The Hong Kong Museum of History is a fantastic public institution in Tsim Sha Tsui East, Kowloon,…read moreright next to the Hong Kong Science Museum. They currently have a captivating special exhibition called The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Prosperity and Magnificence (Civilisation of the Sui and Tang Dynasties in Shaanxi Province). Alongside it, they are showcasing their newly revamped permanent exhibition, the "Hong Kong Story". We honestly couldn't believe that admission is completely free! It is absolutely worth a visit! The experience was incredibly educational for my daughters, helping them gain a deep understanding of Hong Kong's history and its various periods of development. At the same time, walking through the exhibits provided a wonderful trip down memory lane for me, bringing back old memories of growing up in Hong Kong. I was actually surprised to learn that many of my local friends had never visited this place. After I highly recommended it to them, they all went and thoroughly enjoyed it. We spent about two hours exploring the galleries, and it's clear the curators put an immense amount of effort into the displays. I highly recommend this museum to both locals and tourists alike!

What a great experience, I hey have done this well! The exhibitions are modern and engaging. The…read morestaff are courteous and friendly. You can spend hours here learning about all the history.

My second review in Hong Kong happens to be another establishment concerning history through the…read moreeyes of artists, this time with an emphasis on music, film, and literature. If you are familiar with any of Hong Kong's offerings over the years, a visit to the Hong Kong Heritage Museum is a must. To get there, ride the MTR to Che Kung Temple station and take Exit A. It was a rainy weekday in mid-May when I visited. Clear signages showed the path towards the museum, a large, somewhat imposing orange and red-bricked building. The exhibit I wanted to check out first was "Timeless Diva - Anita Mui" which showcased a collection of records from the famed songstress, a number of which were autographed. Other items on display included a selection of her concert outfits, magazine covers, and a rotation of video clips showing her singing prowess, quick-witted banter, and diverse acting chops. At one point, an announcement was made for the opportunity to watch a documentary on Sam Hui. It turned out to be a delightful, self-narrated autobiography of the man's childhood days playing around Diamond Hill, the Hui brother's comedic endeavors, and the inner workings of his mind when composing songs. Did you know the opening of "半斤八兩" was inspired by Eagles' "One of These Nights"? After the movie, the large exhibition of music and film was next door. One recorded conversation on display worth mentioning was a talk regarding the current state of Hong Kong pop compared to that of K-pop, our current generation's obsession. As for the other parts of the museum, the "Jin Yong Gallery" consisted of all the wuxia author's literary works readily available to pick up and read as well as beautiful illustrations of the characters. Naturally, Bruce Lee's exhibit was magnetic and powerful, which included personal photographs throughout his life as well as his teachings. There was also an emphasis on 3D models of his likeness for an immersive experience. Didn't really impress me too much, but I did appreciate the intent. There was a lot to explore and plenty I probably missed by lingering too long on select areas. I spent a whole afternoon here and would gladly do it again.

If you're into pop culture, this is the museum to visit!! Honestly HK has so many museums, each…read morewith its own flavor, but this museum features topics/themes that people are more familiar with such as HK's entertainment industry history, Bruce Lee, Jin Yong's popular martial art stories, Cantonese opera, and others. As a museum nerd, I was drawn by a visiting exhibition on ancient Chinese women and their daily life (as most history records focus on men). Although tucked in the northern New Territories in Sha Tin area, this museum is actually accessible by 3 different MTR stations and other minibus/buses. It was actually so much bigger than I thought! Loved how everything had great descriptions (in both Chinese and English). Tickets are pretty cheap and definitely worth it because I could easily spend 2-3 hours here!

This is now the second time that I have been to the Asia Society Hong Kong Center. I subscribe to…read moretheir e-mail info and they send out all the great news about upcoming exhibitions, installations, events, workshops, cultural movies, etc. that they have going on at the Asia Society Hong Kong Center. Located across the road from the Conrad hotel and around the bend from the British Consulate (or at least I think that is what that is), this is a great place to check out. The front desk staff has been super welcoming and friendly on my two visits and I was impressed with the art exhibitions we were able to see both times (Yoshitomo Nara and Bat Cave). The exhibition space is not large, so don't have the expectation that it is large like a multi-level museum. It is more like a one wing, one floor of a museum in size. Both exhibitions were also reasonably priced. The Bat Cave I saw today was $30HKD. This place not only showcases art, but has events, has a restaurant, has a history being a fortress of amunition back in the day, is an architecturally cool building to wander around, has feature films from time-to-time and also has a little gift shop. This is kind of a happening place!

Asia Society Center is definitely one of the rare successful cases in building conservation in Hong…read moreKong, a secluded sanctuary. Formerly being Victoria Barracks and Explosives Magazine that dates back to 1843, it is a Grade 1 Heritage site (highest) and was revitalized by the renowned Tod Williams & Billie Tsien Architects from New York. Exterior of the old military structures are mostly recovered, with minor alternations to improve weather tightness and allow air-conditioning. They are given a new use inside, housing exhibition spaces, lecture /theatre hall, etc. All new additions are less than three floors (you don't need to climb stairs that exhaust you), keeping the original horizontality of the place. You can see rail tracks in brown brass colour inscribed into the outdoor ground, which are the remains from the old magazine, for ease of transportation of the ammunitions by carts over rails. The green and grey tones of the stone used for the new building exudes a calming, almost meditative quality to the space. Connectivity between the scattered barracks and storage huts is enhanced by covered walkways echoing the 'heritage rail tracks', and especially by the newly added double-deck walkway, tying in the whole complex, the low and high block, the new and the old. Strolling through the building is like meandering through a series of routes with both permanent and temporarily installed artworks strategically placed along the way, reminding me of the experience of passing through a Suzhou Garden. I wonder if it is part of the inspiration for the designer? I particularly love the treatment of the upper deck of the walkway, where there is a lowered strip of bench seating along the edge. This allows you to stop anywhere along the way, and have a seat to savor in the view down at admiralty and even out to the sea over some of the rooftops. For the Center you can enter mostly for free except for some periodic special exhibitions (though I mostly go there for walks to enjoy the building itself instead), and if you feel like a drink, there is Ammo, a small yet refined bistro in the new block. (A stunner in interior design! For which I would have a separate review.) ( A little side note: Tod Williams & Billie Tsien Architects is the firm who designed the American Folk Art Museum in New York City right next to MOMA which, sadly, is to be demolished and make way for an extension of the MOMA, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) who's the designer behind the vibrant Highline Park in NYC. The decision is such a pity, even though I have much respect for DS+R as well... )

What's better than finding a museum to visit on a rainy day? Finding a FREE museum to visit!…read more The Hong Kong Museum of Art was the perfect place to escape the rain, with multiple floors of both permanent and rotating art exhibits. The museum contains a wide variety of styles, from modern art installations to 17th century Cantonese porcelain. Our favorite exhibit was the calligraphy display. Every room and floor had multiple staff members for security and to answer any questions. Once we had had our fill of the incredible pieces, we enjoyed the harbor views at the back of the building. Definitely worth your time when you're in HK!

The HK Museum of Art is one of the best museums to visit. It has a good size collection of classic…read moreand modern art. We especially loved the representation from local artist, amazing pieces capturing the history and richness of Hong Kong's past. The exhibits were well laid out and not overwhelming and offered a distinct and engaging experience. We also found out that the museums in HK are totally free thanks to an endowment. We would have paid for admissions tickets but it's really nice that they make art free for all. The next time you're in HK in the TST area, I highly recommend paying a stop at the Museum of Art.

There is discount for students and seniors! Super cool museum featuring art from the Forbidden…read morePalace and special exhibitions from Van Gogh and Monet! Awesome great views of the HK skylines! Definitely recommend checking it out!

The Hong Kong Palace Museum is new to the East Kowloon neighborhood in early 2022. It is a modern…read moreconstruction that is situated at the Art Park. It has a huge collection of rare palace gems. All the videos are educational and are very interesting. In addition, it offers so many interactive games that allow attendants to have a deep cultural experience. We spent 5 hours to go through all 9 exhibition halls. My favorite parts of the Hong Kong Palace Museum include: 1) Introduction of the palace and the displays within 2) The rare horse decorations within the palace 3) Jade and jewelery decors Despite the long day we spent, it is a very worthwhile visit. I'd recommend using a tour guide to better understand the exhibits!

Small museum located inside Hong Kong Botanical garden. I spent about 10 minutes at most, the…read morecollection really didn't interest me that much, but if you're a fan of old stamps and tea ware, and its rich history, then you'd probably love this place. They have tons of "security" and personnel everything, preventing you from taking photos. There is no admission fee, so I guess if you're nearby in Admiralty or Central or in Hong Kong park, it's worth taking a look quickly. Currently, parts of it are undergoing renovations (December 2015), so maybe there will be something new later on. Fun fact, this is great in the summertime, for a quick cool down from the sweltering heat in the park.

Worth visiting especially when combined with a snack or a meal at the Lock Cha Tea Shop next door…read more The first floor in my opinion has the most interesting exhibits and descriptions of the history of Tea drinking, Tea ware and Tea preparation. Google maps led us astray. Use Apple Maps instead. The museum is easily reached from the Admiralty MTR station via the Pacific Center Mall.

For those with an interest in Asia's Finest this museum is a must go. The HKPF museum is nestled up…read morein the peak on Coombe Road which used to the Wanchai Gap Police Station. Opened in 1976 it contains pretty all the artifacts from the force's beginning to the present day. The museum is worth a visit in the sense that much of the exhibits reflects the development of Hong Kong and can tell you a lot more about the social issues that have come and gone. With over 600 exhibits you can certainly take your time here as the museum itself is generally quite quiet apart from the odd school trippers. The museum is split into 3 "galleries"- the orientation gallery should be of most interest to most visitors as it exhibits the equipment and uniform used by the force in the old days. A tiger's head is exhibited- that tiger was killed in Sheung Shui after it mauled a police officer; not quite sure that would happen nowadays (if you can find a tiger- not so much a cat in Sheung Shui now). The next gallery is the triads and narcotics gallery where exhibits show the practices, drugs and a lot of items that have been recovered in operations from the past. this is particularly revealing as the items reflect many of the beliefs and rituals that the triads take upon themselves and this is not seen frequently elsewhere. The last gallery is a themed gallery that changes periodically and the subject could be anything to do with the police force. Outside of the museum you will find a field gun that used to be position outside Taipo police station. The HKPF have had such a long and varied history that a visit to this museum will feel like a history museum of Hong Kong- well worth a visit in my view.

I am a museum rat, so I seek stuff like this out on purpose, not by chance…read more I was not expecting much during my visit to the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre (HKHDC), but man was I blown away with the place. Not only located inside the beautiful Kowloon Park, this place is another free museum in a sea of inexpensive museum options around Hong Kong. So the first half of this exhibition is indeed a lot of things that are historically relevant to Hong Kong and Kowloon from over a span of 6,000 years, but just not interesting to me (pieces of broken plates, shattered cups, shards of utensils...all hundreds, if not thousands of years old). But in addition to the featured exhibition of Heritage Fiesta 2015 highlighting declared monuments and grades 1-3 historic buildings, there is a great permanent exhibition about the chinese, western and modern architecture and buildings of the area. Through old videos, oral interviews, research, photographs, you get a complete feel of the rich character and historical value of the buildings all around us. Not only does it showcase these buildings, it emphasizes excavation, conservation and knowledge throughout the HKHDC. Reuse and repurpose. I enjoyed hearing about the extensive conservation efforts to preserve the history of Hong Kong through its architecture and buildings where it can. The HKHDC is well done, current, up to date and seems fresh (versus some museums that can feel very dated). It is not so large that you could not buzz through in less than an hour, but there is extensive information and you could take it all in and visit much longer. There is a little vending machine spot, but no cafe on sight. The courtyard is lovely late in the day and worthy of a sit to take a breather and relax if you have the time.

My husband and I walked around Kowloon Park and then came upon the Heritage Discovery Centre. It…read morewas free and we were curious so we wandered around inside. One exhibit had just closed but the rest of the centre was open. It is amazing how much history Hong Kong has preserved. Looking at artifacts from thousands of years ago really shows how innovative humans were even then. One section showed how much the skyline of Kowloon and Hong Kong had changed over the past 60 or so years; it was drastic and fascinating. But my favorite part was the room with the glass floor feature thousands of piece of broken pottery. It is a must see! Overall, the centre is a nice (cheap) place to browse around and learn a bit about Hong Kong's history if you have an extra hour in your day.