MUSEUMS – HONG KONG ISLAND* 

*FOR OTHER MUSEUMS SEE "MUSEUMS - KOWLOON" AND "MUSEUMS - NEW TERRITORIES"



FLAGSTAFF HOUSE MUSEUM OF TEA WARE

 
Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware

The museum is located in Flagstaff House which until 1978 was the former residence of the Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong. This historical building was converted to become the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware in 1984. It is the first specialised museum in the world devoted to the collection, study and display of tea ware. The core of the museum collection was donated by Dr KS Lo (1910-1995) and includes about 600 pieces of tea ware and related vessels dating from Western Zhou (11th c. BC – 771 BC) up to the twentieth century.

There are galleries on two floors with permanent exhibitions on “Chinese Tea Drinking” featuring different tea drinking vessels, tea leaves, art books and exhibition catalogues and “Chinese Ceramics and Seals Donated by KS Lo Foundation” with 25 items of ceramics from the Song Dynasty and over 80 items of selected seals from the late Ming Dynasty to the twentieth century. Temporary exhibitions on topics related to tea ware are held throughout the year.

The museum has a Chinese Teahouse serving Chinese tea and tea snacks. The Teahouse also holds demonstrations and the museum has a gift shop selling all kinds of tea vessels, tea leaves, art books and exhibition catalogues.

SEVEN YEAR (TO 31ST MARCH 2023) ATTENDANCE

2016/17  201,526
2017/18  206,846
2018/19  198,203
2019/20  108,760*
2020/21    24,267*
2021/22    55,000*

2022/23    78,000

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

 
Chinese Tea Ware ceramics display


LOCATION – 10, Cotton Tree Drive, Central (inside Hong Kong Park)

OPENING HOURS – 10am to 6pm but closes at 5pm on Christmas Eve and Chinese New Year's Eve. Closed every Tuesday (except public holidays) and the first two days of Chinese New Year.

ADMISSION – Free

GETTING THERE – The museum is located inside Hong Kong Park. Nearest MTR Station is Admiralty (Exit C1). Take the covered footbridge across Queensway, enter Pacific Place Shopping Mall and take the escalators on the right to the very top then cross Supreme Court Road into Hong Kong Park.

WEBSITE
- http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/ce/Museum/Arts/en_US/web/ma/tea-ware.html




HONG KONG MUSEUM OF COASTAL DEFENCE

The Hong Kong Government has announced that it intends to convert and rename the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence to become the "Hong Kong Museum of War Resistance and Coastal Defence" from September 2024.

 
Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence entrance on Tung Hei Road. The museum covers a large site, partially accessed by lift and bridge

The museum opened to the public in July 2000 having been converted from the 100-year-old Lei Yue Mun Fort. The museum occupies a large site on a hill overlooking the eastern approaches to Victoria Harbour with panoramic views. There are two main areas, the Redoubt and the outdoor Historical Trail. The Redoubt was built in 1887 and was regarded as a large-scale fortification of the British Forces. Eighteen casemates were constructed to serve as barrack rooms, magazines, shell store and coal store. There was also an open courtyard in the centre of the Redoubt for assembly. Following restoration the Redoubt houses the permanent exhibition on the history of coastal defence in Hong Kong. The Historical Trail preserves various military structures including the Ditch, Torpedo Station, Caponiers, Artillery Barracks, Batteries and Underground Magazines.

The museum was closed from 17th September 2018 to 23rd November 2022 owing to serious damage to its tensile structure caused by Tropical Cyclone Mangkhut. The museum had already planned for closure in early 2019 for facility improvement and revamping of its permanent exhibition.

The revamped permanent exhibition narrates the history of the city's coastal defence and military affairs from the Tang dynasty to Hong Kong's return to the motherland, enabling visitors to explore the role of Hong Kong in the context of historical events in Asia and the world. The renewed exhibition further enhances its content relating to the history of the Japanese invasion of China, the Japanese attack on Hong Kong, the Battle of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong and Kowloon Independent Brigade of the East River Column and so on, to deepen the understanding of the public on this chapter of Hong Kong's history.

 

The revamped museum features new photo taking spots

The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region attached great importance to facilitating public understanding of the history of Hong Kong's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, especially the contributions of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Independent Brigade of the East River Column. Therefore, the number of galleries introducing the history of the War of Resistance has been increased from two to four in the revamped museum. QR codes have also been added in one of the galleries which were linked to the websites of 31 museums or memorial halls in Mainland with the theme of the War of Resistance, with a view to guiding visitors to read and deepen their understanding of the history of the War of Resistance in the Mainland of China, as well as relevant venues. It is hoped that through visits to the museum, members of the public can learn and remember the tough days of Chinese people during war time, pay tribute to the compatriots who bravely fought and died for the country and draw on their spiritual strength of patriotism so as to understand the inseparable ties between the past of Hong Kong and the modern history of China, and that their sense of belonging to our country and national pride could be strengthened.

The new permanent exhibition in the Redoubt of the museum, "The Story of Hong Kong Coastal Defence", consists of eleven galleries. The exhibition themes include the introduction of military presence under successive dynasties, military arrangements, port facilities, history of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the volunteers, stories of multi-ethnic soldiers who served in Hong Kong as well as the Chinese People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison.

The "Japanese Invasion of Hong Kong" gallery offers an account of Hong Kong's preparations for war before the Battle of Hong Kong in 1941, the course of the battle, and the experience of the prisoners of war. The museum has produced immersive videos of the Battle of Hong Kong and anti-Japanese guerrillas' resistance behind enemy lines, enabling visitors to feel the then intense situation. Moreover, the "Narrative of the War of Resistance" gallery displays much information including precious interview clips of anti-Japanese guerrillas, historical photos and videos. One of the interactive programmes, "In Search of Anti-Japanese War Relics", presents information on memorials and relics of the War of Resistance in Hong Kong and appreciates the heroic deeds of the anti-Japanese guerrillas and Hong Kong citizens who defended their homeland during the Japanese occupation. The "Port Facilities" gallery makes use of multimedia to showcase some hospital and receiving ships that were at anchor in Victoria Harbour for a long period, and various famous naval ships that called at Hong Kong. The "Multi-Ethnic Soldiers" gallery introduces an era when the Hong Kong garrison embraced a diversity of people: British, Chinese, Indian and Nepalese, etc. Drawing on a collection of military artefacts, along with archival records and personal tales, the gallery tells the story of a multifarious garrison.

Twenty-four checkpoints are set up on the museum's Lei Yue Mun Fort Historical Trail, including the Torpedo Station built in a cave on the shore, the Lei Yue Mun Redoubt, various batteries and caponiers. Visitors can experience and enjoy the unique beauty of the built structures embedded in the natural scenery, and immerse themselves in the military and historical ambience of this site through walking the Historical Trail.

 

Barrack ruins and anti-aircraft gun on the Lei Yue Mun Historical Trail

The renovated museum adds new topics and multimedia elements to the exhibition and the historical trail. The latest display methods are adopted to narrate the history of Hong Kong's coastal defence and military affairs in a vivid way. Visitors can also use the "iM Guide" mobile app to interact with exhibits and obtain more multimedia content about the exhibits through a smartphone.

 

Torpedo Station, built between 1892 and 1894, by hewing out rocks of the coastal headland. The Brennan Torpedo on display is a replica

In the Hong Kong Chief Executive's Policy Address in October 2023 it was announced that the museum will be converted and renamed "Hong Kong Museum of War Resistance and Coastal Defence" from September 2024 "to cultivate a stronger sense of national esteem and patriotism".

SEVEN YEAR (TO 31ST MARCH 2023) ATTENDANCE

2016/17 - 170,635
2017/18 - 153,816
2018/19 - 64,507*
2019/20 - Closed*
2020/21 - Closed*

2021/22 - Closed*

2022/23 - 85,000 (reopened late November 2022)

*Closed for renovation from September 2018 to November 2022. 
 

LOCATION – 175 Tung Hei Road, Shau Kei Wan

OPENING HOURS – 10am to 5pm during October to February, 10am to 6pm during March to September. Closed on Thursdays (except public holidays) and the first two days of Lunar 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 Shau Kei Wan Station (Exit B2) then follow the tourist signs for the museum along Shau Kei Wan Main Street East and Tung Hei Road (under the elevated Eastern Island Corridor) to the museum. The museum is about 15 minutes walk from the MTR station.

Bus routes 82X (North Point Healthy Village - Siu Sai Wan via Kornhill Plaza) & 85 (Braemar Hill - Siu Sai Wan via Cityplaza) stop outside the museum.

Shau Kei Wan Bus Terminus (close to the MTR station) is served by bus routes 2, 2X, 9, 18X, 77, 99, 102, 110, 608, 613, 720.

Shau Kei Wan Tram Terminus is about 5 minutes walk from the MTR station

The museum has a café and gift shop.  

WEBSITE - https://hk.coastaldefence.museum/en_US/web/mcd/home.html





DR SUN YAT-SEN MUSEUM

NOTE - The permanent exhibition "Dr Sun-yat Sen and Modern China" on the first floor is closed from 17th November 2023 until further notice

 

The splendid Kom Tong Hall is location of the Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum

Located in the magnificently preserved Kom Tong Hall the museum opened in late 2006, the building having been purchased by the Hong Kong Government in 2004 after facing the threat of demolition by its previous occupants, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Kom Tong Hall built in 1914 was named after Ho Kom-tong, brother of the magnate Robert Hotung and a comprador of Jardine Matheson and Co and family mansion of the Ho’s. Dr Sun is thought to have never visited Kom Tong Hall but was an acquaintance of the original owner Ho Kom Tong. Dr Sun received his secondary and tertiary education in Hong Kong which became the basis for his revolutionary ideas.

The museum celebrates the life of the “Father of Modern China” has two permanent exhibitions. “Dr Sun Yat-sen and Modern China” explains how Dr Sun was transformed from an aspiring medical student into a renowned revolutionary leader. “Hong Kong in Dr Sun Yat-sen’s Time” illustrates the favourable conditions in Hong Kong in political, economic, cultural and social areas which assisted in the success of the 1911 revolution. These permanent exhibitions are located in first and second floor galleries and there is also a special exhibition gallery housing temporary exhibitions on the upper ground floor. The museum has a reading room and two video rooms showing short videos. The floors are served by a magnificent central staircase and stained-glass windows and first and second floor balconies and balustrades emphasise the superb architectural importance of the building.

SEVEN YEAR (TO 31ST MARCH 2023) ATTENDANCE

2016/17  93,320
2017/18  92,067
2018/19  90,558
2019/20  56,184*
2020/21  10,811*

2021/22  47,000*

2022/23  69,000

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

 

Second-floor balcony and balustrades

The museum has a small gift shop but no café.

 
LOCATION – 7 Castle Road, Mid-Levels, Central.

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

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

GETTING THERE – Mid-Levels escalator to Caine Road then walk westwards along Caine Road for about 5 minutes (there are tourist signs leading to the museum).

Caine Road is also served by bus routes 3B,12,12M,13,23,23A,40,40M and 103.

WEBSITE – http://hk.drsunyatsen.museum




HONG KONG FILM ARCHIVE

 
Entrance to Hong Kong Film Archive at Sai Wan Ho

Hong Kong Film Archive opened in 2001 and is dedicated to the collection and preservation of Hong Kong films and related information. The archive has a collection of several hundred thousand items and in addition to collecting and conserving film prints and artefacts provides public access facilities and conducts a wide variety of activities to promote Hong Kong’s film culture and facilitate research on the history of local cinema. The archive collection ranges from an 1898 scenic documentary shot in Hong Kong by the American Edison company to local twentieth century productions. Highlights include “The Soul of China” (1948) found in the UK’s National Film and Television Archive and “The Orphan” (1960) discovered in the Rank Film Laboratories of UK. Salvaged classics include “A Page of History” (1941) and “The Valiant Ones” (1975). In April 2009 Celestial Pictures Limited which owns the Shaw Brothers Film Library handed over its entire collection of over 700 films to the archive including "Diau Charn", "The Kingdom and The Beauty", "The Blue and The Black", "Let's Make Laugh", "Hong Kong Nocturne", "The Warlord", "One-Armed Swordsman", "The 36th Chamber of Shaolin", "The Empress Dowager", "The Blood Brothers", "Enchanting Shadow", "The House of 72 Tenants", "Come Drink With Me", "Love In A Fallen City", "The Love Eterne" and "Justice, My Foot!". In July 2010 the archive's collection was further enhanced when TV broadcaster ATV transferred over 400 prints from its film library collection for storage, research and preservation with a further 300 or so to be handed over once consent has been received from the film's owners. ATV was inaugurated in 1957 as "Rediffusion Television" and has acquired hundreds of Hong Kong films of different genres. This valuable collection includes Cantonese, Mandarin and Chaozhou dialect films from the 1940s to the 1990s, with classics such as "The Judge Goes to Pieces" (1948), "A Star of Mischief is Born" (1951), "How Wong Fei-hung Set Fire to Dashatou" (1956), "She Married an Overseas Chinese" (1957), "Three Trials of the Number One Scholar's Wife" (1958), " Intimate Partners" (1960), "He is a Rare and Passionate Lover" (1962), "The Dragon and the Phoenix" (1963), "The Young Swordsman Lung Kim Fei" (1964), "The Flag of Death" (1965), "Dragon Inn" (1967) and "Incredible Rumour" (1968).

The Archive has a Resource Centre on the third floor housing books, magazines, news clippings and audio-visual materials to facilitate research on the history of local cinema and most of the collection is open to the public and researchers for reference.

There is a 127-seat cinema showing a wide variety of film programmes on both Hong Kong cinema and international cinema and a 200 square metre exhibition hall which shows various temporary exhibitions related to cinema.

The annual attendance of the Hong Kong Film Archive for the fiscal year ended 31st March 2017 was 173,000. 



Display from a temporary exhibition "Movies on the Mind"

SEVEN YEAR (TO 31ST MARCH 2023) ATTENDANCE

2016/17  93,320
2017/18  92,067
2018/19  90,558
2019/20  56,184*
2020/21  10,811*

2021/22  47,000*

2022/23  69,000

*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.


LOCATION – 50 Lei King Road, Sai Wan Ho

OPENING HOURS – 10am to 8pm (or 15 minutes after last screening) Sunday, Monday and Wednesday to Saturday. Christmas Eve and Chinese New Year’s Eve 10am to 5pm. Closed on Tuesdays (except on public holidays).
Opening hours of museum facilities are;

Box Office - 12noon to 8pm (or 15 minutes after the last screening)

Resource Centre – Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 10am to 7pm, Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday and public holidays 1pm to 5pm

Exhibition Hall – opens 10am to 8pm but is closed when no exhibition is taking place.

ADMISSION – Free admission to Exhibition Hall and Resource Centre but nominal charges are made for using some facilities in the Resource Centre such as use of separate rooms for viewing audio-visual materials. For current film programme and cinema admission prices see the Archive website.

GETTING THERE – MTR to Sai Wan Ho Station then follow tourist signs to the Archive from Exit A (about 5 minutes walk).
There are also numerous bus routes to Sai Wan Ho running close to the Archive including (from Central) 2, 720 and A12 Cityflyer airport bus and, from Kowloon, route 102

WEBSITE – www.filmarchive.gov.hk

NOTE – The Archive is within short walking distance of another of Hong Kong’s tourist attractions, The Alexander Grantham Fireboat Exhibition Gallery.




FIREBOAT ALEXANDER GRANTHAM EXHIBITION GALLERY

 
Fireboat Alexander Grantham located in Quarry Bay Park

The Fireboat Alexander Grantham Exhibition Gallery is a small branch museum of the Hong Kong Museum of History and opened to the public in 2007. When commissioned in 1953 Hong Kong had previously had only small fireboats and fireboat Alexander Grantham was testimony to the ongoing advances in capabilities and size of the fireboat fleet. The fireboat played an important part in Hong Kong’s history and continued in service until its decommissioning in 2002. The fireboat was renovated on Stonecutters Island immediately after its decommissioning and moved to its present location in Quarry Bay Park to form part of the exhibition in 2006. In addition to conserving the historic fireboat the gallery seeks to enhance visitors knowledge of the history of Hong Kong’s sea rescue operations and preserve the collective memories of the fireboat. Visitors can walk the decks on the fireboat and the adjacent gallery has photos, artefacts and multimedia exhibits. Quarry Bay Park has a waterfront promenade and excellent views across the eastern side of Victoria Harbour.

SEVEN YEAR (TO 31ST MARCH 2023) ATTENDANCE

2016/17  80,621
2017/18  74,429
2018/19  64,146
2019/20  40,021*
2020/21  18,849*

2021/22  50,000*

2022/23   64,000

*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.

 

Fireboat Alexander Grantham Exhibition Gallery illustrates the history of fireboats in Hong Kong

LOCATION – Quarry Bay Park, Quarry Bay

OPENING HOURS – 9am to 6pm, Sunday, Monday and Wednesday to Saturday. Closed on Tuesdays (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 – Free

GETTING THERE – MTR to Tai Koo Station then from Exit E walk through Cityplaza Mall and from Cityplaza 4 cross the footbridge to Quarry Bay Park (about 10 minutes walk) or MTR to Sai Wan Ho and from Exit A follow tourist signs and walk west to the Hong Kong Film Archive and continue to Quarry Bay Park (about 10 minutes walk).
There are also several bus routes from Central including M722 which stop on Lei King Road near Lei King Wan Leisure Area from where it’s about 5 minutes walk to Quarry Bay Park.
Trams also serve Tai Koo and Sai Wan Ho.

WEBSITE – http://hk.history.museum/en_US/web/mh/about-us/fireboat-alexander-grantham-exhibition-gallery.html


NOTE – The Exhibition Gallery is within short walking distance of another of Hong Kong’s attractions, the Hong Kong Film Archive.




POLICE MUSEUM

 
The former Wan Chai Gap Police Station is home to the Police Museum

The Police Museum which was established in a limited form in 1976 moved to its present location in the renovated Wan Chai Gap Police Station on The Peak in November 1988. The museum reopened in October 2010 following a major renovation and further renovation was carried out between September and December 2018. The museum closed in May 2021 for a further 21-month revitalisation project which was carried out by the Police College. This quiet museum, with about 1300 exhibits on display since its latest revitalisation, aims to provide the public with a better understanding of the history of the Hong Kong Police Force and the various aspects of its work whilst preserving historic artefacts and facilitating historic research. The revitalisation was planned from a “people-oriented” perspective, with the addition of new interactive technology and sense of times to help further enhance visitors understanding of the history and the work of the Hong Kong Police Force.

The Museum has four galleries on two floors including Orientation Gallery, Thematic Gallery, Serious Crime Gallery and Triad Society Gallery as well as a Multi-Function Room. The Museum provides free wi-fi to facilitate visitors to download the Police Museum App and connect to audio guide, enabling visitors to learn more about the stories behind the exhibits. The Police College has also recruited a number of enthusiastic retired Force members as docent volunteers to provide visitors with a lively experience.


Orientation Gallery describes the general history of the Force through photographs, archives, uniforms, equipment, firearms and other artefacts. The head of the “Sheung Shui Tiger” which was shot in 1915 after killing a policeman is displayed in this gallery. The gallery also contains some rather gruesome photographs of a group of decapitated pirates following their execution after capture from having attacked the ship “Naome” in Mirs Bay.

Triad Societies and Narcotics Gallery details the history of local Triad Societies and their activities and displays include ceremonial robes. This gallery also highlights the narcotic problem in Hong Kong through the display of replica drugs, drug smoking and trafficking paraphernalia and an example of a heroin manufacturing laboratory.
Heroin Factory – this is a gallery displaying a heroin production site which was dismantled by the Police in 1980s. The seized raw materials, utensils, stoves and packaging tools are used to reconstruct the manufacturing of heroin and enable visitors to learn about the menace of drugs.

Exhibits of the Thematic Gallery illustrating the history and the development of the Force

The revitalised Museum has added a number of new features, such as the “Force’s Century-old Map” in the corridor which showcases the historical development of the Force over 170-odd years in animation. In addition, a “Police Memorial Wall” stands in the Orientation Gallery to commemorate the police officers who have died in the line of duty. The exhibition in the Thematic Gallery features the “HKSAR 25th Anniversary Celebrations and National Security” with the theme of “National Security Starts with Me”, with a view to enhancing the public’s understanding on national security. The new Serious Crime Gallery showcases the detection highlight of past landmark crime cases through video clips. Other new highlights include the digital photograph database “Force’s Historic Photo Album”; the interactive multimedia games “Smart Detective”; the “Holographic Elites” which uses holographic projection, as well as “VR Police Experience” that renders a taste of virtual reality.  

There is a small souvenir counter at reception but no café.



LOCATION – 27 Coombe Road, The Peak

OPENING HOURS – 9am to 5pm Tuesday to Sunday and public holidays. Closed Mondays (except on public holidays) 

ADMISSION – Free. Visitors are requested to book free tickets online at the museum website (see link below)

GETTING THERE – Number 15 bus from Central Ferry Piers, Exchange Square and Admiralty (Queensway outside Admiralty MTR Station) to The Peak. Get off at the stop "Wan Chai Gap Road, Peak Road" at the junction of Stubbs Road and Peak Road which is on a sharp right-hand bend (this is also a junction with Coombe Road, Middle Gap Road and Mount Cameron Road).


WEBSITE - https://www.police.gov.hk/museum/en/




HONG KONG MARITIME MUSEUM


Hong Kong Maritime Museum, reopened at its new, much larger, premises at Central Pier 8 in February 2013, having previously located at Murray House in Stanley

Hong Kong Maritime Museum is an independent, private non-profit making museum, which first opened to the public at the historic Murray House, Stanley in 2005 having been founded in 2004 by the Hong Kong Shipowners Association. Having outgrown its premises at Murray House, in 2007 the museum applied to the government for support in expanding and relocating the museum, with approval being reached in 2011. The museum closed on expiry of its lease on Murray House in June 2012 and reopened at its current location overlooking Victoria Harbour on the former Star Ferry Pier for services to Hung Hom, on 26th February 2013. The government has funded most of the cost of relocation and construction of the new museum, leases the premises at a nominal rent of one dollar per annum and will provide some financial support towards operating costs for the first five years of operation. The museum is also supported by generous private donations from individuals and the shipping industry. The new location has a floor space almost ten times greater than at Murray House, enabling it to display over 2,000 exhibits and become a first-class museum. The location is also considered more convenient for educational visits by schools. In June 2013 the museum signed a co-operation agreement with the National Maritime Museum of Chile which is expected to lead to staff exchanges and collection loans between the two museums. Similar agreements are planned with the Australian Maritime Museum and Macau Maritime Museum.

The museum describes over 2000 years of maritime history and the development of Mainland China and Hong Kong. It occupies the whole of the previous public viewing deck and roof viewing deck and the eastern berth of the pier, which it divides into four "decks" A-Deck, B-Deck, C-Deck and D-Deck.

In May 2021 the museum announced plans for an expansion project to construct a 3,000 sq ft "discovery centre" within its existing site with space for students to study marine biology, biodiversity and ecology enabling it to focus on marine and environmental issues with the aim of the museum becoming "three museums in one" by including elements of history, arts and science. The expansion will also include a theatre to show films and documentaries to the public as well as being a venue for seminars. The project, in partnership with Swire Group Charitable Trust, is estimated to cost between HK$15-20 million with construction expected to begin in September 2021 and completion by May 2022. 

Visitors enter the museum at C-Deck which contain four galleries detailing the early beginnings of the maritime trade in China which includes displays of pottery, ceramics, wooden model ships, paintings, artefacts and displays which illustrate the development of ships, trade routes and Canton Trade, pirates and the creation of Victoria Harbour. One of the highlights of the displays is an interactive digital scan of "Pacifying the South China Sea", a painted silk scroll illustrating a battle during which General Bailing fought off Cheung Po-tsai, Hong Kong's most notorious pirate.

 

Pottery model of early Chinese funerary giftboat with figures

Moving upstairs to B-Deck, the galleries display a wide variety of maritime themes including China's first maritime modenisation, the development of Hong Kong's shipyards, container port and modern ships, vessels for movement of vehicles and people, including the evolution of ferry services between Hong Kong and Macau, leisure pursuits such as dragon boat racing, the underwater world including a display of diving equipment, models of drilling rigs and cable-laying vessels, instruments,memorabilia and the "sounds of the sea" gallery where visitors can ring ship's bells and sound horns. B-Deck has a viewing gallery with panoramic views of Victoria Harbour and display screens with live feeds of shipping movements in the harbour. This "deck" also has space reserved for special events.

Following a soft launch in February 2016, the museum officially introduced, in April 2016, its HK$4.7 million KM Koo Ship Bridge Simulator, developed in conjunction with Dalian Maritime University, which allows visitors to captain various vessels including a high-speed ferry, container ship and the Star Ferry. For the time being visitors can attend one of four 30-minutes sessions on Saturdays and Sundays with sessions limited to a maximum of 15 people. Students from the Maritime Services Training Institute will attend the sessions on a regular basis to assist visitors to navigate their virtual journey. There is no additional fee to the museum's normal entry charge to participate.  

 

The Viewing Gallery offers visitors panoramic views of Victoria Harbour and features telescopes and a display screen with live feed of shipping movements in the harbour

A-Deck is a mezzanine floor which features the Navigation Gallery with displays of maritime communications systems, navigational and meteorological aids and instruments and features an interactive ship's bridge.

"D-Deck" located on the lower floor of the museum is the CSSC Maritime Heritage Centre, educational classroom space and museum offices and is open by appointment for scholars and students wishing to pursue an interest in Hong Kong's Maritime past and present.

The museum has a gift shop located on B-Deck, near the museum exit and Café 8 on C-Deck opened in early 2014.

LOCATION – Central Pier No 8, Man Kwong Street, Central

OPENING HOURS - Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 7pm. Open on public holidays except the first two days of Chinese New Year

ADMISSION – HK$30 Adults, HK$15 Seniors (60 and above) and children (under 18)

GETTING THERE – MTR to Hong Kong Station or Central Station. The museum is about 5 minutes walk from Hong Kong Station Exit A2 (IFC Mall) or 10 minutes walk from Central Station Exit A via elevated walkway to Star Ferry Pier. Buses 2, 7, 11, 12,91 307, 603, 722, 780 all serve Central Piers. From Tsim Sha Tsui take Star Ferry to Central Pier 7, next to the museum. Ferries from outlying islands Lamma, Cheung Chau, Lantau (Mui Wo), Peng Chau, Discovery Bay and Park Island (Ma Wan) all terminate at Central Piers.

WEBSITE - http://www.hkmaritimemuseum.org/




HONG KONG CORRECTIONAL SERVICES MUSEUM

 
Hong Kong Correctional Services Museum, renovated in 2009/10

Hong Kong Correctional Services Museum reopened in January 2010 following a five-month renovation programme. The museum is located in a two-storey building next to the Correctional Services Department Staff Training Institute on Tung Tau Wan Road, Stanley and is about 10/15 minutes walk from Stanley Market. The museum's main building has ten galleries with a mock gallows and two mock cells.

The galleries are;

1. Punishment and Imprisonment
2/3. Prisons History and Development
4. Inside Prisons
5. Staff Uniform, Insignia and Accouterement
6. Vietnamese Boat People
7. Home Made Weapons and Unauthorised Articles
8. Staff
9. Industries and Vocational Training Section
10. Overseas Co-operation and Experience Sharing


Prisoner awaiting his fate in the condemned cell, Hong Kong Correctional Services Museum

A collection of some 600 exhibits including historical documents and photographs depicts over 160-years history of the Hong Kong penal system. There is a mock guard tower on top of the premises highlighting the theme of the museum. Its annexe, with an introduction to the department's correctional and rehabilitative programmes, also displays products made by prisoners. A 200-square-metre platform in front of the museum commands views of Hong Kong's scenic Tai Tam Bay. This increasingly popular museum, which originally opened in 2003, received its 600,000th visitor in May 2013, with annual visitor numbers having almost doubled since 2009.


LOCATION – 45 Tung Tau Wan Road, Stanley

OPENING HOURS – Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm (closed Mondays and public holidays)

ADMISSION – Free

GETTING THERE – Buses 6,6X and 260 (from Central Exchange Square), 73 (from Cyberport/Aberdeen), 63 (from North Point) and 973 (from Tsim Tsa Tsui East) all stop close to the museum on Tung Tau Wan Road.


WEBSITE - http://www.csd.gov.hk/emuseum/#ad-image-0





LAW UK FOLK MUSEUM

 
Law Uk Folk Museum at Chai Wan

This small museum in Chai Wan is a branch of the Museum Of History and was opened in 1990. Law Uk (the Law House) is a 200-year old Hakka village house named after the original owner whose surname is translated as Law. Law Uk village was founded by in the early eighteenth century by migrant Hakkas from the San On County of Guangdong (today’s Shenzhen). It was one of six Hakka villages established in Chai Wan by the same group of migrants. Law Uk village was originally close to the sea with sampan being the main form of transport and the villagers were mainly engaged in farming. The structure of the house which now forms the folk museum was extensively restored before being declared a historical monument and opening to the public as a museum. The house is about 120 sq metres in area with a central main hall which opens to a light well and is flanked by lofted bedrooms, storeroom and kitchen. There is a display of traditional village furniture and farm tools.

SEVEN YEAR (TO 31ST MARCH 2023) ATTENDANCE

2016/17  17,919
2017/18  17,355
2018/19  16,164
2019/20    9,771*
2020/21    2,875*

2021/22    8,000*

2022/23    9,000

*Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic LCSD museums were temporarily and intermittently closed during 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2022/23 periods.

 

Display of agricultural implements

LOCATION – 14 Kut Shing Street, Chai Wan

OPENING HOURS – from 1st October 2012, opening hours - Monday to Wednesday and Friday to Sunday 10am to 6pm. On Christmas Eve and Chinese New Year’s Eve the museum closes at 5pm. Closed on Thursdays (except public holidays) and the first two days of Chinese New Year.

ADMISSION – Free

GETTING THERE – MTR to Chai Wan then from Exit B then follow tourist signs (about 3 minutes walk)

WEBSITE -
http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/History/en/luf.php





HONG KONG MUSEUM OF MEDICAL SCIENCES

 
Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences is housed in a renovated Edwardian building, previously the Pathological Institute

The museum which is operated by Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences Society and funded by private donations was opened in 1996 and is housed in a fine renovated three-storey Edwardian building. A more recent renovation saw the museum close in September 2016 and reopen in March 2017. The building originally accommodated the first purpose-built medical laboratory in Hong Kong, the Old Bacteriological Institute, founded in 1906, which later became the Pathological Institute. The museum displays the history of both Traditional Chinese and Western medicine and the development of medical and health sciences in Hong Kong through eleven exhibition galleries displaying equipment, instruments, objects, specimens, reconstructions and information boards. There are thematic exhibitions relating to recent medical challenges faced by Hong Kong including SARS and H1N1 swine flu. The galleries are;

History of Hong Kong Dentistry
Autopsy Room
Lower Gallery Exhibition Room
The Herbalist’s Shop
HK College of Radiologists Gallery
Lui Mac Minh Gallery
The Old Laboratory
The Tung Wah Group of Hospital’s Gallery
The Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Gallery
Hong Kong Tuberculosis, Chest and Heart Diseases Gallery
Class of 63 Gallery

The museum also has a lecture room named after Professor Gordon King, Head of Department of Obstetrical and Gynaecological Services in Hong Kong from 1938 to 1956 which has a small exhibition of photos and gynaelogical instruments and a herbal garden showing the medical properties of different herbs.

Visitors should note that some of the information displays in some of the galleries are in Chinese only.

 

The Old Laboratory

The Herbalist's Shop

 
LOCATION – 2 Caine Lane, Mid-Levels.

OPENING HOURS – Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm. Sundays and public holidays 1pm to 5pm. Christmas Eve and Lunar New Year’s Eve open 10am to 3pm. Closed Mondays and Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and the first three days of Lunar New Year

ADMISSION – HK$20 Adults, HK$10 seniors 60 and over, child age under 6 and persons with disabilities and full-time students

GETTING THERE – The museum is located at Caine Lane which is just off Caine Road at the top of Ladder Street. After 10-20am visitors can use the Central – Mid Levels Escalator Link to Caine Road. Walk west along Caine Road for a few minutes until reaching the distinctive Ladder Street on the right and Caine Lane is a short distance down the steps on the left. By MTR – the nearest station is Sheung Wan exit A2. Walk uphill crossing Bonham Strand, Queens Road Central and Hollywood Road to Mid-Levels and Caine Road. By bus from Central – routes 3B,12,12M,13,23,23A,23B,40,40M and 103 and green minibus routes 8,10,10A,11,22,28 and 31 westward stop on Caine Road near the top of Ladder Street. In the eastward direction buses 40M and 103 and green minibuses 8,10,10A,11,22,28 and 31 from Pok Fu Lam stop on Caine Road near the top of Ladder Street.


WEBSITE - http://www.hkmms.org.hk/





THE HONG KONG RACING MUSEUM


The Hong Kong Racing Museum is located in the main stand at Happy Valley Racecourse

The Hong Kong Racing Museum is owned and operated by The Hong Kong Jockey Club and is dedicated to the history of horse racing in Hong Kong and the Jockey Club’s considerable charitable role in the development of Hong Kong. The museum, covering an area of 6000 square feet, opened in 1996 within the main stand at Happy Valley Racecourse and has panoramic views over the racecourse. The museum has a four galleries with permanent exhibitions on “The Origin of Our Horses” detailing the origins of horses in northern China and their migration to Hong Kong, “Understanding Horses” which displays the skeleton of three-times Hong Kong Champion Silver Lining with game stations and videos of the day in the life of a Hong Kong trainer. “Shaping Sha Tin” illustrates the development of the Jockey Club’s splendid Sha Tin Racecourse which opened in 1978. A thematic gallery displays the history of the Jockey Club and the numerous substantial projects, charitable organisations supported by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charitable Trust. In 2010 the museum held a special exhibition in the thematic gallery with historical exhibits and photos to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Jockey Club. “Moments in History – The Hong Kong Jockey Club 125th Anniversary Exhibition”. Free guided tours are available for up to 15 people at 3pm every Tuesday to Saturday and 11am and 3pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays for the duration of the exhibition. The museum has a souvenir shop and small cinema.

 

Thematic Gallery exhibition tracing the Jockey Club's 125-year history

LOCATION – 2/F, Happy Valley Stand, Happy Valley

OPENING HOURS – Daily from noon until 7pm (extended to 9pm on night meeting days). Souvenir shop opens same hours as museum and until 9pm when night race meetings take place at Happy Valley. Free guided tours operate at 3pm on Mondays to Fridays and at 3pm and 5pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

ADMISSION – Free

GETTING THERE – MTR to Causeway Bay Station Exit A (Times Square), then follow Russell Street in front of Times Square Piazza to Canal Road flyover at end. Follow footpaths alongside (under) elevated highway south to Happy Valley Racecourse. Museum is located in main stand, take lift to 2nd floor. BUSES 37B, 37X, 38, 42, 65, 72, 72A, 75, 77, 90, 92, 96, 97, 170, 590A, M590, 592 and 629S all stop close to the museum. TRAMS to Happy Valley also pass the museum.

WEBSITE –
  http://entertainment.hkjc.com/entertainment/english/racing-museum/index.aspx







UNIVERSITY MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY, THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG

 
University Museum and Art Gallery on Bonham Road at the University's main entrance

The University Museum and Art Gallery occupies the Fung Ping Shan Building and the lower three floors of the TT Tsui Building at the main entrance to the University of Hong Kong. The museum is the oldest in Hong Kong, being established in 1953 as the “Fung Ping Shan Museum of Chinese Art and Archaeology” and later becoming the University Museum and Art Gallery in 1966 following its extension to the TT Tsui Building.

 

The museum houses over one thousand items of Chinese antiquities, mainly ceramics, bronzes and paintings with examples dating from the Neolithic period to the Qing dynasty. The bronze collection includes works from the Shang to the Tang dynasties and the largest collection of Yuan dynasty Nestorian crosses in the world. The Museum also has a number of carvings in jade, wood and stone and a collection of Chinese oil paintings.

In addition to the permanent collections University Museum and Art Gallery regularly hosts temporary exhibitions of contemporary and ancient art and contributes to the teaching of Chinese art and museum studies in the University. There is also a Tea Gallery, promoting Chinese tea culture, where visitors can experience famous Chinese teas.

LOCATION – The University of Hong Kong, 90 Bonham Road, Pokfulam

OPENING HOURS – Monday to Saturday 9-30am to 6pm, Sundays 1pm to 6pm. Tea Gallery open Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sundays 2pm to 5pm. Closed on public holidays and university holidays. See website for dates;

http://www.hku.hk/hkumag/about_us.html

ADMISSION – Free

GETTING THERE – Buses 3B,23,40,40M,103. Green minibus 8,10,10A,22,28,31 to University Main Entrance (East Gate).

WEBSITE –
http://www.hku.hk/hkumag/main.html

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OI! (OIL STREET ART SPACE)

 

Oi!, housed in the historic former Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club building at North Point


Oi! was officially opened on 21st May 2013. Under the management of the Art Promotion Office (APO) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) the venue, converted from a grade II historic building which was originally home to Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, provides a space for the community to experience art and a platform for art practitioners to experiment with their ideas of artistic creation. Built in 1908, the century-old complex is a rare remaining example in Hong Kong of the Arts and Crafts design style. It consists of a main block and two ancillary buildings, drawing the onlooker's attention with its red brick walls and coarse stucco façade as well as eye-catching chimneys and plumbing, making it a notable landmark at the junction of Oil Street and Electric Road in North Point. Oi! is located next to the site of the now demolished Government Supplies Department building, which housed the former Oil Street Artist Village. After the department was relocated, the vacant building attracted local artists and organisations as short-term tenants, who used it for their studios and as a venue for events, giving birth to Hong Kong's first organically evolved art community. Converted from a grade II historic building, Oi! is a rare remaining example of the Arts and Crafts design style in Hong Kong. The building is a notable landmark at the junction of Oil Street and Electric Road in North Point with its red brick walls and coarse stucco façade, as well as eye-catching chimneys and plumbing

Oi!'s Chinese name is related to its address at 12 Oil Street but also signifies a starting point from which budding artists can realise their dreams, whereas its English name, Oi!, conveys a message for people to unlock their creative potential and enrich Hong Kong's cultural life.

The development of the art space was aided by the valuable contributions of local arts practitioners, as well as members of the Art Museum Advisory Panel and the Museum Expert Advisers of the LCSD. In addition, MTR Corporation generously donated the old railway sleepers which have been reused for paving the paths outside the main entrance and galleries of the art space.

Oi! originally occupied total of 2,140 square meters of land with two exhibition galleries of approximately 190 and 92 sq m respectively and a lawn of about 300 sq m with flourishing trees, offering a green oasis among the dense urban buildings. The lawn is used for displaying outdoor works to demonstrate the fusion of art and environment. A three year expansion project was completed in May 2022 in which an adjacent open space of over 3,000 square metres was integrated with the original premises. The new extension features a two-storey building for staging exhibitions and holding activities.

 
Oi! Glassie (left), part of the new extension opened in May 2022, and the red-brick Oi! Warehouse (right) (photo provided by the Architectural Services Department)

THREE YEARS ATTENDANCES FIGURES (TO 31 MARCH 2023)

2020/21   39,000*

2021/22   82,000*

2022/23  623,000

*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. 



LOCATION - 12 Oil Street, North Point

OPENING HOURS - Monday 2pm to 8pm, Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 8pm. Christmas Eve and Chinese New Year's Eve 10am to 5pm. Closed on the first two days of Chinese New Year

WEBSITE - https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/APO/en_US/web/apo/oi.html