Arts & Culture
Hong Kong, where the cultures of the East and West meet, is a thriving arts and creative hub. A large variety of cultural activities are held all year round in Hong Kong, including Chinese and Western orchestras, jazz ensembles, international superstars, local heroes and street performers that manifest the diversity and vibrancy of Hong Kong’s cultural life.
Cultural highlights like the Hong Kong International Film Festival, Art Basel Hong Kong, Hong Kong Literature Festival, Clockenflap Music and Arts Festival and Chinese Opera Festival draw the best talent and productions from around the world.
West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD)
The West Kowloon Cultural District, taking shape on reclaimed land overlooking Victoria Harbour, is one of the world's largest cultural projects. The new cultural quarter, which will host a variety of arts and cultural facilities ranging from theatres to museums and outdoor spaces, will raise Hong Kong's profile as a prominent centre of arts and culture.
Learning and participation play a key role at the WKCD with the aim to create impactful educational programmes and cultural exchange. The WKCD is working hand in hand with different artistic teams at West Kowloon to support and promote the district’s xiqu, theatre, dance, music and outdoor programmes through specially designed public events and practical workshops. The WKCD also works closely with local and international academic and cultural institutions to organise learning and participatory activities, and provide a wide range of indoor, outdoor and outreach programmes for the public.
Art Park and Freespace
In May 2019, the Art Park and major parts of the Waterfront promenade were opened alongside the second performance venue, Freespace. The Art Park provides a new kind of urban park for Hong Kong, welcoming a wide variety of cultural activities – festivals, street performance, markets and exhibitions – alongside ample space for relaxation and enjoyment.
Freespace is a place where the public is invited to freely explore, encounter and be inspired by new artistic experiences through innovative programming across all genres.
WKCD: M+ Museum
The 40-hectares-district is home to one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary visual culture worldwide. Opened in 2021, the 17 000-square-meter M+ Museum is dedicated to collecting, exhibiting, and interpreting visual art, design and architecture, moving image, and Hong Kong visual culture of the 20th and 21st centuries.
WKCD: Xiqu Centre
The WKCD's beautiful new Xiqu Centre has officially opened in January 2019. It is the first state-of-the art venue to open in Hong Kong's emerging cultural hub, setting a new global benchmark for Chinese opera houses.
The Xiqu Centre will play a key role in the development of Cantonese Opera in Hong Kong and the overall development of Chinese traditional theatre, linking its long legacy to the present. Aside from a new home, fostering talent and creativity on the ground is essential to bring Chinese opera into the 21st Century. The Xiqu Centre aims to achieve this by collaborating with local schools, hosting an in-house troupe, and attracting international tourists with guided shows.
The Xiqu Centre consists of two world-class performing venues. The 1 000-seat Grand Theatre is tailor-made for professional presentations of xiqu, or ‘drama and music’, featuring state-of-the-art equipment; and the 200-seat Tea House Theatre is specially designed for small-scale performances, where audiences can enjoy the plays over tea and dim sum, a perfect way to experience an ancient pastime.
Hong Kong Museum of Art
Following major expansion and renovation works, the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) reopened its doors in November 2019. The renovation undertaken by ArchSD has given the HKMoA a modern design with a new glass façade. The exhibition space has been increased by 40 percent from about 7,000 to 10,000 square metres which allows it to host a great number of different exhibitions and galleries. The museum was originally established in 1962 and moved to its present premises in Tim Sha Tsui in 1991. The museum helps preserve the cultural heritage of China and promotes Hong Kong art, including both ancient and contemporary works in its four core collections.
Tai Kwun Centre
Tai Kwun is the Centre for Heritage and Arts, a place of inspiration, stimulation and enjoyment for all Hong Kong people. Tai Kwun aspires to offer the best heritage and arts experiences, and to cultivate knowledge and appreciation of contemporary art, performing arts and history in the community. It is situated in the restored Central Police Station compound, one of the most significant revitalisation projects in Hong Kong, comprising three declared monuments — the former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison. The revitalisation project, initiated in 2007, has been led by The Hong Kong Jockey Club in partnership with the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.