Go See 'Ems
Forget the big boys, this summer go pay a visit to some of the smaller, quirkier museums the city has to offer.
Wan Chai Livelihood Place at Blue House
Since 2007 this small museum has occupied the ground floor of the famous Blue House in Stone Nullah Lane. It serves as a time capsule, documenting life in old Wan Chai by displaying old household objects, menus, ticket stubs and photos, each with its own story. Its aim is to educate tourists about the history of the area, and also to unite current residents with a sense of belonging and shared history. The Blue House itself is equally interesting. The Grade I historic building has wooden staircases, with most of its floors and balconies remaining intact in their original form, which provides a glimpse of the old face of Hong Kong. With a new building project from the Urban Renewal Authority only meters away proudly bearing the baffling slogan, “A new wave is coming—hip, classic living,“ a starker contrast between old and new could not be more apparent.
The Where & How
Take exit A3 out of Wan Chai MTR station, cross Johnston Road, go all the way east until you reach Wan Chai Road, where you’ll stroll through the Wan Chai street market. Continue through the market and turn left onto Queens Road East. Cross the road at the zebra crossing to find the Blue House at Stone Nullah Lane.
74 Stone Nullah Lane, Wan Chai, 2835-4376.
Tao Heung Foods of Mankind Museum
This one is about as odd as it gets. Five years ago, this weird, mysterious museum was tucked away in Fanling. Privately owned by three friends who sought to share with everyone their incredible passion for food, they exhibited all kinds of culinary artifacts and food collected from travels around the globe. Due to low funds, the museum had to close down, but was saved by Tao Heung restaurant group in 2005. Now located in Fo Tan, not much has changed from the old setup: the peculiar, one-meter tall pepper grinder found in Paris by the former owners is still there, as well as old rusty cheese makers, coffee machines, and Egyptian bronze pots and statues. Visitors are invited to explore a 5,000 square-foot space filled with shelves stacked with different kinds of tea, coffee, grains, up to 100 different pastas and 200 herbs and spices. Also exhibited is replica tableware used in the famed (and grisly) Manchu Han Imperial Feast. You can investigate the “Rice Zone,” “Tableware Zone,” “Seasoning Zone,” “Nature Zone,” and “Fun-World Zone” and generally gain a deeper interest in the preparation and consumption of food. Guided tours are offered every day, with special workshops on “museum days” such as glutinous rice ball and chocolate-making workshops.
The Where & How
Take exit D out of Fo Tan MTR station and walk straight ahead on Au Pui Wan Street. Take a right
on Wo Lui Hang Road, and walk until you reach Wo Shui Street on your left.
9/F, 15-29 Wo Shui St., Fo Tan, 3960-6213. By appointment only.
Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb
Sham Shui Po is perhaps the last place you would expect to find a 2,000-year-old burial tomb. Right in the middle of one of Hong Kong’s busiest housing estates and dating back to the Eastern Han dynasty (AD 25-220), the Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb was accidentally unearthed in 1955 when the ground was leveled for the construction of the Lei Cheng Uk resettlement estate. Consisting of four chambers set in the form of a cross, it is the only ancient attraction of its kind in Hong Kong. Although no human remains were ever found, it is believed that the rear chamber held the coffins, while the side chambers were used for storage. Despite the fact that the inner tomb can only be glimpsed trough a perspex barrier, the trip is well worth the visit. The adjacent museum houses 58 excavated pottery and bronze artifacts as well as two exhibitions: ”Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb” and the new ”Han Culture in South China.” Text, graphics, photos, maps and models are used to illustrate the tomb’s discovery and structure, as well as the social and cultural characteristics of the Han dynasties. A 3D digital animation video also provides visitors with a detailed, 360-degree tour inside the tomb, giving a view of the domed vault at the center and the four barrel-vaulted chambers.