The Hong Kong Heritage Museum, opened in December 2000, is under the management of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong SAR Government. Hong Kong Heritage Museum presents a unique mix of history, art and culture in a great variety of programmes that cater for the wide-ranging interests of the public.
It is a multi-disciplined museum which explores the unique cultures of Hong Kong, with special focuses on local living and creative culture such as design, photography, popular culture, Cantonese opera and intangible cultural heritage. It also showcases and connects the cultures of the world with the peoples of Hong Kong. A lively and diverse range of exhibitions and programmes are organized to engage the visitors in a highly enjoyable and educational experience.
Featuring an exhibition area of some 7,500 square metres, the museum houses five permanent galleries – the Jin Yong Gallery, the Cantonese Opera Heritage Hall, the T.T. Tsui Gallery of Chinese Art, the Chao Shao-an Gallery and the Children’s Discovery Gallery – as well as six thematic galleries that regularly host exhibitions showcasing the diverse treasures of our heritage. Designed both to entertain and to enlighten, our lively and informative exhibitions and activities offer a kaleidoscopic array of cultural and educational experiences for our visitors.
The collection of the museum is wide-ranging but can be broadly classified as art, historical and cultural materials by nature. Its art collection consists of three main categories. The first category is Chinese fine arts collection, which includes Chinese antiquities spanning from the Neolithic period to Qing dynasty, as well as a comprehensive collection of Chinese paintings and calligraphy of the Lingnan master Chao Shao-an. The second category is applied art which includes photography and design, and the third is Hong Kong contemporary art which includes prints, ceramics, paintings, sculptures and other media. Apart from the art collections, the Heritage Museum also holds a number of important historical and cultural collections such as Cantonese opera artefacts, Hong Kong toys and comics, memorabilia of local popular artistes, as well as early calendar posters.
The Hong Kong Heritage Museum also manages three special branch museums, namely Sam Tung Uk Museum, Sheung Yiu Folk Museum and Hong Kong Railway Museum. The former two museums, which were originally Hakka villages, feature the rural life of the old days. The last one, originally a railway station, tells you the story of Hong Kong’s railway transportation.
As part of our mission is to reach out to the community and encourage public participation in museum activities, we publish a quarterly newsletter, produce teaching/learning kits and worksheets, organise seminars, school and theatre programmes on culture, history and art, put on activities for children and families and provide guided tours, with all of these resources specially designed so that visitors can get the most out of their visit to the museum.
Collection:
The Hong Kong Heritage Museum is committed to preserving and interpreting the cultural heritage of Hong Kong as well as to collecting a wide range of artifacts and works of art from the territory and neighbouring regions. Our collection consists of history and art collections, each collection reflects the essence of Hong Kong’s unique culture. Our history collection is categorized as Local History Relics, Performing Art Relics, Folk Art and Popular Culture artifacts; while art collection can be divided into three major areas such as Contemporary Art, Design and Chinese Fine Art (Chinese Paintings & Calligraphy and Chinese Antiquities).
Local History
The museum has paid special attention to the study and collection of relics from the New Territories. In collaboration with the Heung Yee Kuk, the museum launched the New Territories Relics Collection Campaign in 1993, which met with a hearty response and resulted in over 5,000 items being collected. The museum has now assembled over 20,000 items, mainly in the form of donations from residents in the New Territories.
Performing Art
Cantonese opera relics form a unique attraction at the museum, and a collection of about 20,000 items has been built up. In 1996, with the support of the Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong, a campaign to collect Cantonese opera relics was launched with great success. The museum now houses a wide range of artifacts including costumes, props, scripts, postbills, special issues, photos, musical instruments, records and a variety of documentary materials, which have mainly been donated by enthusiastic citizens, scholars and renowned Cantonese opera artists.
Folk Art
In 1994, work started on an exhibition entitled ‘Kung Hei Fat Choi – Chinese New Year and Pictures’ with the aim of collecting prints and woodblocks that celebrate the Chinese New Year. The museum has more than 1,000 Chinese woodblock prints and has acquired a further 2,000 woodblocks of Chinese prints. The collection also includes calendar posters.
Popular Culture
The museum has been endeavouring to build up the collection of local popular culture. Having collected more than 7,000 items of toy and comics, the museum has received the donation of Roman Tam’s and Lydia Sum’s memorabilia recently, greatly enriching the variety of the collection.
Contemporary Art
In addition to paintings, sketches, sculptures and mixed media works, the museum has been systematically collecting representative pieces of photography, ceramics and print, as well as works relating to technological developments, industrial and commercial applications. The aim here is to describe the close relationship between art and social development. To tie in with the theme of local heritage, the museum also places emphasis on acquiring works recording Hong Kong’s panoramic features.
To build up the Hong Kong contemporary art collection, almost 4,000 works has been collected through the method of acquisition or donation. In recent years, the museum has invested tremendous efforts in researching Hong Kong photography and more than 1,500 photographic works has been collected. They ranged from early 19th century local photography to contemporary digital photography of various categories including art photography, documentary and commercial photography. Cameras and photography-related artifacts also fall into the museum collection scope in order to construct a complete view on the development of photography in Hong Kong.
Design
The museum has spared no effort to collect and study the heritage of Hong Kong’s graphic, product, fashion and book design. With enthusiastic support and large-scale donations from different designers, design companies, universities and the public, the Museum has successfully collected over 9,000 design works since its opening in late 2000.
Chinese Painting and Calligraphy
With support and donations from Professor CHAO Shao-an and his family, the museum now has an outstanding collection of this Lingnan master’s paintings and calligraphy works. What’s more, the museum is home to furniture and paraphernalia from his studio, original illustrations from his book A Study of Chinese Paintings, his sketchbooks, and his personal collections of photos, books and newspaper clippings. All of these are valuable cultural assets for the study and appreciation of Professor Chao’s art.
Chinese Antiquities
The museum also possesses a valuable collection donated by Dr T.T. TSUI, Chairman of The Tsui Art Foundation, the highly prized treasures of which include antique Chinese ceramics, pottery sculptures, bronzes, stone carvings, jadeware, lacquerware, furniture and distinctive Tibetan artefacts. Through the display of these works of art, the public can appreciate the extraordinary diversity and achievement of Chinese arts and crafts as well as enhance their understanding of China’s history and culture.
Exhibitions:
The museum is the largest in Hong Kong, using the traditional Chinese courtyard layout. There are 6 long-term exhibition halls and 6 thematic exhibition halls, a 400-seat theater, rental lecture room and educational activity room. There is also a museum gift shop and restaurant where visitors can buy souvenirs, Publications and a short break. The museum also has private car and bicycle parking.
Underground:
Children’s Discovery Gallery:
Introduction to the history of nature and culture, including the Hong Kong Children’s Play Expo. Review Hong Kong’s former popular toys.
With most of exhibits specially designed for children aged 4 to 10, this gallery offers a fun way for kids to learn about the wonders of nature, discover the mysteries of archaeology and experience some sweet memories of Hong Kong.
The gallery consists of eight learning playzones that let the children roam through the Mai Po Marshes, penetrate deep underground and dive into the ocean to get to know birds, insects and sea creatures. They can take a look at the work of local archaeologists and discover for themselves the artifacts excavated in Hong Kong in a series of games specially conceived for them. Plus, they can explore life in a traditional New Territories village, make friends with other children and play some old but exciting and challenging games with their families.
In addition, the exhibition Hong Kong Toy Story introduces the development of local toys and allows you to recapture some childhood memories. A hands-on area is set up for playing toys in the gallery to add much fun to the visitors.
Everybody is guaranteed a great time in this innovative and interactive gallery!
“The Hong Kong Toy Story” section of the Children’s Discovery Gallery has been temporarily closed for conversion into a temporary screening room to tie in with the “Pixar 30 Years of Animation: Hong Kong Celebration of Friendship and Family” exhibition scheduled for mid-November 2017. We apologize for any inconvenience caused. For more details of this exhibition, please browse our website.
Jin Yong Gallery:
Opening on March 28, 2017, Jin Yong Hall opens on March 1 and covers an area of about 2,500 square feet with its Interactive Program Pavilion. Through more than 300 exhibits, it displays the history and contribution of Dr. Cha Liang’s martial arts novels .
Jin Yong Galley showcases the fantastic world of martial arts created by Jin Yong
Dr Louis Cha is a world-famous Hong Kong journalist, community leader and literary giant. In 1955, he published his first martial arts novel The Book and the Sword, in New Evening Post, under the pen name Jin Yong coincidentally. The novel was an instant success, and he went on to create 15 extremely popular martial arts novels, ending with The Deer and the Cauldron in 1972. Jin Yong is the most influential Chinese martial arts novel writer in the 20th century, with readers across the globe.
Jin Yong’s martial arts novels have inspired producers of movies, TV series, radio dramas, stage dramas, video games and various cultural and creative products, deeply influencing the development of popular culture of Hong Kong over the past decades, and even becoming a type of common language for Chinese readers around the world.
The Gallery features more than 300 exhibits introducing the early career of Dr Louis Cha (Jin Yong), the creative process behind his martial arts novels and the impact the novels have had on Hong Kong’s popular culture. The interactive exhibits in the gallery have excerpts from films and TV series adapted from Jin Yong’s novels, along with theme songs, and provide visitors with an opportunity to delve into the knowledge embedded in his martial arts novels.
With a view to ensuring a comfortable environment for visitors to enjoy the exhibition, we will adopt admission control on site when necessary. Your kind understanding and co-operation are much appreciated.
1st Floor:
Cantonese Opera Heritage Hall:
Introducing performance and development of Cantonese opera in Hong Kong. Cantonese opera relics collected by the museum include performing accessories and costumes of former celebrities.
Showcasing operatic treasures from the museum’s collection, including valuable items once used by renowned Cantonese opera artists, together with a reconstructed theatre in a bamboo shed and a variety of multimedia programmes, this gallery offers a wonderful insight into the history and unique characteristics of Cantonese opera.
An exhibition entitled “The Leading Actress, Perfidious Concubine and Beloved Grandma – Lee Hong Kum’s Artistic Career” is on display at the Artist’s Corner, showcasing about 50 exhibits meticulously selected from the collection of the renowned Cantonese opera star, Lee Hong Kum, to give the audience an opportunity to revisit her opera career and the remarkable performance she gave on the silver screen.
Chao Shao-an Gallery:
Exhibition of works by Zhao Shao-Ang and other contemporary masters.
‘The Four Seasons’ exhibition will end on 18 December 2017. The gallery will be temporarily closed for preparation of new exhibition during 19 December 2017 to 8 February 2018.
A new thematic exhibition entitled “Porcelain and Painting” will start on 9 February 2018, featuring works jointly painted by Chao Shao-an and Yang Shanshen showing their close friendship and shared interests in their artistic careers. Some of these works are executed on porcelain at the Yuet Tung China Works, a local factory for painted enamel wares, showing how the artists explored a new medium.
2nd Floor:
T.T. Tsui Gallery of Chinese Art:
Exhibition of valuable Chinese cultural relics and artworks donated by the Xu Art Fund, such as ancient ceramics, pottery, bronze ware, Tibetan treasures and other artifacts.
This gallery features fine and decorative Chinese art from the donations of The Tsui Art Foundation. Works of Chinese art ranging from Chinese ceramics and pottery sculptures to bronzes are displayed in the gallery.
Special Exhibitions:
Bruce Lee：Kung Fu ‧ Art ‧ Life
It was unveiled on July 20, 2013 (the 40th anniversary of Bruce Lee’s death) for five years and exhibited more than 600 artifacts including costumes, hand-drawn drawings and notes. With a total area of 850 square meters, the exhibition hall has set up a number of special facilities including an important scene of setting off five Bruce Lee classic martial arts films and a fitness room and library simulating Bruce Lee. The exhibition also features a collection of collectors who regularly change and display collections lent by different collectors.
Bruce Lee was born in San Francisco, but grew up in Hong Kong. He appeared in his first film while still a baby. At the age of 10, he was cast in a starring role in a movie that made him famous as a free-spirited child actor. When he was 18, he returned to the US to pursue his studies, a journey that broadened the horizons of both his life and his mind. With a passion to delve deep into the world of martial arts, the young man established his own kung fu training institute in the US. Merging philosophy and martial arts, he founded his own system, Jeet Kune Do, and became the pre-eminent kung fu grandmaster of his time. A charismatic actor, he also found fame in both the show business and martial arts communities through his role as “Kato” in the US TV series The Green Hornet. Returning to Hong Kong in the early 1970s, he starred in a number of classic kung fu movies, including The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, The Way of the Dragon and Enter the Dragon. His dynamism as a film star and his achievements in the field of martial arts took the world by storm and made him an international icon.
Bruce Lee passed away 44 years ago, but his spirit lives on. In collaboration with the Bruce Lee Foundation in the US, Hong Kong Heritage Museum has gathered more than 600 invaluable items of Bruce Lee memorabilia from local and overseas collectors for an exhibition that looks at Bruce Lee not only as a film star and martial artist, but also as a cultural phenomenon from a more comprehensive, in-depth and independent perspective. Visitors will be able to gain greater insight into his achievements and contributions, as well as his significance in popular culture, as the exhibition takes a new angle in presenting the legend of Bruce Lee.
Branch Museums:
Hong Kong Railway Museum:
Situated in the town center of Tai Po Market, the Hong Kong Railway Museum is an open-air museum occupying some 6,500 square meters converted from the old Tai Po Market Railway Station. Erected in 1913, the station building features the pitched roof of traditional Chinese building. It was declared a monument in 1984, refurbished and opened as a museum in 1985.
Sheung Yiu Folk Museum:
Located inside the scenic Sai Kung Country Park and occupying an area of 500 square metres, the Sheung Yiu Folk Museum was originally a Hakka village built in the late 19th century. The village and its neighbouring lime kiln were gazetted as monuments in 1981. After it was restored, the village was opened as a museum in 1984.
Vision:
Through a variety of exhibitions and programs in the permanent exhibition hall and the thematic exhibition hall, the museum enables visitors to participate in the activities while learning about the cultural relics, and to study at leisure. The museum also publishes quarterly museum newsletters, produces teaching resource books and work papers, and organizes lectures, school shows, parent-child / children’s events, theater shows and guided tours to encourage different community schools to participate in museum activities.