Explore Hong Kong’s art and culture hub with our guide for what to do in Kowloon’s West Kowloon Cultural District.
Located in the western part of Kowloon Peninsula, West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) is well-known for being the art and culture hub of Hong Kong. Although there are several construction projects in process, the area is truly established as the city’s modern and contemporary art hub, with plenty do see and do in the area.
Your guide to Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District:
How to get there:
MTR: Exit from Kowloon Station (at Elements) from either Exit E4 or E5, head to Austin Station and take Exit E or West Kowloon Station at Exit G.
Bus: China Hong Kong City Bus Terminus at Bus Numbers 3C, 14, 238X and 238P or Austin Road at Bus Numbers 12, 110, 203C, 215X, and 260X.
Taxi: From Central, a taxi takes roughly 18 minutes for a fee of HK$88, subject to traffic and tunnel charges.
What to see and do at West Kowloon Cultural District
Art Park
The heart of Kowloon’s West Cultural District, Art Park invites you to enjoy the adjacent waterfront promenade and its open green spaces – a rarity in Hong Kong. Perfect for relaxing or playing sports, the area also has a bike-sharing programme, SmartBike, where visitors can use bicycles in the park to travel across the promenade and easily access the district’s other facilities. The Park also offers a wide range of harbour-side cafes, shops and restaurants for visitors to cool down in or opt for a bite.
Art Park, West Kowloon Cultural District, 18 Museum Drive, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Freespace
Hong Kong’s newest centre for contemporary expression – Freespace – showcases live music and performances within its intimate creation spaces, The Room and The Studio. Hong Kong’s largest blackbox theatre, the Box, features multi-genre performances from both established Hong Kong artists and international talents. Freespace has its very own bar that serves also as a performance space for workshops, film screenings and unique events.
Freespace, West Kowloon Cultural District, 18 Museum Drive, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong, +852 2200 0217
XIqu Centre
Situated at the other end of the promenade, Xiqu Centre (Chinese Opera) hosts Cantonese opera and Chinese theatre performances. Shaped to resemble parted stage curtains, the Centre offers a range of facilities that reflect the culture of Chinese traditional theatre. Such facilities include a Grand Theatre that houses a large open atrium at the top of the building, and a Tea House Theatre that serves dim sum and tea while visitors can enjoy 90-minute narrated performances. Aligning with the core theme of the Xiqu, there is also a range of Chinese cuisine, restaurants and shops offered within the heart of the Centre.
Xiqu Centre, 88 Austin Road West, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong, +852 2200 0217
Growing Up Pavilion
The Winning design in Hong Kong’s first-ever Young Architects & Designers Competition, the “Growing Up” Pavilion is a great space to enjoy art installations and unbeatable harbourside views. You’ll want to stop by here for stunning sunrises and sunsets.
“Growing Up” Pavilion, West Kowloon Cultural District, 18 Museum Drive, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
M+ Museum
Housed in an inverted glossy T-shaped structure, the M+ Museum is one of the largest museums in the world showcasing modern and contemporary visual culture. Unique features include an LED facade displaying artists’ moving artworks. Other facilities include: performance spaces, three cinemas, public roof terrace among many other exciting features. It currently features M+ Rover: Travelling Creative Studio that presents an engaging creative dialogue for students through its artist-led activities and educational resources.
M+, West Kowloon Cultural District, 18 Museum Drive, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong, +852 2200 0217
Palace Museum
Scheduled to open mid 2022, the Hong Kong Palace Museum will present around 880 artifacts of Beijing’s historical Palace housed in the Forbidden City, some of which have never been publicly displayed before. The HK$3.5 billion project will offer both Hong Kong and international perspectives to provide a new interpretation of the collection. Of its nine galleries, three are to be thematic to relate historic art treasures to modern life.
Hong Kong Palace Museum, West Kowloon Cultural District, 18 Museum Drive, Tsim Sha Tsui , Kowloon, Hong Kong, +852 2200 0217
Lyric Theatre Complex
Scheduled to open in 2023, the Lyric Theatre Complex will showcase both Hong Kong and international dance and theatre performances. Housing three theatres, the Lyric Theatre, the Medium Theatre and the Studio Theatre, each will cater to a type of performing arts, with each distinct colour correlating to its function.
Lyric Theatre Complex, West Kowloon Cultural District, 18 Museum Drive, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong, +852 2200 0217
Hero and featured images courtesy of westKowloon
Despite pursuing a career in Law, Tanya has always been interested in journalism seen by writing on social activism, lifestyle and culture in Hong Kong. If she’s not writing or in court, you can catch her reading the latest book on her Kindle whilst sipping her latest matcha latte find.
