Ancient pottery displayed at Hong Kong’s MTR Sung Wong Toi station

Archaeological finds from 1,000 years ago, some never seen before, go on display at Sung Wong Toi MTR station

Exhibits, displayed by their traditional design patterns, include roof tiles, teaware and jars, some stamped with family or shop names

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An almost perfectly preserved decorated plate, one of the treasures discovered when the Sung Wong Toi MTR station was built and now on display on its concourse. Photo: May Tse

Published: 9:16pm, 21 Mar 2024Updated: 9:42pm, 21 Mar 2024

More than 500 Hong Kong archaeological treasures dug up during construction of an MTR station are being used to showcase the city’s history over the Song and Yuan dynasties.

The ancient artefacts on show at Kowloon’s Sung Wong Toi station include tiles for roofs and eaves with peony and lotus designs, as well as wine jars and teaware.

The exhibit was designed to allow travellers a glimpse into the way of life of Hong Kong’s people a thousand years ago, although a small number of items from the late 19th to mid-20th centuries are also on show.

Pottery exhibits in the “Treasures from Sacred Hill” exhibition have been on show at the station since 2021, but hundreds of never-before-seen items have now been added.

Some of the archaeological treasures on display at Sung Wong Toi MTR station, where they were discovered during construction. Photo: May Tse

The items on show are some of the 700,000 fragments of Song-Yuan period ceramics recovered by archaeologists between 2012 and 2015 as the station was being built.