renowned tutors and dancer abroad are invited to give classes in HK, the rooms could pack up to 50 people! Earlier classes start at 17:30 where as most classes start 19:00 and 20:30 catering to the working population, SD would be your another option other than hitting the gym and lifting dumbbells. The energetic dance moves not only will make you sweat, but will make you a star on the dance floor as well~ Just a side note, the couches outside of the studios are quite ideal for a quick nap and indeed many students often do too before the classes start; but if manners are in concern, I would suggest not to do so.