Bernard Chan to succeed Henry Tang as chairman of Hong Kong’s West Kowloon arts hub
Outgoing chairman Henry Tang confident arts hub will be self-sufficient with government’s approval of new financing structure in 2024
Bernard Chan, vice-chairman of the board that manages Hong Kong’s arts district in West Kowloon, will succeed Henry Tang Ying-yen as chairman on October 1. Chan has pledged to boost revenue and reduce the hub’s deficit by making more of its operations commercially viable.
The West Kowloon Cultural District Authority announced on Tuesday that Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu had appointed Chan as the board’s chairman for a two-year term, as Tang’s tenure had been renewed three times previously.
The West Kowloon Cultural District comprises the M+ modern art museum, the Hong Kong Palace Museum, the Xiqu Centre for Chinese opera, and other facilities and properties.
Chan is no stranger to the arts hub. Before becoming the authority’s vice-chairman, he served as the board chairman of the Hong Kong Palace Museum from 2018 to 2022. He is currently the board chairman of M+.
In the 2024-25 financial year, the authority’s operating deficit increased 33 per cent to HK$769 million (US$98.9 million) while its revenue contracted 18 per cent to HK$871 million.