Central, Hong Kong
Behind the tall buildings and sparkly glass doors are the rustic streets of Hong Kong, tiny alleys filled with hidden galleries displaying local artists’ complicated minds through various forms of art. Many are familiar with Hollywood road in Central as the main street of art and culture, but there are more to Central than a few famous galleries. Discovering the unknown in the known tempted me to reveal and share a couple of alluring artsy spots in Central-but not all, that’s no fun.
Transportation
HK’s metro system allows budget travelers to explore the city without having to rent a car or to grab a taxi. Central station is on the red line, also called the Tsuen Wan line, which connects Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. It is also on the blue line, or the Island line, which runs only on Hong Kong Island. If you are traveling straight from the Airport, Hong Kong station is connected to Central via underground walkway. Airport line or the Tung Chung line pass through Hong Kong station, so it cannot be too hard for you to make your way to Central when the station is literally connected to four different metro lines.
Get yourself an Octopus card, the transportation add value card that works for MTR, bus, convenience stores, vending machines, or just about everything else. You can purchase one in any metro stations or at the airport for 150 HKD (20 USD), which includes 100 HKD for your future usage and 50 HKD for deposit which you can get refunded when you return the card. If you go over the stored value, that 50HKD will work as your backup, and you will have a negative balance. You can top up in any staions or convenience stores. Depending on your starting point, MTR will cost you anywhere from 5 to 10 HKD, which is less than or a bit over 1 USD per trip. However, if you are traveling from the airport, it will cost you around 100 HKD to get to Hong Kong station in 20 minutes. Buses run around the city with similar prices as the metro, and there are probably 5-10 stations around Central that you can get off at. Taxi or uber can be an option but not recommended as the traffic can get pretty hectic in the city.
Galleries
Located in 52 Wyndham Street, Opera Gallery is unique in the way that there’s a mixture of everything in one place. Once you walk into the narrow entrance, you won’t believe the amount of art showcased in this tiny space, and the never-ending stairways up to the third floor is an unexpected addition to all the artwork. This gallery confused me with its monochromatic displays in the second floor and colorful paintings in the first and the third floor. I went there twice, once in October and once in January, and some pieces have changed but some remained. Overall a very mysterious but a cool place to check out. No entrance fee-how lucky for me to have stumbled in-for all galleries mentioned in this blog. You’re welcome.
Not so far from the infamous Mid levels escalator is the Tang Contemporary Art Gallery in 80 Queen’s Road. It’s more spacious than the previous gallery with more consistent pieces in terms of style. I’ve only been here once so I’m not entirely sure if they swap up their displays but from Google photos, I could already find different artworks on the walls so I am going to assume that they do change their pieces regularly. Personally I preferred the art from this gallery but had more fun in the previous gallery. Why? You’ll see what I mean once you visit them yourself. Enjoy the surprise 😉
Closer to the station is White Cube, on 50 Connaught Road. The grand building with white marble walls and golden rims may make you wonder if you are walking into a gallery or a palace. But some free and spacious luxury is always good in such a densely populated city. It is a rare find, but a true gem. However, unlike its impressive entrance, there were only a few pieces. I was a little disappointed by its artistic scale in my first visit and gave it another try couple months later but unfortunately felt the same. Interestingly, I would go again for the lux feeling of entering through those massive doors and for giving it another chance-maybe third time is the charm.
Summary
Spending a few hours in these galleries when you visit Central for touristy attractions like Mid levels or Hollywood Road will open up your eyes to the city’s enchanting art.
“Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.”
Luke 12:2, ESV
-Transportation
MTR: 5-10 HKD per trip, 100 HKD from airport
Bus: 5-10 HKD per trip
Taxi / Uber: possible but not recommended due to traffic, price starts from 25 HKD, goes up to 100-200 HKD or more depending on traffic & starting point
-No entrance fee for all three galleries
*conversion rate: 10 HKD to 1.3 USD approximately
Travel with Mon 