Hong Kong may not be home to world-class institutions such as the Louvre or London's Victoria and Albert, but the exhibitions housed in some of the city's best museums provide a colourful, engaging and often moving look at the city's unique history.
While many of Hong Kong's museums have been relegated to the territory of school field trips, there are plenty of treasures for adults, too. For example, a Qing dynasty (1644-1911) scroll on show at the Maritime Museum in Stanley illustrates the fight against pirates who infested the waters around Guangdong in the late 18th century, while anti-aircraft guns and underground tunnels bring Hong Kong's role in the second world war back to life at the sprawling Museum of Coastal Defence in Shau Kei Wan.
G.O.D. lifestyle boutique owner Douglas Young Chi-chiu, who has drawn on Hong Kong's rich heritage in the home accessories, clothing and furniture sold in his stores, notes a lack of interest in Hong Kong's museums, which he puts down to their lack of obvious entertainment value.
'There has never really been a culture of visiting such institutions on a regular basis,' he says. 'It is sad because the cultural awareness of the average person in Hong Kong is far lower than someone from another city of similar standing.'
But he points out that it's important for Hongkongers to connect with their past. 'Visiting museums gives us a chance to link what we see with aspects of our everyday lives,' he says. 'People should be inspired to create new things for the future of our city.'
Along with pirate scrolls and anti-aircraft guns, museum visitors can also contemplate the brutality of traditional foot-binding at the Museum of Medical Sciences and trace four million years of change in Hong Kong at the Museum of History. These establishments lay out the rich cultural, scientific and political historical tapestry of Hong Kong, and you won't find that in Paris or London. Here's a sampling of some of the best: