Hong Kong Museum Pt4: Hong Kong Heritage Museum (HKHM)

In this fourth and final series of HK Museums, I would like to explore my second favourite museum, Hong Kong Heritage Museum (HKHM).

When I say second favourite I mean it is probably a close running to HKMA (Hong Kong Museum of Arts).

Introduction

I was only intending to spend only an hour at this museum, as I was rushing to get to Temple of a 10,000 Buddhas. Nevertheless, after almost 5 days of constant walking, my feet were begging me to take it slow. This was fortunately a good thing as the museum immediately caught my interest.

HKHM is located further up north and taking MTR to Che Kung Temple or Sha Tin Wai would be the easiest to reach the museum. Although Sha Tin Wai would mean a much further walk to the HKHM. However, it was Sunday, I thought a short stroll to see what folks do on Sunday would be interesting, much to my feet’s dismay.

Keep your GPS/ Glonass handy as weaving through malls and underground tunnels can easily get you off your bearings. This actually happened to me. I could see the museum right in front of me and yet it took me almost 30 minutes walking through a nearby park to get to the front gate of the museum.

Tickets are cheap (again). I love coming to this part of the world with its cheap museum tickets.

What made things even better, there was a special exhibition on Bruce Lee. There was everything from his early years in Hong Kong, his life in the USA, his movie life in USA and his movie life in Hong Kong.

The website for the museum

http://hk.heritage.museum/

Visiting hours

Monday, Wednesday to Friday: 10am - 6pm

Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: 10am - 7pm

Christmas Eve and Chinese New Year's Eve: 10am - 5pm

Closed on Tuesdays (except public holidays) and the first two days of the Chinese New Year.

I was allowed to take photographs in all exhibits except for the special Bruce Lee exhibition.

These are some of the exhibits.

If you notice why some of the exhibits look very alike with Hong Kong Museum of History’s exhibits, well they do (have a second look http://hg2me.blogspot.sg/2015/04/hong-kong-adventure-hk-museum-of-history.html).

In a way this museum, feels like a summary of HK of History, a condensed version if you will. If you didn’t have enough time to visit the HK of History, then this would be a wonderful substitute.

I enjoyed my last night in Hong Kong with this museum. As the clock approached 5pm, I finished the final viewing of Bruce Lee’s Lifestory Documentary, headed down to the gift shop and treated to this beautiful night scenery of the park which got me lost me again on my way back to Che Kung MTR.

Hey, sometimes you have to get lost, to be found, right?

Should you visit here?

Absolutely, especially if you didn’t have time to visit the HK Museum of History and you are on the way to visit the Temple of 10,000 Buddhas. I probably do the visit on the way back from Temple of 10,000 Buddhas just to enjoy the park in the evening.

Hong Kong Museum Pt3: HK Museum of Art

In Part 3 of the Hong Kong Museum Review series, I will be reviewing the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMA). Unfortunately, I am not very artistically inclined, so this will be sort of a layman’s understanding of the Arts.


Introduction

The closest MTR is East Tsim Sha Shui, with multiple exits, so pick the one closest to the museum.
The museum itself is not difficult to locate, as it is on the Avenue of Stars vicinity.

And as soon as you are near the place you will be greeted exhibits like this, so it is really difficult to miss.

If you are visiting HKMA, the opening hours are as follows.

• Monday to Wednesday, Friday: 10am – 6pm
• Saturday, Sunday and public holiday: 10am – 7pm
• Christmas Eve and Chinese New Year's Eve: 10am – 5pm
• Closed on Thursdays (except public holiday) and the first two days of the Chinese New Year

Entry is extremely cheap at HKD10 and much like the other big Museums in HK, there will be special exhibition which will cost a little extra. In my case there was a special wood carving exhibition by a local artist (Ju Ming).
 

So total ticket cost is HKD20 but you can always opt out and take the standard ticket.

Come on a Wednesday and enter for free. More information is available on the HKMA’s website.

http://hk.art.museum/en_US/web/ma/home.html
 

 
The do’s and don’t’s are pretty much standard like other museums, keep you voice down and no flash photography.

The museum art work is mostly modern contemporary in nature with some traditional art works thrown in. It has everything from carvings, sculptures, paintings, photography and some art I just don’t understand.

If you are bored, take a few minutes to admire Hong Kong harbor and skyline, and then you can proceed to Avenue of the Stars, which is just a several minutes walk.

Should You Visit Here?

It is worth a visit, even if you are not into arts. It could be a little boring for the kids though.

Hong Kong Museum Pt2: Hobby and Toy Museum

Intro

This is my second series of the Hong Kong Adventure museums. This time around I will explain a little about the Hobby and Toy Museum.


Hobby and Toy Museum

Ok, I will be very honest, I wasn’t really looking for the Hobby and Toy Museum. I was in the vicinity, wandering around on my the first day in Hong Kong. I started my slow walk from my hostel in Mongkok, then made my way south towards Avenue of the Stars.

Sometimes, you have to be lost to find your way. This is what happened to me when I stumbled upon the Hobby Toy Museum. 

However, you don’t need to. The Hobby Toy Museum (or the Hong Kong International Hobby and Toy Museum) is closely located to the Yau Ma Tei MTR, just about 10 minutes walk or so.




But the museum itself is pretty hidden. What seems its back door was actually the front entrance!




Now, I don’t have much information to share as I did not enter the museum itself (Oops!). Mainly because I was lost and the door fee was HKD$30. Too think about, I kinda regret that I did not go in.

The museum as per on its website is committed to studying, restoring, preserving and display toys in Hong Kong. That’s really cool. I mean where would we be without our childhood.

You may find more information under About Us section on the museum’s site.
http://www.hktoymuseum.org/

The museum is opened daily between 1:00pm-6:00pm and on closed Tuesdays. On Tripadvisor, many have enjoyed seeing array of toys displayed here.

If you have been here, tell me more through the comments section below.

Hong Kong Museum Pt1: HK Museum of History

Introduction

Hong Kong is famous for museums. Something, I learned when I visited there in 2014. It has everything from Art, Science, and History. Heck even toys has a dedicated museum. Some are bigger and better maintained than others, while some are…well just are. These were some of the museums, I visited while my visit to HK in Summer of 2014.

• HK Museum of History
• Hobby and Toys Museum
• HK Museum of Art
• HK Heritage Museum
• HK Park: Flag and Tea Museum
• HK Space Museum

In this blog, I will review my favourite museum in HK.


HK Museum of History

Best 10 dollars spent, ever!

When I was making my list of places, I should visit in HK, the Museum of History was definitely first on my list.

Staying in Mongkok, getting down to this place was easy. Hop on the train and travel up to Hung Hom MTR station. When you arrive in Hung Hom MTR, look around for the exit that is closest walking distance to the museum. After few minutes walk from Hung Hom and a lot overhead bridges (trust me on this), get ready to be awed.





Choices, Choices

When I walked to the upstairs entrance, I was stuck in another dilemma. There was a sign showing directions to the Museum of History or Science Museum.

After a quick check on Trip Advisor, the Science Museum was more fun for visitors with children. The museum is suppose to be more interactive.




I went to ticket counter, paid 10HK dollars and stepped in to Museum of History. The ticket I paid was for a standard entry. There are days for special exhibitions and free entry as well. Prices for Special Exhibitions vary.




You can get more information on the museum’s website.

http://hk.history.museum/
http://hk.history.museum/en_US/web/mh/index.html

So in case if you are wondering what does the front door looks like, here is a picture. However, there was some construction going during my visit.




The Exhibits

I will cut to the chase, go straight to the exhibits. HK Museum of History is one of the best museums I seen. It is very well built and arranged. It starts with HK during pre-historic times all the way to the modern HK. There is even a exhibition on pop culture and the 1997 handover of HK back to China.

My own favorite has to be HK famous broadcasting industry. HK is famed for movies and television series.










Should You Visit Here?

Absolutely, if you had time to visit only one museum in HK, this should be it. It is loads of fun especially if you are into history of a nation. Learn everything about the culture and customs of HK in a single day through this museum. Be prepared to spend at least 3/4 of day here.

LiveJournal Tags: Hong Kong,Museum,Museum of History,Culture,Chinese,Best Museum

Hong Kong Adventure: Lantau Island

Introduction

One of the many highlights of Hong Kong is the Tian Tan Buddha also known by the locals as the Big Buddha. The Big Buddha is part of the entire Ngong Ping 360 (NP360) experience.
If you like to try the NP360, check out more information in this website.

http://www.np360.com.hk/en/

In this entry, I will be focussing only on the following places which I visited.

• Tian Tan Buddha
• Po Lin Monastery
• Path of Wisdom and Lantau Peak
• Tai-O Fishing Village

 

Tian Tan Buddha (Big Buddha)

Located on Lantau Island, HK’s favourite hiking spot, I first headed over to Tung Chung MTR. Tung Chung MTR houses a very modern and beautiful mall. So if you are on a rush, you can have your breakfast here.


From Tung Chung MTR, there are several ways to get up to Big Buddha. The most scenic route is to hike. The route is not short and pretty difficult even for the seasoned hiker. Expect anything between 6 to 8 hours of hike, so I been told.
The second scenic route is to take the cable car. The ticket prices vary and are on sale on site. There is always a crowd here, so you may want to get the ticket from your hotel before coming over. It saves a lot of time. Most hotels do sell return tickets for the cable car ride. Ask your friendly hotelier.



The final two options includes taking a bus, which ferries people daily up to the peak or a cab.
I took the cable car option, which gave a beautiful, scenic view of Lantau Island, trekking path up to Big Buddha, the airport and Big Buddha, himself.

Cable car ride takes about 20 minutes or so to reach the peak cable car station. If you hadn’t notice, there was someone who took a photo of you in the cable car. If you want it as a souvenir, you can purchase it at the peak station.



The Big Buddha is both a temple where people come to pray and also a famous tourist attraction. So be cautious and be respectful. There is only path to the Big Buddha and it is difficult to miss.
Between the peak cable car station and the Big Buddha, there are many side attractions including souvenir shops, “Boddhi Tree”, Stage 360 and Motion 360. The bus stop is also located somewhere in between.




The entry to Big Buddha is free but there is a small fee to pay if you like to enter the inner sanctum of the temple. The Big Buddha statue itself is hollow and houses a temple on the inside. There are many steps up to the Big Buddha. If you are in moderate physical condition, you can do this easily without much trouble.



After the steps, be rewarded with a beautiful view of the surrounding hills. Next stop, Po Lin Monastery.





Po Lin Monastery

Po Lin Monastery is just a stone throw away from the Big Buddha statue.
The monastery houses a prayer place and the very sumptuous vegetarian diet meal.
So, it is also a great place to grab lunch.



 

Path of Wisdom and Lantau Peak

Many people miss the Path of Wisdom, in a literal sense. The Path of Wisdom can be reached in 15 to 20 minutes walk.



At times you may lose your way but fret not as there are signs everywhere to keep you on the right path. It is a quiet and serene walk. Something to enjoy if you can get here on during mornings or late evenings.



I don’t quite get what the Path of Wisdom is all about but it is a wonderful place that you should not miss. It is not mentioned on a lot of travel sites and it didn’t even pop up on Trip Advisor. I guess this is one of those off the beaten path things.
From here you get a view of the famous Lantau Peak. It looks like a short hike but it easily takes 60 minutes to get up there. The hike is steep and it is not easy. I don’t recommend doing the hike unless you came prepared. Most don’t make it to the top just due to pure exhaustion.






Tai-O Fishing Village

If you decided after Big Buddha, Po Lin Monastery, Path of Wisdom and Lantau Peak is enough, then head on back to the cable car station to return back Tung Chung MTR.
However, if you are like me (adventurous) then Tai-O Fishing Village (TOFV) should be your next stop.
There are only two ways to get to TOFV. One by bus and the other by taxi.
Both ways require going back to the Big Buddha site. From the Big Buddha, keep walking to the direction of the cable car station, midway there should be a bus stop.
I can’t recall the bus number that goes to Tai-O Fishing Village, but there are signage written clearly. Do note the buses can be old and sometimes the AC may not be working. In 10 minutes or so, the bus will drop you off at TOFV.
So what can you expect at TOFV?
I missed this signboard when I arrived but these are the places you can visit. The last 4 are not on the local tour signboard.

• Lookout Pavillion
• Yeung Hau Temple
• Kwan Tai Temple
• Waterfront Promenade
• Tin Hau Temple
• Historic and Cultural Showroom
• Culture Workshop
• Salt Workers Quarters
• Tai-O Gallery

 



TOFV is this old fishing village which now survives on tourist dollar. It has this old town rustic charm to it as you walk through the narrow paths. Stilt houses and suspended bridges are the norm.
Besides, visiting the local sights, do check out the restaurants, take a boat ride, eat street food and buy local souvenirs.
From what I understood the village does not get any government support for tourism. So that sucks.
Get ready for a lot of walking with water, pair of comfortable walking shoes and a good hat.



On my final leg here on TOFV, I decided not to go back to the cable car as the last cable car ride closes at 6pm. On top of that I could not find the bus that goes back to Big Buddha site. It was a very uncomfortable and hot bus ride down to Tung Chung MTR which took about 20 to 30 minutes.