A Guide to Hong Kong’s New Culture District

For many years, Hong Kong was dismissed as a cultural desert. Sure, the food was fantastic and the shopping was incredible, but those seeking art were often left wanting. 

The idea for an arts enclave emerged around 1997, around the same time that the former British crown colony was handed back to China. Under a master plan by the architects Foster + Partners, a 100-acre “cultural hub” would be built on reclaimed land fronting Victoria Harbour. It took nearly 30 years, but the West Kowloon Cultural District has finally taken shape. Today, there are world-class museums, an opera house, theaters, and open parkland for space-starved Hong Kongers.

“There is much more to come,” says Rocco Yim, the architect behind the Hong Kong Palace Museum, which opened in 2022. “The area is only one-third to one-half complete.” Here, a guide to what’s new. 

Freespace

As the name suggests, this performing arts center is designed to be flexible and imaginative. The bunker-like complex houses a black box theater and studios for experimental performances and dance, as well as the Lau Bak Livehouse, a coffeehouse and bar with live music on weekends.

Hong Kong Palace Museum

Resembling a Chinese gold ingot, Hong Kong Palace Museum showcases artifacts from China’s imperial palaces, including Ming dynasty ceramics, scroll paintings, and double-headed dragons from the National Palace Museum in Beijing’s Forbidden City. 

Art Park

Hugging the waterfront promenade, Art Park is an oasis for joggers, picnickers, museumgoers, and dog walkers (does everyone in this city own a Shiba Inu?). There are more than a dozen places to eat and drink throughout this expansive lawn — around sunset, grab a seat at one of the harborside cafes below the Palace Museum. The facilities are spotless, too.

Related: Our Readers’ Favorite City Hotels in Hong Kong of 2024

M+

With works by Ai Weiwei and other blue-chip Chinese artists, M+ is intended to rival institutions like MoMA and the Tate Modern in its ambition. The futuristic building, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, has one façade that lights up like a Blade Runner billboard. Just as impressive is the design collection, which includes a 1980s sushi bar from Tokyo that was rebuilt piece by piece. 

Xiqu Center

This performance hall, which hosts Cantonese opera, has an exterior with aluminum shingles that resemble fish scales. A large opening fills the atrium with breezes and natural light. Even if xiqu (Chinese opera) isn’t your cup of tea, the public atrium is an inviting place to rest before exploring the shops along Canton Road.

Where to Stay

A quick hop from the cultural district, the 413-room Rosewood Hong Kong, which occupies part of a 65-story tower, anchors the new Kowloon waterfront. The brand’s flagship property, it has 12 places to eat and drink, including two Michelin-starred restaurants, and is connected to the sprawling K11 Musea mall.

A version of this story first appeared in the August 2024 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline “Back to the Future.”