M+ located in West Kowloon is a contemporary modern art museum where you can easily spend half a…read moreday there admiring all the works. I am no expert in contemporary art but the space, exhibitions, and museum building provides a unique and neat experience to check out if you want to explore and see a different side of Hong Kong. Moreover, you get great views of Hong Kong Island from M+ as well. You are able to purchase tickets at the museum and the exhibitions are clearly labeled with both Chinese and English explanations. Some of the works are pretty neat and thought provoking, challenging society's norms. The entire M+ building architecturally beautiful to look at and be in as well. It makes for a great unique experience. The museum also has temporary exhibitions as well that change time to time - so interesting to see. Overall, a must visit if you love art and architecture. A great way to spend an afternoon!

M+ Pavilion / West Kowloon (Hong Kong) -- It's not every day that you can visit a world-class…read moremuseum that's also a political lightning rod. Open just three years ago, the space is as modern and expansive as you would expect it to be with 33 galleries spread over 700,000 square feet. Jamie W and I decided to come here after seeing several young vloggers praise its architecture and collection. The art on display is specifically from the 20th and 21st centuries. Don't expect ancient artifacts here. We had the foresight to buy the Special Exhibition Dual Passes for HK$240 each well in advance. This allowed us entry to the popular museum on a pre-selected day within a certain timeframe. It included access to two special exhibitions, an overview of the work of revered architect I.M. Pei called 'Life Is Architecture', and the stylized work of trendsetting fashion designer Guo Pei called 'Fashioning Imagination'. They're not related. However, both figures reflect vast imaginations translated into stunning designs. Coincidentally, I had seen Guo Pei's meticulously ornate gowns at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco two years ago, but this was a nicely condensed version of that collection. I.M. Pei's work turned out to be a vast display of buildings and structures well beyond the glass pyramid at the Louvre. Especially interesting was archival video where the architect shared his approach and philosophy. The other galleries showcase contemporary Chinese art with some pieces quite revolutionary in their messaging. Even before it opened, the museum has been under scrutiny from Beijing with the pending threat of censorship from the Communist Party. Due to its unique administrative status, Hong Kong has managed thus far to maneuver the treacherous political waters to create a museum comparable to the Tate Modern and MoMA. Who knows how long it will last? RELATED - Exploring Hong Kong? Here's my collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3AGgadg

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... )

Premium organic white print tea: that is what I had here. Very popular with locals, and almost…read moreeveryone was having dim sum with friends and families. Next time, I want to try dim sum. The location is wonderful being inside Hong Kong park. Very relaxing. Across the passage, there is a Thai restaurant, too. That one looks a bit trendy. This tea house exudes some classical/colonial mood. I prefer this tea place!

The amazing new Hong Kong Story is impressive in scope and quality. It is not to be missed. It's…read moretotally updated display spans around 6,000 years across 10 galleries and includes more than 2,800 exhibits, combining artefacts with historic photos, videos and interactive multimedia. Plan three hours to cover it quickly. The kids will love the interactive displays, including recreated environments like tea houses, an old pharmacy and diner. It is hard to explain the scope of the exhibits. Like all museums anywhere in the world, it looks through the lens of modern times. Do not miss this one. And it is free.

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.

I have to admitted... I loved this museum. I went to the museum with my 4 year old and we had a…read moreblast! We spent over 3 hours having fun. We went on a Thursday morning and there was a large group of school kids touring the museum. They were very organized and polite. We did not mind, we appreciated the interaction with other kids. The museum has multiple floors and manny exhibits. Some of our favorites was the electricity exhibit, telecommunications and home technology. However, the 3 floor exhibit is specially built for young children. They have a large construction site role play where kids build houses or buildings.They use foam walls and pretend cranes. It has a capacity of 25 kids and they limit the amount of time each kid spends playing in this exhibit; rewardless, this was my daughters' favorite exhibit. Do not miss this museum specially if you have children, they will love it. If you go on Wednesdays, cover charge is free.

If I were a child, I'd gladly come here. But alas, I am not…read more Being an adult doesn't allow you to play with the attractions due to the amount of children in the vicinity. It's neat to learn about things when you read them and interact with them, but there are just way too many children running around and pushing for a turn at a driving simulator. You would think the Science museum would be much more fun than the History museum, but I guess being an adult changes your mind set. Other than that, it's neat to walk through at least. There's a "World or Mirrors" which encompasses a bunch of mirrors and some illusions, there are some photos of Hong Kong, simulators, and other neat science experiment-like stuff. Come on Wednesdays for free!

This was actually the first time I visited this, and while I may have know about it when I was last…read morehere, something like 10 years ago, I never got around to visiting it. It is pretty cool though, and there are two main rooms, one that deals with space flight, and the idea of going to Mars (which will be difficult since Mars doesn't have a magnetic field so the whole idea of terraforming it is a pipe dream) is there, as well as a lot of information on Chinese space exploration. The other room deals with the solar system. It is pretty much just lots of fancy displays, and some interesting science things (such as how heavy a 1kg block is on different planets). They also have shows, but they cost extra.

Hong Kong space museum is a must to visit if you are in the area. We were lucky it was a free day…read morejust when we visited Hong Kong last time. Great educational place for kids who like to explore space and planets. They have 2 stories for the public to visit. They also have 3d movie for kids with small fee. Overall, it was fun and educational for kids and for adults as well.

A lovely nook in the Jockey Club…read more.. A spectacular spot in Hong Kong is the Jockey Club and a spot that was chosen for lunch is a luxurious bougie opportunity given to us thanks to a friend of a tour group member who is a member of the club and we were lucky enough to view this spot that we could never imagine. While we were waiting for our table I noticed that they have this little area which is a museum a very small spot yet boast all the qualities that this club has to offer including the past memorabilia items, trophies and all about the horses and visitors to this area. With books and an area to sit and enjoy the surroundings isn't what I'd expect though I did enjoy the pride it takes in it all and appreciate this lovely spot to understand that it's more than just a race track. Thank you!

Although small, the Hong Kong Racing Museum provides an informative journey through the long…read morehistory of horse racing in Hong Kong. They have life size horse skeletons/models so you get a feel for the scale and also some artifacts from prior racers. From the window, it overlooks the race track and the facilities of the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

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.