Things to do in Hong Kong, China: The Best History Museums

August 8, 2021 Yuk Petri

Delectable dim sum, floating islands, and a one-of-a-kind skyline are just some of Hong Kong’s unique features. Get an eyeful of traditional Chinese architecture in Ngong Ping village, then take the tram to the tippity-top of Victoria Peak for unparalleled views. The rocks and gentle hills of Nan Lian Garden will bring you inner peace, as will a calming cup of tea in a Stanley café. Become one with everything at the Chi Lin Nunnery, a serene Buddhist complex.
Restaurants in Hong Kong

1. Sheung Yiu Village

Pak Tam Chung, Hong Kong China http://www.amo.gov.hk/b5/monuments_13.php
Excellent
100%
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5.0 based on 1 reviews

Sheung Yiu Village

2. Hong Kong Museum of History

100 Chatham Rd S, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Kowloon, Hong Kong China +852 2724 9042 [email protected] http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/History/index.php
Excellent
64%
Good
30%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
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Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 3,702 reviews

Hong Kong Museum of History

Reviewed By kpiddy - Brisbane, Australia

What a find, the Hong Kong Museum of History was fabulous and free. Three hours passed so quickly, the exhibits and artifacts cover the history of Hong Kong in chronological order were superb. The exhibition starts in the prehistoric year and covers everything in between to modern times, there are recreated harbourside scenes, full sized traditional town streets and temples, quality pieces and so colourful and informative. Definitely worthy of a return visit in the future. Open daily, closed on Tuesday. Nearest MTR stations are Hung Hom, Jordan and Tsim Sha Tsui.

3. Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence

175 Tung Hei Rd, Shau Kei Wan, Hong Kong China +852 2569 1500 http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Coastal/index.html
Excellent
44%
Good
47%
Satisfactory
9%
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4.5 based on 261 reviews

Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence

This Listing Is Temporarily Closed For Renovations

Reviewed By bmartin992

A bit off the beaten track but well worth the effort to get there. The invasion of HK during WW2 was not a high-point in British colonial history, with HK being completely unprepared for the Japanese invasion from the mainland. Makes this historical event come alive. And found out that a family friend had actually played a key role in the escape of the one-armed Chinese general!

4. Hong Kong Heritage Museum

1 Man Lam Rd, Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong China +852 2180 8188 [email protected] http://www.heritagemuseum.gov.hk/en_US/web/hm/highlights.html
Excellent
47%
Good
39%
Satisfactory
11%
Poor
2%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 579 reviews

Hong Kong Heritage Museum

The Heritage Museum houses exhibits covering art, history and culture. Guided tours and activities for children are offered.

Reviewed By BradJill - Hong Kong, China

The Hong Kong Heritage Museum was closed for nearly 3 months due to the 4th wave of the Covid-19 pandemic locally. Having recently reopened to the public we took opportunity to visit in order to view a couple of temporary exhibitions that were soon scheduled to be finished. The Heritage Museum is now open with Special Opening Arrangements which includes limiting which permanent galleries are available, limiting entry numbers and opening hours of 10am to 5pm daily (closed on Tuesdays). Museum entry is free to the public. For starters, the permanent collections at the Heritage Museum are pretty good. We have always particularly enjoyed the 2/F T.T. Tsui Gallery of Chinese Art, a fine collection of over 700 pieces of antiquity representing various dynasties and time periods as far back as 3,000 years. You will see pottery, bronze, jade, celadon, ceramics all displayed very nicely for viewing. It is a very impressive collection, one that we are always happy to spend time viewing when at the museum. Allow 30-45 minutes for viewing, up to an hour or more if you have particular interest in antiquity. On the occasion of this visit, we concentrated the majority of our time on several temporary exhibitions which are scheduled to end shortly. The Hand-in-Hand for Benevolence – Tung Wah's Fundraising Culture and Social Development (until 7 March 2021) provided a nice timeline with visual representations of its 150 year history in Hong Kong. The exhibit begins with the origins and grassroots function of providing medical, educational and other social services to the local Chinese community from the late 19th century through the 20th century where it became more active in humanitarian efforts both locally and abroad. The end of the exhibition focuses on the Tung Wah's evolving into an important organiser of mass entertainment, in particular opera galas, as a means for creating charity drives. Overall, it is a nicely organised exhibition that should be particularly appealing to local residents in Hong Kong. Allow 15-30 minutes to cover this exhibition depending on your interest. The 20/20 Hong Kong Print Art Exhibition (until 22 March 2021) is a neatly curated showcase centred around the 20 questions and answers about the world print art, complemented by works of local artists dating from the 1940s to recent times. We particularly liked the earlier relief prints and found visual illustrations informative and interesting. This exhibition will easily occupy 30-45 minutes of your time, potentially longer for art students and fan of art. The Between the Lines - The Legends of Hong Kong Printing (until 22 March 2021) is an informative exhibition showcasing the under appreciated history of Hong Kong Type with particular focus on moveable type and lithography. Several historic print machines are showcased as well as early colonial era prints and poster works for visitors to enjoy. The highlight for me was seeing the extremely rare copy of the English World's first Dictionary of the Chinese Language (1815). This is the the works of historically important Englishman Robert Morrison who while living in Macau led the introduction of letterpress printing in southern China. Allow 15-45 minutes for this exhibition depending on your interest. Overall, this was another rewarding visit to the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, a place that I find worth visiting each year to enjoy the permanent collections as well as the interesting array of temporary collections that pass through the museum's doors each year.

5. Sheung Yiu Folk Museum

Pak Tam Chung, Sai Kung, Hong Kong China +852 2792 6365 http://www.heritagemuseum.gov.hk/en_US/web/hm/museums/sheungyiufolk.html
Excellent
76%
Good
21%
Satisfactory
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4.5 based on 67 reviews

Sheung Yiu Folk Museum

Reviewed By Evierl - Hong Kong, China

If you are looking for one of those great little Hong Kong moments, I definitely recommend a visit to this Sai Kung museum which is really more of a house than a museum. It is a short walk from the entrance of the Sai Kung Country Park. We were lucky to have Eddie Wong (bilingual) walk us through it and give us a detailed explanation of the house as well as a bit of a history lesson. Really fascinating as he made the Hakka lifestyle and house come to life. Afterwards you can take a lovely walk on any of the many trails in the Country Park. Great experience for all ages!

6. Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre

Haiphong Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong China +852 2208 4400 http://www.amo.gov.hk/en/hdc.php
Excellent
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Good
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Satisfactory
11%
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4.5 based on 90 reviews

Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre

Reviewed By Mitchell-Family-01 - Romsey, Australia

My wife and I have recently returned from spending 10 days in Kowloon -Hong Kong. Our hotel - The Kimberley, was only a five minute walk from Kowloon Park which we visited on a number of occasions. Whilst walking through the park on our first visit we stumbled across the Heritage Discovery Centre located in the centre of the park. We walked into the foyer and wasn't quite sure if there was an admittance fee until one of the staff invited us into the centre. We quickly worked out it was free of charge. We then spent the next hour and half learning about the history of Hong Kong and it's dynasties, including the Ming dynasty. We found the artefacts and history fascinating, and would go as far to say that we found it better than the Hong Kong Museum of History also based in Kowloon. If you have the time, we thoroughly recommend visiting this centre.

7. Hong Kong Maritime Museum

8 Man Kwong Street Central Pier No. 8, Hong Kong China +852 3713 2500 [email protected] http://www.hkmaritimemuseum.org/
Excellent
48%
Good
39%
Satisfactory
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Poor
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4.5 based on 588 reviews

Hong Kong Maritime Museum

The Hong Kong Maritime Museum (HKMM), opened at Murray House in Stanley in 2005, is a vibrant, cultural institution dedicated to preserving, collecting and displaying objects that tell the story about trade and maritime in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta. Since 2013, the Museum has been relocated to the picturesque Victoria Harbour at Central Pier No. 8. An independent, non-profit registered charity, HKMM is supported by the shipping industry, the business community, private individuals and the Hong Kong SAR Government. HKMM houses 15 galleries including a venue space for special exhibitions and events, a resource centre, a roof-top social enterprise café, and a gift shop. HKMM promotes Hong Kong, China and Asia's maritime history and heritage as well as the vital role that ships and the sea play in our past, present and future. It also offers visitors a variety of public programmes including guided tours, workshops, public talks, and school, community and family activities.

Reviewed By BradJill - Hong Kong, China

The Hong Kong Maritime Museum is located at the Central Ferry Pier (Pier 8) next to the Central Promenade Waterfront. This is a good specialty museum for those interested in HK's rich maritime history. Entry fee is HK$30 per adult, HK$15 per child and opening hours are 9.30am - 5.30pm (weekdays) and 10am - 7pm (weekends). Here you will find three floors providing a chronological walk through Hong Kong and China's maritime history. There are numerous displays with artefacts, artworks, model ships and interactive devises and plenty of text for the enthusiasts. Particularly good representations are given for Chinese and greater Asian sea vessels as well as Western ships, journeys to China and the difficult establishment of trade with China in the Canton, Macau, Whampoa and the eventual colonial establishment of Hong Kong. There are displays related to 20th-century maritime matters that influenced the growth Victoria Harbour and broader Hong Kong as an international shipping, shipbuilding and commercial trade powerhouse in Asia. Interesting sections on piracy, wreck treasure hunting as well as a freight ship simulator which you can sign up for when it is available are worth seeing as well. Note: As the museum is located on a pier, there is an area with excellent nearly 180-degree, indoor views of Victoria Harbour. When sky conditions are good, this is a great place to see and enjoy seeing Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and several kilometres of the harbour in both directions. Overall, the Hong Kong Maritime Museum is well laid out and a good learning opportunity for those with interest in maritime and history. You can spend 2-3 hours here leisurely visiting and enjoying most of the exhibits. Otherwise, 30-45 minutes will likely suffice if you have more casual interest or are limited on time. There is gift shop just outside the museum entrance and you may want to consider taking ride on one of our iconic Star Ferry vessels which berth at pier 7 after your visit to the museum.

Peak Tram Lower Terminus, Hong Kong China http://www.thepeak.com.hk/tc/5_5_5_1.asp
Excellent
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Good
33%
Satisfactory
33%
Poor
7%
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4.0 based on 15 reviews

Peak Tram Historical Gallery

9. Jao Tsung-I Academy

800 Castle Peak Road, Lai Chi Kok, Hong Kong China +852 2100 2828 http://www.jtia.hk
Excellent
34%
Good
46%
Satisfactory
11%
Poor
3%
Terrible
6%
Overall Ratings

4.0 based on 35 reviews

Jao Tsung-I Academy

10. Hong Kong House of Stories

G/F, 4 Hing Wan Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong China http://houseofstories.sjs.org.hk/
Excellent
25%
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Satisfactory
25%
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4.0 based on 8 reviews

Hong Kong House of Stories

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