MUSEUMS - KOWLOON - HONG KONG EXTRAS3

MUSEUMS – KOWLOON*

*FOR OTHER MUSEUMS SEE "MUSEUMS - HONG KONG ISLAND" AND "MUSEUMS - NEW TERRITORIES"

HONG KONG PALACE MUSEUM

Hong Kong Palace Museum, open to the public from 2nd July 2022, forms part of the West Kowloon Cultural District and has been developed in collaboration with the Palace Museum in Beijing's Forbidden City following an agreement signed in 2012 . Following that agreement large-scale exhibitions were organised by the government's Leisure and Cultural Services Department museums in collaboration with the Palace Museum regularly until opening of the new museum. Those exhibitions offered a glimpse of the valuable collections of the Palace Museum and its fascinating history were well received by the public.

Hong Kong Palace Museum Main Entrance

West Kowloon Cultural District has been developed in phases into a world-class integrated arts and cultural district comprising local, traditional as well as international elements. In addition to the Palace Museum other facilities include the Xiqu Centre, Chinese performing arts and music centre, opened in January 2019, M+ Museum opened in November 2021 Art Park and Freespace.

Hong Kong Palace Museum stands out prominently on the western harbourfront of the West Kowloon Cultural District. The museum has a site footprint of around 10,000 square metres and an approximate construction floor area of 30,500 square metres. Major facilities include exhibition galleries, activity rooms, a lecture theatre, souvenir shop and restaurant. Part of the gallery space is used for permanent exhibitions to showcase relics on imperial life, as well as the history and culture of the Palace Museum. Other galleries focus on its collections such as paintings and calligraphy, ceramics as well as other arts and cultural artefacts. In addition to the two thematic exhibition galleries, a gallery is dedicated to feature collections from Hong Kong collectors.

Chiming clocks, such as this gilded copper alloy clock from Great Britain were popular in the Qing imperial court

Life in the Forbidden City exhibition

Dressing the emperor

A wholly-owned subsidiary company under the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority was set up to oversee the construction, management and day-to-day operation of the museum. The Palace Museum provides, on a long-term loan basis, collections for display in the Hong Kong Palace Museum and provides expert advice and assistance on museum design or curatorial matters where necessary but is not involved in the daily management of the museum.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust donated HK$3.5 billion to fund the capital cost of the project, covering design, construction and exhibition development cost. Rocco Yim, head of architectural practice Rocco Design Architects which has been involved in many major projects in Hong Kong and the Mainland, was appointed as design consultant with the final design for the museum being unveiled in October 2017. A groundbreaking ceremony took place in May 2018 with the structure being completed in November 2020 and fitting out completed in March 2022.

Louis Ng Chi was appointed museum director in May 2019 having been interim director since August 2018. Mr Ng had previously been Deputy Director of Culture at the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.

The building has five-storeys and three central atriums with glass walls to provide natural light and panoramic views of Victoria Harbour, the cultural centre and Lantau Island. The museum is accessible on foot and there is an underground car park and green corridor linking the museum with the Xiqu Centre. A ferry pier serving the site has been developed near Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter.

Opening exhibits included 914 priceless national treasures on loan from the Palace Museum including including 166 "grade one" national treasures and ancient horse themed artefacts to depict the benevolence of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust in its donationto the project.

OPENING HOURS - 10am to 6pm on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 10am to 8pm on Friday, Saturday and public holidays. Closed on Tuesday.

ADMISSION - General admission HK$60 or HK$30 for concessions (child 7-11, full-time students, seniors age 60 and over, persons with disabilities and CSSA recipients), free for children under 7 and includes admission to thematic exhibition galleries 1-7. General admission will be free for all on Wednesdays for the first year of operation. For special exhibitions admission is HK$150 or HK$75 for concessions and a combo ticket is available at HK$240 or HK$120 which includes admission to special exhibition galleries 8 and 9 as well as galleries 1-7.

GETTING THERE;

MTR - Tung Chung Line or Airport Express to Kowloon Station Exit E then walk along Nga Cheung Road to the footbridge. Cross the footbridge to enter the West Kowloon Cultural District and walk to the Museum or from Exit E take green minibus 26, 74, 74S, or 74D from Exit E to the Museum.

WATER TAXI (Sundays and public holidays only) - Two departures from Central Ferry Pier No. 9 stop at West Kowloon temporary landing facility at Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter Landing No. 2. See Fortune Ferry Company website for timetable / fares;

https://www.hongkongwatertaxi.com.hk/en/#

BUS - 904, 905, 914, 930, 930x, 934, 936, 948, 960, P960, 961, 962B, 962X, 967, 968, 969, 970, 971, 973, 978, A10, A12, A17, E11A or E11B to Western Harbour Crossing or 215X, 261B or 281A to Austin Road West or 8, 11, 280X, or 203E to Nga Cheung Road.

GREEN MINIBUS - 8, 11, 280X, 203E or (Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays only) 77M, 26D, or 74D

WEBSITE - https://www.hkpm.org.hk/en/home

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HONG KONG MUSEUM OF HISTORY

PARTIAL CLOSURE OF HONG KONG MUSEUM OF HISTORY - To facilitate the preparation of new exhibitions, the first floor of Hong Kong Museum of History will be closed from 2nd November 2023. The "Recreating a Classic: The Best Features of The Hong Kong Story" exhibition at the first floor exhibition gallery will also be closed. Details of the new exhibitions and opening dates will be announced at a future date.

Hong Kong Museum of History Main Entrance

This large museum occupying a floor area of 17,500 sq m and exhibition area of 7000 sq m was established in 1975 and moved from its original Kowloon Park building to its present location on Chatham Road next to the Science Museum in 1988. The museum aims to preserve and promote the historical and cultural heritage of Hong Kong. The entertaining and educational permanent exhibition “The Hong Kong Story* (closed - see notes below) comprises eight galleries with a display of over 3,700 exhibits, 750 graphic panels, dioramas and multimedia programmes supported by special audio-visual and lighting effects and illustrates the natural environment, folk culture and historical development of Hong Kong through a 400 million year period in an authentic manner. The eight galleries feature;

The Natural Environment
Prehistoric Hong Kong
The Dynasties : From The Han to the Qing
Folk Culture in Hong Kong
The Opium Wars and the Cession of Hong Kong
Birth and Early Growth of the City
The Japanese Occupation
Modern Metropolis and the Return to China

Amongst may impressive exhibits are a 42m long beach with life-like Neolithic inhabitants engaged in various activities, reconstruction of Hakka peasant family’s house, festive activities of the annual Cheung Chau Bun Festival including bun towers, temporary Cantonese Opera theatre and Taoist altar, an old street scene from the early 20th century with shops and double-decker tram and a port scene with steam launch.

The Hong Kong Story permanent exhibition is undergoing a major renovation owing to expanding museum collections and new display techniques and a public consultation for opinions on the renovation was held in March and April 2016. The exhibition is closed from 19th October 2020 until at least 2023. The revamped exhibition will comprise two major displays, on ancient Hong Kong through to the 21st century and Hong Kong through different themes. In the meantime an interim temporary exhibition "Recreating a Classic: The Best Features of The Hong Kong Story" is on display,

The museum also has a large Special Exhibition Gallery where temporary exhibitions are held, theatre, refreshment corner and shop. An audio guide service is available in four languages.

The museum has five branch museums: Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence, Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum, Law Uk Folk Museum, Fireboat Alexander Grantham Exhibition Gallery and Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum.

SEVEN YEAR (TO 31ST MARCH 2023) ATTENDANCE

2016/17 1,037,610
2017/18 1,491,899
2018/19 1,238,417
2019/20 654,849*
2020/21 132,298*

2021/22 257,000*

2022/23 325,000

*Permanent exhibition temporarily closed from October 2020 for renovation. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic LCSD museums were temporarily and intermittently closed during 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 periods.

Take a stoll down an early twentieth-century street in Hong Kong Museum of History

LOCATION – 100 Chatham Road South, Tsim Tsa Tsui, Kowloon

OPENING HOURS – 10am to 6pm Mondays and Wednesdays to Fridays, 10am to 7pm Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Closed on Tuesdays (except on public holidays) and the first two days of Chinese New Year. Closes at 5pm on Christmas Eve and Chinese New Year’s Eve

ADMISSION – free (previous admission charge discontinued from 1st August 2016)

GETTING THERE – MTR to Tsim Sha Tsui exit B2 then walk along Cameron Road to Chatham Road South. There is an elevated pedestrian footbridge link to the museum (about 15 mins). MTR to East Tsim Sha Tsui exit P2 then follow Chatham Road South (about 10 minutes). MTR to Hung Hom exit D1 and follow elevated covered pedestrian link under Cheong Wan Road to Science Museum Road, Granville Road and Chatham Road South (about 15 mins). Buses 5, 5C, 8, 8A, 26, 35A, 41A, 81C, 87D, 98D, 110, 203, 208, 13X, 215X, 219X, 224X, 260B, 260X and A12 pass the museum. East Tsim Sha Tsui Bus Terminus on Science Museum Road is five minutes walk from the museum and served by buses 26, 35A, 41A, 98D, 208, 13X and 973. Also all Cross-Harbour buses stop at toll plaza at Hung Hom then follow pedestrian footbridge link.

WEBSITE – http://hk.history.museum

NOTE – the Museum of History is located next to the Science Museum although the two museums have postal addresses in different streets.

HONG KONG SCIENCE MUSEUM

Approach to Main Entrance of Hong Kong Science Museum

Part of the permanent exhibition "Extinction·Resilience" at the Palaeontology Gallery at the Hong Kong Science Museum will be temporarily closed from 6th April until to end of April 2024 for renewal of exhibits. The current exhibition features over 100 sets of precious animal and plant fossils of different periods. A total of 75 sets of fossils, including those of a woolly mammoth fossil more than three metres tall, a Qianichthyosaurus and a mummified Psittacosaurus, will soon be returned to the National Natural History Museum of China. During the partial closure of the exhibition, members of the public can still see precious fossils including the stromatolites formed three billion years ago, and interesting interactive exhibits at the gallery. Visitors can also learn about the intricate processes involved in the formation and excavation of fossils. After the renewal of exhibits, visitors will be able to see some new exhibits and fossils, including one of the earliest land plants on Earth, a Cooksonia barrandei fossil 423 million years ago; the largest land-dwelling arthropods in history, a dorsal exoskeleton fossil of Arthropleura 300 million years ago; and elongated dinosaur eggs in the late Cretaceous 70 million years from now.

Since its opening in 1991 this large museum has become a favourite amongst adults and children alike with its many “hands-on” interactive exhibits and entertaining and educational demonstrations. The museum is located next to the Museum of History in Tsim Sha Tsui and has a permanent exhibition area of 6,500 sq m with over 500 exhibits. The exhibition halls span four floors all of which encircle a huge 22 metre high Energy Machine, the largest of its kind in the world. The Ground Floor Exhibition Hall has exhibits demonstrating mathematics, motion, light, sound, life sciences and has a world of mirrors where visitors can see distorted images of themselves. The Jockey Club Environmental Conservation Gallery on the ground floor opened as a permanent exhibition in August 2010 and features over 40 interactive exhibits grouped under ten themes related to environmental protection including air, water, land resources, energy and waste. The exhibition also highlights the beauty of Hong Kong's natural ecology and provides advice on green living. The First Floor Exhibition Hall has Occupational Health and Safety, Electricity and Magnetism Gallery and Science News Corner. The Second Floor Exhibition Hall has a prototype zone and exhibits on telecommunications, food science, home technology, and transportation featuring Hong Kong’s first airliner, a Cathay Pacific DC-3 suspended from the ceiling, and a flight simulator. The Third Floor Exhibition Gallery has an Energy Efficiency Centre and Children's Gallery with many entertaining and educational interactive activities. The 22-metre high Energy Machine demonstrates the relationship between energy conversion and the movement of balls in an entertaining manner when synthetic fibre balls are set in motion zig-zagging along some 1.6km of tracks along two towers and a connecting gallery activating dramatic sounds from bells and gongs and visual effects along their journey. The Energy Machine operates at 11am, 1pm, 3pm and 5pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays and additionally at 7pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

In December 2023 the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau indicated that it was considering relocating Hong Kong Science Museum from its present location in Tsim Sha Tsui to the current site of Hong Kong Heritage Museum in Sha Tin. The current site of the Science Museum would be used to build a new museum to showcase China's achievements including national history, foreign invasions and the country’s resistance, the development of the Chinese Communist Party and the founding of China, national security, aerospace technology with Hong Kong-specific themes also expected to be included. However in March 2024 the government confirmed that the Science Museum will remain at its current location in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Hong Kong Science Museum's 22-metre high Energy Machine occupies four storeys of space in the museum and operates for about ten minutes, four or five times daily

There is a daily series of demonstrations by enthusiastic staff who manage to make topics such as “Liquid Nitrogen”, “Artificial Clouds” and "Electricity and Magnetism" entertaining and special exhibitions are held throughout the year.

The museum also has a Resource Centre, Lecture Hall, classroom, laboratory, book shop and gift shop.

Cathay Pacific DC-3, Hong Kong's first airliner hangs from the Transporation Gallery ceiling

The BIODIVERSITY GALLERY, opened in September 2016, recreates diverse natural environments and habitats from around the planet, allowing visitors to enjoy an immersive experience. Visitors are able to explore nature in a visual, tactile and thought-provoking manner through interactive exhibits, dioramas and specimen displays based on four distinctive themes, namely "Local Biodiversity", "Variety in the World", "Changes through Time" and "Nature Lab".

"Local Biodiversity", the first exhibition area in the gallery, introduces the nature of Hong Kong in the aspects of sea, land and sky. Visitors can find information on endemic species of plants and animals, as well as wildlife habitats such as woodlands and sandy beaches in Hong Kong. "Variety in the World" presents a huge variety of the world's life forms and describes to visitors flora and fauna around the world, the adaptation of animals and the global problem of the extinction of species.

"Changes through Time" offers a series of enlightening exhibits, including a 12-metre-long graphic on a wall, which shows the genesis of life from simple cells to the appearance of complex life forms such as Homo sapiens. It visualises the connection between the history of the Earth and life sciences. "Nature Lab", located at the centre of the gallery, gives visitors opportunities to become scientists. By using microscopes and other equipment to observe living and non-living specimens, visitors can experience the fun of doing scientific research.

The gallery's "Local Biodiversity" exhibition area shows woodlands in Hong Kong and nesting sites of green turtles, giving visitors an impression of the rich and beautiful environment which exists in Hong Kong

In April 2017 the museum opened a CHILDRENS GALLERY. The new gallery's 10 major exhibits were made by Universcience in France. They were carefully developed with advice from educators and other professionals and in collaboration with various artists, who helped to enhance the aesthetic appeal and educational value of the exhibits. They are designed for two groups of children - those aged 2 to 7 and those aged 5 to 12 - based on their physical, intellectual and emotional development. Highlight exhibits include "Big Kids' Worksite", "Time Tower" and "Hidden Animals". The exhibits encourage children not only to use their imagination, but also to co-operate and accomplish missions together.

"Big Kids' Worksite" at the Science Museum's Children's Gallery

In April 2021 to mark its 30th anniversary the museum opened its new permanent EARTH SCIENCE GALLERY. The gallery features about 30 sets of interactive exhibits, models and installations explaining the causes of natural phenomena. It also showcases the rich diversity of Hong Kong's geology and displays invaluable and colourful minerals as well as rock specimens. Comprised of four areas visitors can explore the secrets underneath the Earth's crust, and see how its internal and external forces lead to drastic natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis and typhoons. The interactive models, installations and typhoon simulator at the gallery offer visitors unique insights into the power of nature. The geology of Hong Kong is also featured at the gallery through its display of rock specimens from different geological ages, such as samples from the hexagonal rock columns in the High Island region, part of the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark. Visitors can view the world-renowned scenery of the Geopark and learn more about Hong Kong's geology.

Photo shows the setting of an infinite universe where visitors can experience the feeling of walking in a starry night

The museum opened a new permanent exhibition gallery on 15th September 2023. "PALAEONTOLOGY GALLERY”displays the challenges and evolution that life has gone through since the Ediacaran Period 635 million years ago.

The gallery’s initial exhibition “Extinction – Resilience” is divided into six zones to introduce five major mass extinction events that occurred in the Earth's long geological history. The exhibition features over 100 sets of precious animal and plant fossils of different periods. Valuable exhibits include a woolly mammoth fossil more than 3 metres tall from the Quaternary ice ages; the most complete Deinonychus fossil to date; 1:1 fossil replicas of prehistoric marine predator fish species Xiphactinus, Megalodon and Dunkleosteus; and fossilised Dryobalanoxylon wood specimens that were formed in Indonesia 2 to 4 million years ago. The exhibition also showcases lifelike robotic dinosaurs and interesting interactive exhibits featuring knowledge on fossil excavation, prehistoric environment and the evolution of life, etc. It holds an open ending with the depiction of an ongoing risk of the sixth mass extinction that calls for human efforts to boost wildlife conservation and environmental protection.

Woolly mammoth fossil over 3 metres tall on display at the "Extinction - Resilience" exhibition (Collection of National Natural History Museum of China)

LOCATION – 2 Science Museum Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Kowloon

OPENING HOURS – 10am to 7pm Monday to Wednesday and Friday. 10am to 9pm Saturday, Sunday and public holidays. Closed on Thursdays (except public holidays) and the first two days of Chinese New Year. Closes at 5pm on Christmas Eve and Chinese New Year’s Eve.

ADMISSION – HK$20 (HK$10 for seniors 60 and over). Children under 4 and full time Hong Kong students free. Free admission for all on Wednesdays. Box Office closes one hour before museum closing time.

GETTING THERE - MTR to Tsim Sha Tsui exit B2 then walk along Cameron Road to Chatham Road South. There is an elevated pedestrian footbridge link to the museum (about 15 mins). MTR to East Tsim Sha Tsui exit P2 then follow Chatham Road South (about 10 minutes). MTR to Hung Hom exit D1 and follow elevated covered pedestrian link under Cheong Wan Road to Science Museum Road, Granville Road and Chatham Road South (about 15 mins). Buses 5, 5C, 8, 8A, 26, 35A, 41A, 81C, 87D, 98D, 110, 203, 208, 13X, 215X, 219X, 224X, 260B, 260X and A12 pass the museum. East Tsim Sha Tsui Bus Terminus on Science Museum Road is five minutes walk from the museum and served by buses 26, 35A, 41A, 98D, 208, 13X and 973. Also all Cross-Harbour buses stop at toll plaza at Hung Hom.

WEBSITE – http://hk.science.museum

NOTE – The Science Museum is located next to the Museum of History although the two museums have postal addresses in different streets.

SEVEN YEAR (TO 31ST MARCH 2023) ATTENDANCE

2016/17 1,236,872
2017/18 2,016,553
2018/19 1,285,870
2019/20 875,809*
2020/21 101,930*

2021/22 1,075,000*

2022/23 1,101,000

*Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic LCSD museums were temporarily and intermittently closed during 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 periods.

HONG KONG MUSEUM OF ART

The Hong Kong Museum of Art was formerly known as the City Museum and Art Gallery and moved across the harbour from its previous location in City Hall to its present large building on the waterfront in Tsim Sha Tsui in 1991. The museum closed for major HK$930 million renovation in August 2015, reopening in November 2019 having added a new wing, new upper floor and increased its floor space from 7,000 sq m to 10,000 sq m. The number of galleries has increased from 7 to 12, new entrances have been built to improve accessibility including one entrance linked to the Avenue of Stars and the restaurant and museum shop have been moved to the ground floor. The building was also given a new external look to replace its former drab tile-clad appearance and panoramic harbour views can be had from most floors.

The former drab exterior tiles have been replaced and the museum's facade given a new look inspired by Victoria Harbour and intended to give the impression of waves under the stars

Visitors can enjoy panoramic harbour views from the renovated museum

The museum aims to preserve the cultural heritage of China and promote art with a local focus. The museum’s collection comprises over 17,000 items divided into five major categories: Chinese Antiquities, Chinese Painting and Calligraphy, Contemporary Hong Kong Art, Historical Pictures and the Xubaizhai Collection of Chinese Painting and Calligraphy. Permanent exhibitions include a series of collection exhibitions representing the cultural legacy in the museum's holdings including "Ordinary to Extraordinary: Stories of the Museum", "From Dung Basket to Dining Cart: 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Wu Guanzhong", "A Pleasure Shared: Selected Works from the Chih Lo Lou Collection", "The Wisdom of Emptiness: Selected Works from the Xubaizhai Collection", "Lost and Found: Guardians of the Chater Collection" "China Trade" and "The Best of Both Worlds: Acquisition and Donation of Chinese Antiquities". Amongst the exhibits are Chinese ceramic gems, calligraphy works, fine art and sculptures. Since 1995 the museum has received donations of 370 pieces of work from family of the late Wu Guanzhong, one of China's greatest modern artists who died in 2010. These include oil paintings, ink paintings, gouache paintings, watercolours, sketches, acrylic and porcelain paintings. The museum now has over 450 pieces of Wu's work and the renovated museum has a dedicated "Wu Guangzhong Art Gallery". In early 2022 a new gallery the "Jingguanlou Gallery" will open on the fourth floor dedicated to the donation of some 1,108 artworks by renowned collector and photographer Dr Wong Kwai-kuen, who is also the Founder of the Jingguanlou collection. The works comprise mainly Chinese paintings and calligraphy from the modern era,

Chinese Antiquities Gallery

The museum hosts a number of prestigious special exhibitions with the first one on reopening of the museum being “A Sense of Place: from Turner to Hockney” –Jointly organised by the museum and Britain’s Tate, featuring 76 works from the British institution’s world-famous collection that illustrate the remarkable development of British landscape painting and its influence on European art from the 17th century to the present day.

"A Sense of Place": from Turner to Hockney" special exhibition at the reopening of the museum

Free Guided tours are available for individual visitors. No advance booking is required but participants should register at the counter at the entrance foyer on the ground floor 30 minutes before the tour begins. Quota of 30 on a first-come-first-served basis. Refer to the museum's website for the current schedule of guided tours.
The museum also boasts a Resource Centre.

There is a restaurant and souvenir shop located on the ground floor.

The museum also has a branch museum, Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware located in Hong Kong Park.

The Museum of Art attracted an annual attendance of 414,000 visitors in the fiscal year ended 31st March 2015 and 118,000 visitors from 1st April 2015 until its closure for renovation in early August 2015. The museum recorded its two millionth visitor since its reopening following renovation in November 2019 on 12th August 2023.

In late 2023 the government indicated it plans to open a branch museum of Hong Kong Museum of Art in Southern District in Wong Chuk Hang near Ocean Park to further develop the area as an arts hub although no timescale was given. Hong Kong Arts Development Council opened new premises in Wong Chuk Hang in July 2023.

LOCATION – 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

OPENING HOURS – 10am to 6pm Monday to Wednesday and Friday. 10am to 7pm Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Closes at 5pm on Christmas Eve and Chinese New Year’s Eve. Closed on Thursdays (except public holidays) and the first two days of Chinese New Year.

ADMISSION – Free admission to the museum and its permanent exhibitions. Some special exhibitions may attract an entry charge.

GETTING THERE – (The museum is located next to Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Hong Kong Space Museum close to the harbourside and Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade) Star Ferry to Tsim Sha Tsui then 5 minute walk. MTR to Tsim Sha Tsui and from exit E about 7 minutes walk or MTR to East Tsim Sha Tsui and from exit J about 5 minutes walk. All bus routes serving Star Ferry Bus Terminus and Salisbury Road stop close to the museum. Route numbers include 1,1A,2,5,5A,5C,6,6A,7,8,8A,13X,26,28,110,234X,973,A21

WEBSITE;

https://hk.art.museum/en_US/web/ma/home.html

SEVEN YEAR (TO 31ST MARCH 2023) ATTENDANCE

2016/17 Closed*
2017/18 Closed*
2018/19 Closed*
2019/20 116,493*
2020/21 233,273*

2021/22 579,000*

2022/23 584,000

*Closed for renovation August 2015 to 30th November 2019. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic LCSD museums were temporarily and intermittently closed during 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 periods.

HONG KONG SPACE MUSEUM

Main Entrance, Hong Kong Space Museum

This museum with its domed planetarium roof has been a distinctive landmark on the Tsim Sha Tsui harbour side since 1980. Located next to the Hong Kong Museum of Art and Hong Kong Cultural Centre the 8,000 sq m museum provides a world-class facility for research and education into astronomy and space science and includes exhibition halls, planetarium, space theatre, research centre and lecture rooms.

Following a major HK$32 million renovation programme which commenced in November 2015 the museum's exhibition halls reopened in April 2018. The Hall of the Cosmos and the Hall of Space Exploration are located on the ground floor and first floor of the museum. Covering a total area of 1,600 square metres, the two exhibition halls showcase about 100 new exhibits, of which about 70 per cent are of interactive design. With the aid of advanced equipment coupled with lighting effects and environmental decorations, the exhibition halls aim to take audiences on a journey of discovery allied to extra sensory perception.

THE HALL OF COSMOS explores the evolution of the universe, from the solar system where Earth is located to the myriad stars, Milky Way and distant galaxies. Among fun-filled interactive exhibits, "Aurora" allows visitors to adjust the strength of "solar wind" inside a vacuum tube to create a mini-aurora, while "Icy Bodies" creates comets with dry ice to simulate their jet streams and movement. In "Gravity Surfing", visitors can stand on surf boards for a simulated adventure through different celestial objects to help them better understand the warping of space by gravity.

The exhibit "The Milky Way"

In THE HALL OF SPACE EXPLORATION, which depicts the development of space exploration and space technology, visitors are able to enter an upside-down virtual space station to experience the disoriented sensation of being in a weightless environment. Visitors can also try a simulated launch of a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. A 3D photo effect is also provided for visitors to experience how it feels to be inside a re-entry capsule.

The interactive exhibit "Relativity Bicycle"

STANLEY HO SPACE THEATRE

The museum's space theatre has been operating since opening of the museum in 1980. A seven-month HK$34 million renovation of the Stanley Ho Space Theatre completed in June 2009 gave the theatre a completely new look with a new digital planetarium projection system with a resolution of over 53 million pixels making it one of only two theatres in the world capable of projecting such high definition images. The system projects both full-dome animations or movies and the new seats are installed with a multi-language narration system and interactive features enabling visitors to participate in real-time games. In early 2012 the digital projection system in the Stanley Ho Space Theatre was upgraded at a cost of HK$7 million with the new system consisting of eight ultra-high resolution projectors and 32 high-performance computers, enabling projection of stereoscopic images with a resolution of up to 16 million pixels.

A further major renovation was undertaken in 2020/21 with the theatre reopening to the public on 1st July 2021. The major part of the project was the replacement of the 23-metre-diameter dome screen. Utilising the latest NanoSeam technology, the new screen offers a seamless viewing experience, enabling sharper and more colourful images for different shows. Other facilities of the Space Theatre, including the digital sky projection system, audio equipment, the control studio and the production studio were also upgraded with cutting-edge technologies to provide audiences with exhilarating audiovisual experiences. For details of current Space Theatre shows see;

https://hk.space.museum/en_US/web/spm/shows.html

Scene from Hong Kong Space Museum's Sky Show "Sky Tour : Window on the Universe" which runs until the end of April 2023 showing the aurora borealis in Alaska. When charged particles of the solar wind collide with atoms or molecules in Earth's atmosphere, the latter are ionised or excited, emitting light to create an aurora. In the northern hemisphere, it is known as aurora borealis, which dances in the night sky in high-latitude areas such as Iceland and Alaska. Its southern counterpart is the aurora australis, which illuminates the far south in the southern hemisphere.

iOBSERVATORY

In November 2008 the Space Museum opened an iObservatory in a three-storey building at Lady MacLehose Holiday Village in Sai Kung Country Park with a six-metre "onion" dome and 60cm Cassegrain Telescope enabling observers to view celestial objects 4,000 times dimmer than those visible to the naked eye.

ASTROPARK

The museum opened an Astropark at Chong Hing Water Sports Centre at High Island Reservoir also in Sai Kung Country Park in January 2010. The Astropark, which is effectively a theme park with stargazing facilities, is open 24 hours a day and is divided into three zones, an Educational Zone for day-time use, Naked-eye observation area for casual users and Telescopic Observation Area for amateur astronomers.

The Astropark in Sai Kung Country Park is a branch of Hong Kong Science Museum

For more information see the Astropark website;

http://astropark.hk.space.museum/

SEVEN YEAR (TO 31ST MARCH 2023) ATTENDANCE

2016/17 238,915*
2017/18 432,394*
2018/19 983,175
2019/20 652,833*
2020/21 55,466*

2021/22 642,000*

2022/23 870,000

*Space Theatre and exhibition halls closed for renovation from November 2015 and reopened on 2nd March 2016 and 25th April 2018 respectively. Space Theatre again closed for renovation May 2020 and reopened 1 July 2021. *Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic LCSD museums were temporarily and intermittently closed during 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 periods.

LOCATION – 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

OPENING HOURS – Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 1pm to 9pm, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays 10am to 9pm. Closes at 5pm on Christmas Eve and Chinese New Year’s Eve. Closed on Tuesdays (except public holidays) and the first two days of Chinese New Year.

Admission to the exhibition halls is by two-hourly sessions with quotas. See website for details.

ADMISSION – Exhibition Halls* HK$10 (Seniors 60 and over HK$5, children under 4 and full time Hong Kong students free). Omnimax Show/3D dome show HK$24 front stalls, HK$32 stalls (half-price for seniors 60 and over, children under 3 not admitted). Free admission to Exhibition Halls only on Wednesdays.

GETTING THERE - (The museum is located next to Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Hong Kong Museum of Art close to the harbourside and Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade) Star Ferry to Tsim Sha Tsui then 5 minute walk. MTR to Tsim Sha Tsui and from exit E about 7 minutes walk or MTR to East Tsim Sha Tsui and from exit J about 5 minutes walk. All bus routes serving Star Ferry Bus Terminus and Salisbury Road stop close to the museum. Route numbers include 1,1A,2,5,5A,5C,6,6A,7,8,8A,9,13X,26,28,110,234X,973,A21

WEBSITE;

http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Space/en_US/web/spm/whatsnew.html

LEI CHENG UK HAN TOMB MUSEUM

Lei Cheung Uk Han Tomb Museum, Sham Shui Po

Discovered in 1955 during construction works the Han dynasty (AD25-220) tomb was excavated and preserved in its original site on a wave-cut terrace in the Lei Cheng Uk area of what was once the north western coast of the Kowloon Peninsula. The tomb and exhibition gallery were opened to the public in 1957 and this small museum is now a branch museum of Hong Kong Museum of History. The tomb is a cross-shaped brick structure with four chambers and domed roof and although some fifty-eight pottery and bronze objects were found no human skeletal remains were found. Some of the tomb bricks have inscriptions and patterns which has helped dating of the tomb. The entrance to the front chamber was damaged during excavation and it is not known how the tomb was sealed. The museum comprises a small gallery where objects including pottery cups, bowls, models, pots and cauldrons and bronze bells and mirror found in the tomb are displayed. The tomb itself is at the rear of the exhibition gallery and although visitors are not allowed to enter the tomb the front and rear chambers can be viewed through a transparent screen. There is a small secluded park behind the tomb.

FIVE YEAR (TO 31ST MARCH 2021) ATTENDANCE

2016/17 38,691
2017/18 39,619
2018/19 41,173
2019/20 35,033*
2020/21 9,041*

2021/22 19,000*

2022/23 22,000

*Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic LCSD museums were temporarily and intermittently closed during 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 periods.

Front and rear chambers of Lei Cheung Uk Tomb

LOCATION – 41 Tonkin Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon

OPENING HOURS - Sunday to Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10am to 6pm. Closes at 5pm on Christmas Eve and Chinese New Year’s Eve. Closed on Thursdays (except public holidays) and the first three days of Chinese New Year.

ADMISSION – Free

GETTING THERE – MTR to Cheung Sha Wan exit A3 then 5 minutes walk along Tonkin Street. Buses 2, 2A,112,118,702,970 and 970X pass the museum on Tonkin Street.

WEBSITE - http://hk.history.museum/en/lcuht.php

HONG KONG HERITAGE DISCOVERY CENTRE

A former British Army barracks in Kowloon Park is home to Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre

Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre opened in 2005 in a splendidly preserved former colonial British Army barracks in Kowloon Park which had previously been home to Hong Kong Museum of History before its move to its current location on Chatham Road South. The centre which falls under the auspices of the Antiquities and Monuments Office aims to inform the public of its work in preserving the archaeological and cultural heritage of Hong Kong. The centre has a permanent exhibition gallery on the first floor displaying, pottery, glassware, ceramics and other artefacts and on the ground floor is a thematic gallery for temporary exhibitions. There is a reference library which is open to the public for research and educational purposes, lecture hall and educational activity room. This is a good place for visitors to go to obtain information, leaflets and guides on heritage trails, antiquities and monuments in Hong Kong.

The Discovery Centre attracted 203,000 visitors in the fiscal year to 31st March 2017.

First floor Exhibition Gallery, Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre

LOCATION – Kowloon Park, Haiphong Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

OPENING HOURS – 10am to 6pm Monday to Wednesday and Friday. 10am to 7pm Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Closes at 5pm on Christmas Eve and Chinese New Year’s Eve. Closed on Thursdays (except public holidays) and the first two days of Chinese New Year.

ADMISSION – Free

GETTING THERE – The centre is located near the Bird Lake in Kowloon Park. MTR Tsim Sha Tsui exit A1 is about five minutes walk to the centre from the Kowloon Mosque entrance to the park. Numerous bus routes travelling along Nathan Road stop close to the park entrances including 1,1A,2,6,6A,7,9,13X, 35A,41A,63X,234X,A21.

WEBSITE -

http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Monument/en/hdc.php

HONG KONG HOUSING AUTHORITY EXHIBITION CENTRE

Hong Kong Housing Authority Headquarters on Fat Kwong Street. The entrance to Block 3 is behind the trees to the left of the minibus

Hong Kong Housing Authority has established a 1000sq-metre Exhibition Centre at its Headquarters at Ho Man Tin which illustrates the development of public housing in Hong Kong. The exhibition features glazed display panels, building models, mock-up flats and various collections of photos and videos. Through these exhibits, visitors are able to glimpse social changes which have occurred over the decades from the 1950’s and appreciate the improvements in living standards in public housing estates. Visitors can walk over a glass observation bridge, below which is a huge model showing the magnitude and distribution of housing estates throughout the territory. Visitors can also freely browse the various collections of photos and videos and participate in an interactive game to build the ideal housing estate.

Mock-up of typical 1950's flat found in Hong Kong's earliest public housing estates

LOCATION – 4/F, Block 3, Housing Authority Headquarters, 80 Fat Kwong Street, Ho Man Tin, Kowloon

OPENING HOURS – Monday and Wednesday to Friday 9-30am to 6-30pm. Saturday 9am to 7pm. Closed on Tuesdays, Sundays and public holidays.

ADMISSION – Free. Casual visitors welcome. Visitors need to sign in at reception on entry to the Housing Authority building and are given a visitor badge. Group visitors can make appointments for guided tours.

GETTING THERE – Buses 109 Jointly-operated, KMB/NWFB (Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal to Ho Man Tin Estate), 8 KMB (Star Ferry Pier Tsim Sha Tsui to Kowloon MTR Station), 18 KMB (Nam Cheong MTR Station to Oi Man) and 7B KMB (Hung Hom Ferry Pier to Lok Fu) all stop on Sheung Foo Street outside Ho Man Tin Plaza, about 100-metres walk from Blocks 3 & 4 of the Housing Authority Headquarters. Buses 17 KMB (Oi Man Estate to Kwun Tong) , 41 KMB (Cheung Ching to Kowloon City Ferry Pier) and 45 KMB (Lai Yiu to Kowloon City Ferry Pier) stop on Fat Kwong Street outside Blocks 3 & 4 of the Housing Authority Headquarters.

KMB = operated by Kowloon Motor Bus Company
NWFB = operated by New World First Bus

WEBSITE - http://www.housingauthority.gov.hk/en/about-us/community-engagement/exhibition-centre/index.html

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SUN MUSEUM

Sun Museum is a non-profit, private museum established in May 2015 by the Simon Suen Foundation. The museum aims to promote Chinese arts and culture and enable an understanding of how the art world in Hong Kong is enlivened by a diversity of cultures and how the local community is enriched by a wealth of Chinese traditions.

Its objectives are to enhance understanding of Chinese art and culture through exhibitions, research, lectures, publications, and myriad related activities, support aspiring Chinese artists, particularly those in Hong Kong, accumulate a collection of Chinese paintings and related art for educational purpose, contribute to the study of Hong Kong culture and to collaborate with artists, collectors, scholars and cultural institutions around the world to achieve the Museum's Vision.

The museum is located on the 4th floor of the SML Tower on Hoi Bun Road along the Kwun Tong waterfront and has an total area of 12,500 sq. ft. with 5,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space and an outdoor court of 4,100 sq. ft.. Overlooking the new Kwun Tong waterfront promenade, the museum commands a spectacular harbour view beyond Kai Tak Cruise Terminal and across to the high-rise architecture stretching from Eastern District to Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island. The museum and its surroundings lie within a former industrial area which is being revitalised and transformed into Hong Kong's "CBD2" second major business area and cultural and recreational district under the government's "Energising Kowloon East" plan.

Panoramic views from the museum, over Kowloon Bay to Hong Kong Island

The museum is designed according to the traditional Chinese concept of the five-elements to strive for everlasting movement and change as well as smooth operation. It consists of four sections: exhibition hall, office, corridor and terrace, each differentiated by colour of the five-elements of metal, wood, water, fire and earth.

The exhibition hall has two walls facing each other with one painted beige white and the other red. They represent the elements metal and fire respectively. Sparks are produced when metal meets fire and it is hoped that sparks will be generated when visitors view the exhibits.

Exhibition Hall

The office in charge of administration is considered the heart of the museum and is therefore positioned in the centre. According to the five-elements concept, the office represents earth and the walls should therefore be in yellow.

The corridor is painted in harmonious green and brown to reflect the wood element. On the other hand, the main entrance is painted red to symbolize fire. The combination of wood and fire gives life and vitality to the museum.

The terrace is situated north and belongs to the water element. Therefore, its brick floor and surrounding wall are in black, which is the colour for the water element. As water sustains wood, the terrace is furnished with wooden fences and furniture to create the ambience of comfort for visitors. Brick, being fired clay, is classified as earth within the five-elements. On the basis that wood controls earth, wooden furnishings of the terrace will eliminate excess earth energy, thereby enhancing prosperity.

Outdoor Terrace

WEBSITE;

http://www.en.sunmuseum.org.hk/

VISITING;

All visits to the museum are by appointment only and the museum offers both individual visits and guided tours, conducted in English, Cantonese and Mandarin, with each tour lasting about 45 minutes. Group tours for up to 40 participants can also be arranged on request for registered schools and registered non-profit making organisations.

To book a visit, refer to the museum's website;

http://www.en.sunmuseum.org.hk/#!booking/c1rk4

OPENING HOURS;

10am to 6pmTuesday to Saturday. Closed on Sundays, Mondays and public holidays

GETTING THERE;

MTR - The museum is located about 10 minutes walk from Kwun Tong Station Exit B3 or Ngau Tau Kok Station Exit B6

BUS - The following KMB routes serve nearby Kwun Tong Ferry Pier Bus Terminus;

11D (from Lok Fu), 23 (from Shun Lee), 74C & 74D (from Kau Lung Hang), 74X (from Tai Po Central), 80 (from Mei Lam Bus Terminus), 80P (from Hin Keng Bus Terminus), 83X (from Wong Nai Tau Bus Terminus), 93A (from Po Lam), 268C (from Long Ping Station) and 269C (from Tin Shui Wai Town Centre).

Bus 40 from Tsuen Wan Nina Tower stops near the museum on Hoi Yuen Road

GREEN MINIBUS - GMB 22A from Ngau Tau Kok Station stops in front of SML Tower

FERRY - from Hong Kong Island scheduled ferry services operate from North Point Ferry Pier to Kwun Tong Ferry Pier and from Sai Wan Ho Ferry Pier to Kwun Tong Public Pier.