Artfully Hong Kong
Discover the city’s creative heartbeat – where heritage meets innovation
Words: Chutima Limpasurat
Photos: Chutima Limpasurat & Pixabay
Hong Kong’s iconic skyline, Victoria Harbour and legendary cuisine – from flaky egg tarts to glistening roast goose and steaming dim sum – are famous around the globe. But beyond the dazzling views and delicious bites, this buzzling metropolis hums with a hidden rhythm of creativity, culture and art.
Gliding through dark storm clous, we touch down in a city shimmering beneath a summer downpour. After unpacking, we head straight for our arrival ritual – afternoon tea in the Peninsula Hong Kong’s historic lobby. Silver trays laden with scones and signature coffee gleam beneath crystal chandeliers, as the soft strains of a live string trio invite us to slow down and savour the art of living.
After tea, we stroll across to the Hong Kong Museum of Art, where nature-inspired bronze statues by Chueng Yee create an island of calm in Kowloon’s frenetic flow. Just steps away at the iconic Clock Tower square, a quirky guard booth installation by local artist Hiko Keung turns an ordinary space into an unexpected canvas. Nearby, we stumble on “Soft Crash”, a pop-up photo exhibition in a hotel car park – proof that in Hong Kong, walls, streets, gardens and even parking lots transform as visual storytellers.
Tai Kwun: Unlocking History
One of our favourite stops in Hong Kong is Tai Kwun Centre for Heritage and Arts, a cultural gem carved from the old Central Police Station and prison in Central District. This award-winning restoration has turned a once-formidable fortress of justice into a lively hub for free expression, heritage, and community.
The complex is a collision of old and new Hong Kong. The preserved historic former police headquarters, barracks, and prison blocks stand alongside JC Contemporary, a sleek, glass-and-steel hub showcasing top international contemporary artists.
JC Contemporary evolves with every exhibition, as immersive installations and though-provoking visual art offer fresh insights into identity, memory and change. This is a space where history and modernity intertwine, engaging visitors in a dialogue that stimulates the mind and stirs the heart.
Whether your passion is history, art or casual exploration, Tai Kwun is where Hong Kong’s rich past plugs into its dynamic present in electrifying ways that illuminate its future.
Streets Bursting with Colour
Stroll a little further into SoHo – south of Hollywood Road – and you are greeted by an explosion of colour along the mural-filled lanes of Graham Street, Peel Street, and Elgin Street. Towering portraits, playful cartoons, and abstract designs burst from building facades, stairwells, and alley walls – each reflecting the neighbourhood’s vibrant spirit.
Iconic murals draw international photographers and Instagrammers in search of the perfect shot, while hidden artworks tell stories of Hong Kong’s multilayered culture, society and communities. This is a rolling canvas that changes with time, keeping the urban gallery fresh and unpredictable.
What struck us most was the raw and spontaneous energy of these streets. The art here isn’t just decoration, but a powerful form of storytelling, activism, and identity – capturing the nonstop frenzied reinvention that shapes this city.
Nostalgic Plunge at Sai Wan Swimming Shed
On the island’s western shore, the Sai Wan Swimming Shed offers a nostalgic glimpse into Hong Kong’s age of innocence. Originally built for swimmers during the colonial era, its humble wooden pier and tin shed are now a favourite spot for photographers, couples and sunset chasers.
Standing at the edge of the narrow wooden walkway, tickled by the soft sea breeze, I feel as if I have stepped into an old sepia postcard. I lean on rustic wooden rails, etched by time and tide, basking in the horizon’s golden glow like countless souls have before me.
More than just a photo spot, Sai Wan Swimming Shed is a living museum of simple beauty, a place where the poetry of impermanence meets the serene harmony of sea and city.
Echoes of the Past
In search of the city’s roots, I step into Sam Tung Uk Museum (Three-Beam House) in Tsuen Wan – a lovingly preserved Hakka walled village that offers a rare window into rural Hong Kong life in the 18th century. Originally built in 1786 by the Chan clan, this former farmstead is now a folk museum where the city’s heritage is carefully preserved amid the buzz of modern skyscrapers.
I wander beneath clay-tile roofs and past weathered brick walls, into quiet ancestral halls and living quarters that once sheltered generations of the same family. Period furnishings and everyday artefacts bring the customs, architecture, and traditions of the Hakka people vividly to life.
More than a monument to the past, Sam Tung Uk is a living space – hosting exhibitions during Hong Kong Design Week that weave ancient craftsmanship with contemporary creativity.
M+: Global Stage for Contemporary Culture
No Hong Kong visit is complete without a trip to M+, Asia’s first global museum of contemporary visual culture. Located in West Kowloon Cultural District, this architectural landmark marries bold design with vast light-filled galleries and serene harbour views.
The highlight of our visit was Picasso for Asia – A Conversation, an extraordinary exhibition exploring the artist’s influence on this region. A standout was Lee Mingwei’s recreation in sand of Picasso’s antiwar masterpiece Guernica – a powerful meditation on impermanence and memory.
Elsewhere, Shanshui: Echoes and Signals presented a modern twist on traditional Chinese landscapes, while Akari by Noguchi lit up the space with delicate, glowing lanterns that melded sculpture and light. Trevor Yeung’s Courtyard of Detachments offered an artistic map to navigating emotional boundaries.
No mere museum, M+ is an extraordinary meeting point of art, architecture, and introspection.
Blue House: Living History in Wan Chai
Blue House, in a quiet corner of Wan Chai, offers many visitors their most meaningful heritage experience of Hong Kong.
Tucked away on Stone Nullah Lane – named for the canal, or nullah, that once flowed here – this striking cobalt blue tenement has served as a clinic, a school, a temple, and a residential complex over its 150-year history.
Blue House shines as a model of community-led conservation, where residents have preserved not just the building’s bricks and mortar but also its soul. Retro touches – from vintage mailboxes to hand-painted signage – evoke the spirit of those who call it home.
The complex also hosts the Hong Kong House of Stories, a museum and cultural centre run by passionate volunteers. We join one of their twice-daily guided walks (except Wednesdays and public holidays) through the Blue, Yellow, and Orange House clusters, uncovering intimate glimpses of local life past and present.
HK’s Strangest Living Tradition?
Not far away, under the Canal Road Flyover, a row of modest stolls and makeshift altars reveals one of Hong Kong’s most bizarre living traditions. Here, elderly women – known as “villain hitters” – perform “da siu yan”, a centuries-old ritual said to banish bad luck jealous rivals, and other harmful influences. Taking a name or symbol scribbled on a paper effigy, they strike it repeatedly with a shoe, their vigorous blows often accompanied by soft chants or incantations.
Offerings of incense, oranges, and pork fat are laid out for deities like Pak Kung, the Earth God, who watches over the proceedings. Often sought by locals for protection, revenge, or a fresh start, the ritual is performed with a mix of theatrical flair and heartfelt conviction.
Rooted in Cantonese folklore, villain hitting remains a vibrant part of Hong Kong’s spiritual tapestry – a raw, non-sanitised slice of urban life that feels both deeply personal and timeless.
The Mills: A Factory of Innovation
Our final destination is The Mills in Tsuen Wan, a former textile factory reborn as a dynamic hub of creativity, sustainability, and cultural exchange. Once a cornerstone of Hong Kong’s industrial boom, its preserved concrete frames and factory artefacts now set the stage for cutting-edge design, artisan boutiques and community events. Highlights include Fabrica, a start-up incubator driving tech innovation, and CHAT – the Centre of Heritage, Arts and Textile – which weaves together history, contemporary art, and community dialogue.
We were lucky to catch “Field of Flowers” at CHAT, where five emerging Asian designers reimagined Finnish brand Marimekko’s iconic floral prints. The works were bold, modern, and emotionally rich – proving how fabric and form can inspire creative new narratives across cultures and generations.
A City that Breathes Creativity
Hong Kong offers much more than its postcard skyline. Beyond the glittering towers lies a city bursting with stories, artistry, and reinvention. Buzzing streets, soulful community spaces, world-class museums and beautifully restored heritage sites invite a closer look.
Here, art doesn’t just hang on walls – it spills into everyday life. From bold murals in SoHo and sand sculptures at M+ to the timeless charm of Blue House and Sai Wan Swimming Shed, this city breathes creativity.
Step off the beaten track and let curiosity be your guide. In Hong Kong, creativity isn’t something you hunt down – it’s all around you, waiting to be discovered.