The Best Museums In Hong Kong

A visit to one of Hong Kong’s museums provides an excellent opportunity to learn more about the fascinating history that has shaped this great city and its unique culture. Spanning history, science, the arts and even space, these are just a handful of the diverse Hong Kong museums that are well worth a visit.

1. Hong Kong Heritage Museum

Museum

Located in Sha Tin, the museum’s distinctive architecture is an example of a traditional Chinese siheyuan (a compound consisting of a central courtyard surrounded by buildings on all four sides). Highlights of the six permanent exhibitions include the Cantonese Opera Heritage Hall, a beautifully reconstructed bamboo theatre where you can watch videos of old operas with English subtitles, and the TT Tsui Gallery, which features fine and decorative Chinese art including ceramics, pottery and bronzes. The museum is also a must-visit for Bruce Lee fans, as a collaboration with the Bruce Lee Foundation has led to an entire exhibition dedicated to the martial arts legend that will run until 20 July 2020. The collection contains 600 items of the star’s memorabilia, including original letters to his wife, notebooks filled with doodles, fight choreography sketches and exclusive interviews.

2. Hong Kong Space Museum

Museum

Home to Hong Kong’s first planetarium, the Hong Kong Space Museum is easy to spot on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront due to its distinctive egg-shaped dome. Following a HK$32 million upgrade in 2018, the museum opened two new exhibition halls, the Hall of the Cosmos and Hall of Space Exploration, which house a range of interactive new displays. Visitors have the chance to experience what it’s like to be weightless in a space station in the Disorientation in Space experience or explore virtual galaxies on a surfboard in the Gravity Surfing exhibit.

3. Hong Kong Museum of History

Museum

Hong Kong’s one-of-a-kind history is truly worth exploring, and there’s no better place to learn more about it than at the Hong Kong Museum of History. The main attraction is a permanent display called the Hong Kong Story. Comprising eight galleries complete with striking life-size replicas and dozens of multimedia displays, the exhibit takes you on a fascinating journey through the history that has shaped the city and its culture. It covers the development of the territory, from its earliest days to British rule and the reunification with China in 1997. The museum’s archaeology and local history collections number over 70,000 items, so there’s plenty to observe. It’s also interesting to see how Hong Kong presents its own story to the world.

5. Hong Kong Science Museum

Museum

The Hong Kong Science Museum contains over 500 exhibits that offer an interactive exploration of science, technology and astronomy. The museum’s signature exhibit is the Energy Machine, a 22-metre-high (72 feet) contraption spanning all of the museum’s four levels. It features a 1.6-kilometre-long (one mile) metal track designed for rolling balls; it demonstrates the principle of energy conversion as the balls hit drums and gongs along the path. The machine is more than 20 years old and is one of the world’s largest kinetic sculptures. Other permanent exhibitions include the entertaining World of Mirrors gallery, where you can see yourself distorted, squished and elongated in various reflections, and the Transport section on the third floor, which features a DC-3 airliner suspended from the ceiling.

6. Hong Kong Maritime Museum, Hong Kong Island

Museum

The Hong Kong Maritime Museum, in the heart of the Central Harbour Waterfront, is the place to go to peruse an extensive collection of historical objects that span the history of trade and maritime in Hong Kong. Be sure not to miss the KM Koo Ship Bridge simulator located on the A-deck of the museum. This professional-grade simulator allows visitors to experience what it’s like to steer a variety of ships that sail on local waterways and in different weather conditions. These include a container barge, high-speed boat and even the famous iconic Star Ferry. The museum also features a wonderful exhibition taking the visitor through Hong Kong’s development as a port from 1841 through to the creation of the Victoria Harbour.

7. Hong Kong Museum of Art

Museum

Situated next door to the Space Museum on the Tsim Tsa Tsui waterfront, the most famous of Hong Kong’s art museums is home to a collection of over 16,000 art objects, including Chinese paintings and calligraphy, Chinese antiquities and China trade art as well as works by local artists. In an ongoing artist exchange programme, international artists also regularly exhibit here. The museum has been closed for renovation and expansion since August 2015 but is due to reopen in November 2019 with a new annex block capable of accommodating larger and more monumental contemporary artworks.

8. Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware

Building, Museum, Park

Constructed in 1846 as the Headquarter House for Major-General George Charles D’Aguilar, this building is the oldest example of Western architecture in the Central District. It received the name ‘Flagstaff House’ in 1932 and housed the commander of the British forces until 1978. It is now the Museum of Tea Ware in Hong Kong, giving visitors a glimpse into China’s tea-drinking culture and ceremonies through several exhibitions, demonstrations, tea gatherings and lectures. Situated inside Hong Kong Park, the Museum of Tea Ware also offers free parking and admission.

9. Hong Kong Film Archive, Lei King Road

Building

Hong Kong’s film industry was once the third largest motion picture industry in the world. This five-storey archive-museum plays an important role in preserving the city’s cinematic heritage by conserving Hong Kong films and related artefacts. The museum hosts regular retrospective screenings, exhibitions, seminars and symposiums on film. There’s also a screening theatre and a multimedia library that houses cinema-related books and old copies of movies available for those wishing to research Hong Kong’s impressive film history.

This article is an updated version of a story created by Sally Gao.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.