What to do and see in Hong Kong, China: The Best Specialty Museums

June 17, 2021 Jasper Kershner

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.
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1. Liang Yi Museum

No.181-199 Hollywood Road Sheung Wan, Hong Kong China +852 2806 8280 [email protected] http://www.liangyimuseum.com/
Excellent
86%
Good
7%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 14 reviews

Liang Yi Museum

Hong Kong's largest private museum of design, craftsmanship and heritage. Home to two of the world's best collections of antiques: classical Chinese furniture and European vanity cases. Exhibitions are rotated every 6 months.

Reviewed By chocolated2019 - Hong Kong, China

I have always joined the talks at Liangyi and it’s the first time that I actually visit the museum. Amazed by the large variety of collections they have and so happy to be able to actually touch the antiquities. Great tour guide as well!

2. 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%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

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!

3. JiChang HeXin JiHua ZhanLan ZhongXin

Ting 9th Section of Qingshan Main Road, Hong Kong China
Excellent
50%
Good
50%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 2 reviews

JiChang HeXin JiHua ZhanLan ZhongXin

4. 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
11%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

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.

5. Airport Core Programme Exhibition Centre

401 Castle Peak Road Ting Kau, New Territories, Hong Kong China http://www.info.gov.hk/archive/napco/exhibition.html
Excellent
50%
Good
30%
Satisfactory
20%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 10 reviews

Airport Core Programme Exhibition Centre

6. Asia Society Hong Kong Center

9 Justice Drive, Admiralty, Hong Kong China +852 2103 9511 http://asiasociety.org/hong-kong
Excellent
60%
Good
28%
Satisfactory
12%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 50 reviews

Asia Society Hong Kong Center

Our site is one of the best examples of heritage conservation in Hong Kong. Three Grade 1 listed dilapidated military buildings have been transformed into stunning event spaces, which include a gallery and theatre. The site itself sits in 3 acres of sub-tropical rainforrest and is open to the public to explore (free of charge). It is truly a calm oasis, unexpectedly situated in the centre of Admiralty, which will appeal to anyone interested in Architecture, history or art. Wandering around the site will give you a different and unique perspective to Hong Kong.

Reviewed By ElizabethR490 - Hong Kong, China

Free entry to this peaceful venue with interesting architecture and permanent collection of outdoor art and sculpture, as well as temporary exhibitions in the gallery.

7. Heritage of Mei Ho House

Blk 41, Shek Kip Mei Est, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong China http://www.yha.org.hk/sc/our-services/mei-ho-house-revitalisation-project/heritage-mei-ho-house/
Excellent
52%
Good
40%
Satisfactory
8%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 25 reviews

Heritage of Mei Ho House

8. Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware

10 Cotton Tree Dr. at park entrance, Central, Hong Kong China +852 2869 0690 http://hk.art.museum/en_US/web/ma/tea-ware.html
Excellent
29%
Good
47%
Satisfactory
19%
Poor
4%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.0 based on 194 reviews

Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware

Reviewed By Advntr18 - Berkeley, United States

After visiting Victoria Peak, take a short walk from the Tram base through the Hong Kong Park to find this free museum. Opened in 1984, this museum features displays of tea ware dating back to the 11 century BC to modern designs...There is an informative display of tea preparation history throughout the history of China....yes, dynasties had their chosen teas and preparation techniques and then there are teas found only in certain regions of China as well. Everything is bi lingual and there are plenty of informational handouts to read as well. The gift shop has teas and tea ware for sale as well. the temporary exhibit we saw had award winning modern tea sets designed by children as well as professional artists.

9. Sam Tung Uk Museum

2 Kwu Uk Lane, Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong China +852 2411 2001 [email protected] https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/ICHO/zh_TW/web/icho/sam_tung_uk_museum.html
Excellent
32%
Good
58%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
3%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.0 based on 60 reviews

Sam Tung Uk Museum

Old rural walled village that has been turned into a museum

Reviewed By normakk - Brisbane, Australia

Take MTR to Tsuen Wan Station & walk a few minutes. The videos & displays of local history & culture are very educational & beautifully presented. I spent about 2 hrs in this small place & thoroughly enjoyed it. Walk by footbridge to Tsuen Wan West MTR station to Tin Shui Wai Station to visit the Ping Shan Heritage Trail.

10. Police Museum

27 The Peak Road, Hong Kong China +852 2849 7019 [email protected] http://www.police.gov.hk/museum/tc/
Excellent
21%
Good
55%
Satisfactory
24%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.0 based on 33 reviews

Police Museum

Reviewed By Ddan7777 - Raleigh, United States

This is a small, old-fashioned (little, if any, interactive materials for visitors), and highly interesting museum about the history of Hong Kong's police. The museum is free, which is a nice change for Hong Kong and, also, a partial explanation of why no technology has been employed to spice up the institution. After all, Hong Kong is known as a really high-tech destination. The museum is perched up on the Peak, in the location of a previous police station. There are lots of displays of the Hong Kong police during British colonial times. They do not allow taking pictures inside the museum (I'm not sure why they have this restriction). It seemed to me that there was, unfortunately, not really anyone to ask questions to as you looked around. I visited the museum on the suggestion of a local, as I had expressed my fascination with Hong Kong's history. Growing up in the U.S., I had no idea that part of the famed "British empire" that ruled the seas for hundreds of years was actively involved in bringing opium from east India to China (often through the port of Hong Kong). The current political ballyhoo (e.g., protests against the government) has some of its historical roots in the British supplying of opium to China. This museum has a room dedicated to a crude morphine laboratory. Other rooms have displays of drug use paraphernalia. I took a taxi to get to the museum. I was anxious, being my first time in Hong Kong, that I would not be able to find transportation to my hotel after I left the museum.. I feared waiting out on a small road up on the Peak. The lady at the museum's reception told me to walk the relatively short distance to the main road, and then I would find both public transportation and taxis. To my relief, she was correct, and I easily found a taxi. This is not a glamorous Hong Kong destination, such as the Peninsula Hotel or Disneyland, but it is a fascinating place nonetheless well worth the visit.

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