Chapter 1 of Hong Kong 2023
A fresh look at Hong Kong 2023 (3) – Culture and Experience
Hong Kong, China
West Kowloon Cultural Area
When I last visited the area it was a huge building site. Three years later it was transformed into a collection of museums and parks with a lovely waterfront promenade with the ultra-modern West Kowloon High Speed train station nearby!
Palace Museum
The museum was open in 2022. The modern and rather boxy design of the museum is an acquired taste. The interiors are spacious rather than palatial.
The museum houses some interesting exhibits. Unfortunately I was only able to get tickets for Gallery 1 – 7 and missed the “Cartier and Women” exhibition at Gallery 8. However it was a very pleasant way to pass a couple of hours.
The exhibits in Galleries 2 – 6 were rather run-of-the-mill, though informative.
However I was strangely attracted to the abstract display in Gallery 7 “No boundaries”
Gallery 1 where artifices were on loan from Forbidden City in Beijing was interesting too
M+ Museum – Museum of visual culture
M+ Museum is very spacious and was opened in late 2021. The design echoes that of Palace Museum
M+ is another museum that challenges the artistic tastes, either you get it or you don’t!
I confess to belonging to the latter, though I appreciate the merits of diverse art forms. What caught my eyes were these iconic images of Hong Kong in the 60’s
Art park
Art Park is a lush green space in West Kowloon Cultural Area, a short walk from the museums.
The promenade wrapping around the waterfront affords fantastic harbour views, especially on the elevated terrace.
Hong Kong Heritage Museum
The current “Virtually Versailles” exhibition drew me to the Heritage Museum which I have visited many times before.
The exhibition was full of interactive and virtual reality gimmicks that made for an interesting experience. All these and other exhibitions for an entrance fee of HK$10 (just over £1)!!
I stood in this darkened room and suddenly found myself inside The Palace of Versailles – minus the crowd!
My partner took a bike ride around the garden of Versailles!
He touched the portrait of Louis XV, had a photo taken and was transformed into Louis XV 😂
The Peninsula Experience
The Peninsula is the “grande dame” of Hong Kong hotels. Opened in 1928, it was built in the colonial style and was the byword for luxury in its heyday. Occupying the prime location in Tsimshatsui with its iconic fountain and fleet of green Rolls Royces in front of it, it has graced countless postcards and photos of Hong Kong and was featured in the James Bond film “The man with the golden gun” It was redeveloped and expanded in 1994 with 2 helipads added at the top.
The prestige of The Peninsula continues to provide the bragging rights for those who have sampled its hospitality. For those without deep pockets to fork out for a stay at The Peninsula, the lunch buffet at its Verandah Restaurant provides an alternative for the experience without breaking the bank!
Verandah Restaurant at The Peninsula
The display of food was a visual delight and the food was sumptuous. An experience indeed!
The Lobby at The Peninsula
The Lobby is famous for its high ceiling and afternoon tea. The downside is that tables cannot be reserved except for resident guests
K11 Musea
How about this for reinvention?
K11 Musea, opened in 2019, is complete revamp of New World Centre opened in 1982.
With its fancy interiors, 5* serviced apartments and hotel, high-end designer stores and swanky eateries, it has since become a landmark.
Not only is it in the heart of Victoria Dockside at Tsimshatsui but it also commands a fantastic view of Victoria Harbour with the Avenue of Stars promenade at its doorsteps.
Gadgetry
I was amused to find robots roaming around shopping centres, cleaning floors and collecting dishes all over Hong Kong!
These robots were found roaming around New Town Plaza in Shatin collecting dishes (left) and cleaning floor!
This robot was on cleaning duty at Pacific Place (Admiralty)
This robot was on a break at K11 Musea (Tsimshatsui) next to the lift. The buttons for the lift were disguised as a book in a display cabinet next to it! It has many people fooled, including me at first!
It’s been a week now since I returned from spending 6 weeks in Hong Kong. My memories are primarily that of the joy of meeting up with family and friends after 3 years; eating a great variety of food -Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, and European food . It was great to be able to wear my summer clothes, too.
However, I would avoid returning in the months of March to May: it was hot and humid with too many local holidays for comfort! I don’t mind making a meal of my colourful attires but I draw a line at being a meal for mosquitos which left me with scratch marks that resembled measles!
Others in this series
Hong Kong, China
Also from China
