Hong Kong – Asia's Cultural Metropolis
Links to major arts and cultural venues, organisations and festivals in Hong Kong
Policy Document
Major Museums
- Hong Kong Heritage Museum
- Hong Kong Museum of Art
- Hong Kong Museum of History
- Hong Kong Science Museum
- Hong Kong Space Museum
- Other public museums
- Hong Kong Maritime Museum
- M+
- Hong Kong Palace Museum
Major Arts and Cultural Venues
- ArtisTree
- Asia Society Hong Kong Centre
- Avenue of Stars
- Fringe Club
- H Queen’s
- Hong Kong Arts Centre
- Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre
- K11 Art Mall
- The Mills
- PMQ
- Tai Kwun
- West Kowloon Cultural District
Major Performing Arts Groups / Troupes
- Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong
- Chung Ying Theatre Company
- City Contemporary Dance Company
- Hong Kong Ballet
- Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra
- Hong Kong Dance Company
- Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
- Hong Kong Repertory Theatre
- Hong Kong Sinfonietta
- Sing Fai Cantonese Opera Troupe
- Zuni Icosahedron
Major Arts and Cultural Festivals
- Asia+ Festival
- Art March
- Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival
- Chinese Culture Festival
- Chinese Opera Festival
- Clockenflap Music and Arts Festival
- Festive Korea
- Hong Kong Arts Festival
- International Arts Carnival
- Japan Autumn Festival
- French May Arts Festival
- Lumieres Hong Kong
- Freespace Jazz Fest
Major Art Fairs
- Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo
- Affordable Art Fair
- Art Basel Hong Kong
- Art Central
- Fine Art Asia
- Ink Asia
Others
- Art in Hospital
- Arts with the Disabled Association Hong Kong
- Design District Hong Kong #ddHK
- Hong Kong Arts Development Council
- Hong Kong Art School
- Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation
- The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
- Vienna Boys Choir
Cultural Policy and Funding Support
Vision
Hong Kong becomes an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange and an international cultural metropolis with a distinct identity grounded in Chinese traditions and enriched by different cultures, where life is celebrated through cultural pursuit; and creativity is a constant driver of progress in the community.
Objectives
- To develop Hong Kong into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange
- To provide opportunities for wide participation in culture and the arts
- To provide opportunities for those with potential to develop their artistic talents
- To create an environment conducive to the diversified and balanced development of culture and the arts
- To support the preservation and promotion of our traditional cultures while encouraging artistic creation and innovation
Basic Principles
| People-oriented: | To encourage citizens to fulfil their needs for cultural pursuit and to realise their potential in the arts. |
|---|---|
| Diversity: | To foster the vibrancy and diversity of our cultures. |
| Freedom of expression: | To maintain our artistic freedom and enhance the protection of intellectual property. |
| Holistic approach: | To involve all sectors of the society in order to create an environment conducive to the vibrant development of culture and the arts. All government departments should work together to promote cultural development. |
| Partnership: | To establish partnership among the Government, the business community and the cultural sector. |
Government Funding Support to Culture and the Arts
Provision for the Arts and Culture
In 2022- 2023, the Government’s recurrent expenditure on the development of arts and culture is over $5.9 billion.
Capital Funding
The Government also supports the development of the arts and culture in Hong Kong through the construction and operation of various types of cultural venues, including performance venues, public libraries and public museums.
At present, there are 16 performance venues of varying sizes and capacities situated at accessible locations all over the territory. To meet the needs of the communities and arts sector for performing arts venues, the construction of the East Kowloon Cultural Centre is underway and is expected to be opened by phases in 2023.
The Government also manages 14 public museums, two visual arts centres and the Hong Kong Film Archive. In addition, the Government operates a network of Hong Kong Public Libraries (HKPL) comprising 70 static and 12 mobile libraries. For the enhancement of public library services, new district libraries are under construction in the North-west Kowloon Reclamation Site 6 and Lei King Road, Eastern District respectively.
The West Kowloon Cultural District
An upfront endowment of $21.6 billion has been granted to the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority to develop a prime 40-hectare waterfront site into an integrated arts and cultural hub with world-class facilities, the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD). The WKCD project is a strategic investment by the Government to meet the long-term infrastructural and development needs of Hong Kong’s arts and culture, to provide world-class museums and performing arts venues and to promote artistic excellence and nurture talent and audience. It aims to foster the organic growth of cultural industries, and promote Hong Kong’s image as an international metropolis with a vibrant arts and cultural landscape.
Key Agencies in the Promotion of Arts and Culture
Leisure and Cultural Services Department
Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC)
Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA)
West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA)
Arts and Sport Development Fund (ASDF) (Arts Portion)
The ASDF is a sub-fund under the Sir David Trench Fund for Recreation established under the Sir David Trench Fund for Recreation Ordinance (Cap. 1128). Since its inception in 1997, the ASDF has been deployed in the areas on promoting the development of arts, culture and sport.
The Finance Committee of the Legislative Council approved the injection of $1.5 billion into ASDF (Arts Portion) in July 2010 as seed money. The purpose is to enable the ASDF (Arts Portion) to generate investment returns for providing financial support to the development of arts. Through the annual investment returns (approximately $60 million), the seed money provides the ASDF (Arts Portion) with resources to support the development of small and medium-sized arts groups.
The Government introduced the Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme (ACDFS) in 2011. Now it disburses an annual provision of around $50 million from the arts portion of the ASDF to support large-scale and cross-year arts and cultural initiatives/projects with a view to enhancing capacity development of promising small and medium-sized arts groups and artists; and encouraging the community and private sector to sponsor the arts.
Through the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, about $30 million of the arts portion of the ASDF is deployed for the support of the small and medium-sized arts groups, the budding artists, arts education, arts promotion and audience building.
In the Policy Address delivered in 2023, the Chief Executive announced the Signature Performing Arts Programme Scheme (SPAPS), to be implemented in two rounds, each round with a provision of around $36 million from the arts portion of the ASDF, to support representative and large-scale local signature performing arts productions to be staged as long-running performances, so that they can become another cultural icon of Hong Kong.
Arts Technology
In the Policy Address delivered in 2020, the Chief Executive stated that the Government would actively promote and support the development of arts technology (arts tech). We hope that the organic integration of arts and technology can multiply benefits for both fields, which will in turn enhance Hong Kong’s standing in the international arts arena, facilitate cultural exchange and strengthen our role as an international cultural metropolis.
A total of $100 million has been earmarked from the following funds and schemes for those who are interested in promoting arts tech to apply:
Available Fund or Scheme to Support Arts Tech
| Name of Fund or Scheme | Responsible Bureau | Objectives | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme (ACDFS) under the Arts and Sport Development Fund (Arts Portion) | Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) |
To strengthen the cultural software and build the capacity of Hong Kong’s arts sector, ACDFS provides funding support for innovative and impactful proposals that achieve the objectives of:
For details, please refer to: www.cstb.gov.hk/en/acdfs.html Enquiry: |
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| Film Development Fund (FDF) | CSTB |
FDF aims to support projects and activities that are conducive to the healthy and sustainable development of the Hong Kong film industry in the long term along four strategic directions (namely, nurturing talent, enhancing local production, expanding markets and building audience). For details, please refer to: www.fdc.gov.hk/en/applications.php Enquiry: |
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| CreateSmart Initiative (CSI) | CSTB |
CSI aims to provide funding support for projects that are conducive to the development of seven non-film creative industries (namely, advertising, architecture, design, digital entertainment, music, printing and publishing, and television) with the following four strategic objectives:
For details, please refer to: csi.ccidahk.gov.hk/en/index.html Enquiry:
(Email) createsmart@ccidahk.gov.hk |
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| Technology Voucher Programme (TVP) under the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) | Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau (ITIB) |
To support local enterprises/organisations in using technological services and solutions to improve productivity or upgrade/transform their business processes. For details, please refer to: www.itf.gov.hk/en/funding-programmes/facilitating-technology/tvp Enquiry: |
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| General Support Programme (GSP) under the ITF | ITIB |
To support non-research and development projects that help to upgrade and develop our industries, and to foster an innovation and technology culture in Hong Kong. For details, please refer to: www.itf.gov.hk/en/funding-programmes/fostering-culture/gsp/index.html
Enquiry: |
Enquiries
For enquiries, please email to artstech@cstb.gov.hk.
Cultural Exchange
In recent years, the Government implements a series of measures to establish a wider cultural network in the Greater Pearl River Delta and with other countries:
Greater Pearl River Delta Cultural Co-operation
- Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao cultural authorities held the First Greater Pearl River Delta Cultural Co-operation Meeting in November 2002 and signed the Agreement on Greater Pearl River Delta Cultural Cooperation in August 2003. Under the Agreement, Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao would take turns to host the Meeting. 20 Meetings have since then be held. The 20th Greater Pearl River Delta Cultural Co-operation Meeting was held in Macao on 19 to 20 June 2019. The three places have made progress in various areas of co-operation.
Mainland / Hong Kong Agreement on Closer Cultural Partnership Arrangement
In November 2005, the HKSAR Government signed an Agreement on Closer Cultural Partnership Arrangement with the Ministry of Culture of the Central Government to further promote cultural exchange and co-operation with the Mainland and jointly promote the development and dissemination of Chinese culture. Meetings are held from time to time to explore concrete collaboration initiatives.
Hong Kong-Taiwan Cultural Co-operation Committee
Established in August 2010 under the Hong Kong-Taiwan Economic and Cultural Co-operation and Promotion Council, the Hong Kong-Taiwan Cultural Co-operation Committee (HKTCCC) is the Hong Kong counterpart of the cultural co-operation committee under the Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council in Taiwan. The HKTCCC aims to foster exchanges for deepening and broadening the collaboration between the two places in the development of the arts and culture and the creative industries. In August 2010, the two cultural co-operation committees held their first meeting and agreed to enhance the exchange of information on their respective arts programmes and to promote joint brand-building arts programmes. Cultural forums are held every year between 2011 and 2019 to foster the exchange of views on issues of mutual concern.
Cultural Network with Other Economies
The HKSAR Government has been organising the Asia Cultural Co-operation Forum (ACCF) since 2003. The ACCF provides a platform for the cultural ministers in the region to exchange ideas and experience in respect of policy and measures for supporting the development of arts and culture. For details, please refer to the website of ACCF.
The Government has been making efforts to enhance co-operation with other countries in the field of culture and the arts through the signing of Memorandum of Understanding on Cultural Co-operation (MoU). So far, the HKSAR Government has signed MoUs with 20 countries (including Canada, Italy, the Philippines, Egypt, Singapore, South Korea, Croatia, the Netherlands, Hungary, Vietnam, France, Israel, Russia, Austria, Ireland, Indonesia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, the United Kingdom and Cambodia).
Intangible Cultural Heritage
The Government attaches great importance to the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) and strives to raise the Hong Kong community’s awareness of the importance of ICH and the need to protect such heritage as our cultural resource. The Government supports the protection, transmission and promotion of ICH, and encourages the participation of the community in the safeguarding of ICH to ensure the continuing development of our local culture and traditions.
According to the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (the Convention) adopted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), ICH is manifested in the following domains:
| (a) | oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of the ICH; |
| (b) | performing arts; |
| (c) | social practices, rituals and festive events; |
| (d) | knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe; and |
| (e) | traditional craftsmanship. |
With the Convention came into force in 2006, the Government has taken the following measures to support and safeguard the local ICH :
- In 2008, an Intangible Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee, comprising local academics, experts and community personalities, was established to advise the Government on the territory-wide survey of ICH and measures to safeguard the ICH, etc
- In 2014, the Government promulgated the first ICH inventory of Hong Kong. In December 2024, the Government announced the updated ICH inventory consisting of 507 items (for details of the ICH inventory, please refer to the LCSD's website)
- At the invitation of the Ministry of Culture, through four applications, the following 12 local items have been inscribed onto the national list of ICH :
( * In 2009, Cantonese opera was successfully inscribed onto the UNESCO's Representative List of the ICH of Humanity and has become a world ICH item.)
- In 2015, LCSD upgraded the ICH Unit originally under the Hong Kong Heritage Museum to an ICH Office (ICHO) to heighten various endeavours on safeguarding ICH. In 2016, the ICHO made use of the Sam Tung Uk Museum to house the Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage Centre as an exhibition and education centre (for details of the latest exhibitions, public programmes and education programmes, please refer to the LCSD's website)
- In 2017, the Government announced the first Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Hong Kong (the Representative List). In December 2024, the Government announced the updated Representative List which comprises 24 items (for details of the Representative List, please refer to the LCSD's website)
- In December 2018, the HKSAR Government approved a funding of $300 million for launching the Intangible Cultural Heritage Funding Scheme to engage the community and strengthen various aspects of safeguarding work for the ICH of Hong Kong (for details, please refer to the LCSD's website)
Initiatives to Support the Development of Cantonese Opera
The Government has also been providing active support to the preservation, study, promotion and continuing development of Cantonese opera, which is one of the important forms of Hong Kong’s traditional arts and culture, in the following ways:
| (a) | developing performance venues for Cantonese opera; |
| (b) | nurturing Cantonese opera professionals, promoting creative works and preserving the traditions; |
| (c) | promoting Cantonese opera education, audience building and community participation; and |
| (d) | preserving the essence of Cantonese opera and showcasing treasures of our cultural heritage. |
The Government has set up the Cantonese Opera Advisory Committee to advise the Government on matters relating to the development of Cantonese opera in Hong Kong and established the Cantonese Opera Development Fund to provide funding support to projects and activities relating to the study, promotion and sustainable development of Cantonese opera.