West Kowloon is home to Hong Kong’s various artistic attractions, that has charmed several visitors. It was also part of HKTB’s recently launched ‘Arts in Hong Kong’ campaign.

Situated within the Yau Tsim Mong and Sham Shui Po Districts, the West Kowloon neighbourhood in the western part of Kowloon peninsula embodies the rich offerings of traditional local culture and world-class arts.

The local communities of Jordan and Yau Ma Tei in the West Kowloon neighbourhood are home to a vast range of trendsetting arts and traditional craftsmanship and on the Victoria Harbour waterfront, the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) is home to one of the largest and most ambitious cultural projects in the world.

Keeping this is mind, here is a listicle on West Kowloon Neighbourhood’s alluring art and cultural hotspots.

World-Class Arts Museums

M+, one of the latest openings besides the Hong Kong Palace, is one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary visual culture in the world, as well as Asia’s first such museum.

Opened to the world in November last year, M+ presents around 1,500 works drawn from its collections in the 17,000 square metre exhibition space that spans 33 exhibition halls and other display spaces in the museum. The M+ building is among Hong Kong’s most iconic landmarks and the newest must-visit attraction, with its 65 metre M+ facade visible from the Hong Kong Island.

The Hong Kong Palace Museum, that is set to open this July 2, aspires to become one of the world’s leading cultural institutions and is committed to the study and appreciation of Chinese art and culture, while also advancing dialogue among world civilisations through international partnerships.

Embracing new curatorial approaches, the museum will offer a Hong Kong perspective and a global vision, presenting the finest objects from the Palace Museum and other important cultural institutions around the world.

Arts & Culture in the neighbourhood

Tung Nam Lou

Tung Nam Lou is a heritage building converted into a boutique art hotel in Yau Ma Tei. Once a neighbourhood seafood restaurant, the building went on to transform into an office building before finally settling to become a hotel that celebrates arts and local culture. The trendsetting experiential art fills all the senses of visitors in unimagined ways.

 

Sindart

A store that has sold traditional embroidered shoes since way back from 1958, Sindart is breathing new life to the traditional Chinese footwear. Miru Wong, the third-generation owner, has inherited the delicate skills of embroidery from her grandfather and is continuing to add new spins to these silk-brocade slippers. The non-traditional motifs and patterns, as well as new footwear such as flats and heels on top of the traditional slippers, has proved to be a popular hit with the younger generation.

Biu Kee Mahjong

The game of mahjong is deeply rooted in Chinese tradition, traditionally played at family gatherings and during important festivals like Chinese New Year.

One of the masters who is still known to hand-carve mahjong tiles in Hong Kong is Uncle King at Biu Kee Mahjong. True master of the craft for over 5 decades, Uncle King deftly etches symbols and numbers onto the smooth faces of the bare tiles, before bringing them to life with colours. He also makes custom tiles that can bear anything from names to cartoon characters.