https://www.scmp.com/rss/523480/feed The latest news and top stories on the East Kowloon Cultural Centre. A prominent Hong Kong-based public cultural facility, the East Kowloon Cultural Centre is dedicated to fostering cultural development and integrating arts with technology. Located in Jordan Valley, Kowloon, it serves as a non-commercial hub for performances, including drama, Cantonese opera and dance. The Centre provides state-of-the-art venues, including a 1,200-seat auditorium and focuses on nurturing new talent through its... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Huang Qingchen Huang Qingchen Over the past few weeks, Hong Kong has offered a vivid demonstration of what it means to be a cultural hub. The city has transformed into a stage glittering with events that draws visitors from all across the world. The second Hong Kong International Cultural Summit, held on March 22-23, kicked off the season, attracting more than 1,000 thought leaders and members of the global art community for in-depth dialogue. Then Art Basel Hong Kong began, bringing together 240 galleries from 41 countries... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3353100/best-hong-kong-cultural-hub-yet-come?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3353100/best-hong-kong-cultural-hub-yet-come?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 01:30:05 +0000 Bernard Chan Bernard Chan March is a highlight of Hong Kong’s cultural calendar. Last month, as I welcomed delegates to the International Cultural Summit during Art Week, many told me they had come to network with local and international collaborators and explore Hong Kong’s museums, galleries and performance venues. Tens of thousands attended Art Basel, Art Central, gallery openings, performances and other events across the city. The month also buzzed with jazz, opera, classical concerts and other performances, with the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3350293/art-march-hong-kong-firmly-global-cultural-map?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3350293/art-march-hong-kong-firmly-global-cultural-map?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 01:30:10 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu Hong Kong has swapped the Easter bunny for a festive feline, with giant cat installations and murals delighting visitors and residents citywide. A gigantic ginger cat has been greeting travellers at Hong Kong International Airport while three inflatable marmalade felines lie sprawled across a lawn at the West Kowloon Cultural District, delighting visitors to the arts hub. In Yau Ma Tei, local artist German Li and his students have reimagined Vincent van Gogh’s classic painting The Starry Night... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3349088/move-over-easter-bunny-cats-are-stars-hong-kong-holiday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3349088/move-over-easter-bunny-cats-are-stars-hong-kong-holiday?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 10:44:22 +0000 Aidyn Fitzpatrick Aidyn Fitzpatrick Though it may not appear so, a battle takes place every March when Art Basel comes to Hong Kong’s Convention Centre. The fight isn’t over which gallery can sell more paintings or which collector writes the biggest cheques, but over whether the Greater Bay Area (GBA) can convince visitors that this corner of Southern China – expected to record more than US$2.15 trillion in economic output for 2025 – is not just a business powerhouse but a cultural one. GBA policymakers have embraced the lexicon... https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/article/3348138/how-art-basel-hong-kong-fuelling-greater-bay-areas-cultural-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/article/3348138/how-art-basel-hong-kong-fuelling-greater-bay-areas-cultural-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 22:00:15 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hong Kong’s month of celebrating art and culture is drawing to a close, but promises to end on a high. Art Basel, the prestigious international fair, opens on Friday and features 240 galleries from 41 countries and regions. It is the catalyst for a wide variety of other art events in March. The fair brings together artists, curators, galleries and other enthusiasts, fuelling the process of cultural exchange. A new five-year deal between the government and Art Basel is, therefore, a significant... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3347990/hong-kongs-celebration-art-and-culture-sends-powerful-message?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3347990/hong-kongs-celebration-art-and-culture-sends-powerful-message?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Fionnuala McHugh Fionnuala McHugh Sir Alistair Spalding, artistic director and co-CEO of Sadler’s Wells in London, is not a man blighted by pessimism or narrow vision. When he was appointed in 2004, Sadler’s Wells – “stranded and unloved”, as one of the London newspapers put it – was considered a theatre that merely hosted visiting companies. Spalding decided it should become its own creative force. He invited in five associate artists, one of whom was Wayne McGregor, now Sir Wayne McGregor, a name familiar to Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3347787/sir-alistair-spalding-turning-london-wasteland-cultural-destination?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3347787/sir-alistair-spalding-turning-london-wasteland-cultural-destination?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li Hong Kong will sign a five-year deal with Art Basel by the end of the month in the first such collaboration between the city’s cultural authorities and the premier fair, highlighting the link between financial investment and the development of the sector. Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui said on Monday the collaboration with Art Basel for the next five years was the “result of sustained investment in our role as a global financial centre, collaboration and a shared... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3347598/hong-kong-sign-landmark-art-basel-collaboration-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3347598/hong-kong-sign-landmark-art-basel-collaboration-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 10:30:34 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal JPMorgan Chase has committed to leasing about 250,000 sq ft of space in the new Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP) office towers in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon district for 10 years, making the US investment bank the anchor tenant of the 700,000 sq ft mixed-use development, the Hong Kong-listed developer said on Friday. Artist Square Towers (AST) will house the bank’s Kowloon office, which is currently located at The Quayside in Kowloon East, starting in the latter half of 2028, according to an... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3346491/jpmorgan-signs-anchor-tenant-shkps-west-kowloon-office-development?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3346491/jpmorgan-signs-anchor-tenant-shkps-west-kowloon-office-development?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 10:30:08 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Sustainability is as vital as creativity when it comes to fostering a world-class arts hub. With plans for a US$1 billion bond programme and a fresh HK$3 billion (US$383.9 million) 10-year loan facility, Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District Authority has eased its immediate cash flow pressures and averted cutbacks in cultural offerings. It is important that the financial breathing space be used not merely to survive, but to achieve its vision as a global brand rooted in the city’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3344107/hong-kongs-west-kowloon-arts-hub-must-use-financial-reprieve-wisely?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3344107/hong-kongs-west-kowloon-arts-hub-must-use-financial-reprieve-wisely?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li The loss-making authority that manages Hong Kong’s West Kowloon arts hub will sell bonds for the first time, aimed at raising up to US$1 billion to fund its operations. According to documents submitted to Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing on Thursday, the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority appointed the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation and Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) as arrangers for the medium-term note programme. This will mark the first time the authority, which manages... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3343373/hong-kongs-west-kowloon-arts-hub-seeks-us1-billion-first-bond-sale-fund-operations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3343373/hong-kongs-west-kowloon-arts-hub-seeks-us1-billion-first-bond-sale-fund-operations?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 15:17:42 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu At 80 years old, Margaret Leng Tan is a meticulous timekeeper – not just of days and years, but of the silent spaces between the notes she plays on her toy pianos. The Singapore-born, New York-based musician has left her mark on the history of 20th century avant-garde music. A classically trained pianist, she became the first woman to obtain a doctoral degree in music from New York’s Juilliard School, in 1971, a decade after winning a scholarship there. Later, she became a key interpreter of the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3340389/singaporean-musician-living-ocd-uses-toy-pianos-and-cat-food-tins-tell-her-story?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3340389/singaporean-musician-living-ocd-uses-toy-pianos-and-cat-food-tins-tell-her-story?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 09:15:07 +0000 Oscar Liu,Susan Su Oscar Liu,Susan Su Hongkongers are out in droves to experience festive vibes on Christmas Eve, while more than 540,000 residents have left the city for the holidays. By Wednesday evening, a growing crowd had gathered at the open-air plaza at Harbour City shopping centre in Tsim Sha Tsui to admire special Disney-themed festive installations. Office worker Cecile Tang, 38, was there with her mother, her husband and their two children. The five viewed the Christmas decorations at Harbour City and took a stroll along... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3337661/christmas-eve-crowds-gather-hong-kong-festive-atmosphere-more-subdued?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3337661/christmas-eve-crowds-gather-hong-kong-festive-atmosphere-more-subdued?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 14:03:08 +0000 Natasha Rogai Natasha Rogai Lucie in the Sky is an award-winning show from Australia that was presented by Hong Kong’s East Kowloon Cultural Centre (EKCC) as part of its grand opening season. In keeping with the centre’s mission to pioneer the creative use of technology in the arts, the piece by the Australasian Dance Collective (ADC) features six human dancers interacting with five drones. The tiny drones – seen by the audience as lights floating in the air – are beautifully choreographed and interact elegantly with the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3337409/drones-meet-dancers-hong-kong-performance-lucie-sky?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3337409/drones-meet-dancers-hong-kong-performance-lucie-sky?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 10:15:07 +0000 Enid Tsui Enid Tsui The Sigg Prize 2025 has been awarded jointly to Hong Kong animator Wong Ping and Macau-raised artist Heidi Lau, marking the first time the contemporary art prize has been shared between two artists since it was first awarded in 2019. The announcement was made on December 16 by M+, the museum in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District that organises the biennial competition named after the collector Uli Sigg. “We were deeply impressed by the works presented and decided to award two winners in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3337062/hong-kongs-sigg-prize-shared-first-time-m-boss-praises-2-bold-artists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3337062/hong-kongs-sigg-prize-shared-first-time-m-boss-praises-2-bold-artists?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 04:12:27 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa Twist Pasta Bar From the minds behind Honky Tonks Tavern and Mendel’s, the city’s latest pasta bar can be found in the form of Twist, with its made-for-Instagram interiors and hearty dishes such as bone marrow macaroni, a twist on Kau Kee’s famous curry brisket, and squid ink spaghetti with dried shrimp roe from Yau Kee. Beyond pasta, desserts such as the white chocolate and soy milk panna cotta pay homage to the local pudding tofu fa. 17 Bridges Street, Central MoA Dining Formerly known as... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3333257/hong-kongs-new-openings-east-kowloon-cultural-centre-new-pasta-bar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3333257/hong-kongs-new-openings-east-kowloon-cultural-centre-new-pasta-bar?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Nov 2025 04:30:08 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa Eat this Mandarin Grill + Bar The Mandarin Oriental’s long-standing steakhouse welcomes new head chef Junior Nadje, who has cooked at some of France’s most prestigious kitchens including Alléno Paris, La Mère Brazier and La Chèvre d’Or. Get to know his grill-centric culinary style with the four-course Discovery Menu, featuring dishes such as grilled mullet with shiso purée and tarragon-infused grilled chicken. 1/F, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, 5 Connaught Road Central Drink... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3332783/best-things-do-hong-kong-week-november-16-22?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3332783/best-things-do-hong-kong-week-november-16-22?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Nov 2025 02:00:12 +0000 Gavin Yeung Gavin Yeung Tides Concertgoers rejoice: Tides, Hong Kong’s first purpose-built mid-sized music venue, is now open. Operated by Live Nation, the 1,500-person venue inside Whampoa’s famed ship-shaped shopping centre was designed to fill a gap for plug-and-play facilities and is packed to the gills with built-in 360-degree sound, lighting and stage technology. With a handful of shows already under its belt, the next act to take to the stage is multi-platinum streaming sensation bbno$, on November 13. Tickets... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3331930/hong-kong-new-openings-music-venue-tides-west-kowloon-pet-park?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3331930/hong-kong-new-openings-music-venue-tides-west-kowloon-pet-park?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 01:00:10 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu A new Hong Kong ferry service connecting Central and the West Kowloon Cultural District has started a four-day trial run as part of several initiatives being explored to boost the arts hub’s appeal. Betty Fung Ching Suk-yee, CEO of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, said during the trial’s debut on Monday that the organisation would leverage the quay to enhance its offerings. “We are designing more options for visitors by connecting the two museums, performing arts programmes, dining,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3332233/hong-kongs-west-kowloon-arts-hub-tests-new-ferry-service-link-central?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3332233/hong-kongs-west-kowloon-arts-hub-tests-new-ferry-service-link-central?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2025 11:48:22 +0000 Ken Chu Ken Chu Recent discussions on the financial sustainability of the West Kowloon Cultural District have raised broader questions about the direction of cultural development in Hong Kong. While flagship institutions play an important role in shaping the city’s international profile, they are only one part of the wider cultural landscape. Across Hong Kong, smaller community-based venues have been steadily gaining momentum. These spaces are making culture part of everyday life and contributing to a more... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3331642/hong-kongs-small-cultural-venues-can-pack-big-punch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3331642/hong-kongs-small-cultural-venues-can-pack-big-punch?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Nov 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu Visual artist Nadim Abbas and Chan Wai-lok, a choreographer and dancer, are keeping their cards close to their chests about their coming performance. “We don’t want to spoil too much ahead of the show,” said Abbas when the Post visited them after a rehearsal. They did allow a glimpse of the intriguing set: part domestic interior, part logistics warehouse. Their cross-disciplinary collaboration is called “No Time To Die: An Inert Liquid Assembly”, and it comprises an exhibition and a series of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3331306/architecture-meets-movement-coming-performances-hong-kong-freespace-dance-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3331306/architecture-meets-movement-coming-performances-hong-kong-freespace-dance-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Nov 2025 23:15:09 +0000 Jiang Chuqin Jiang Chuqin A balloon-themed festival will debut at Hong Kong’s premier arts hub to celebrate Christmas, with the event featuring giant inflatable characters and other attractions as part of the city’s latest efforts to capitalise on the intellectual property (IP) economy. The festival’s Merry Balloon Park will debut at the West Kowloon Cultural District from December 6 and runs until January 4 next year. The park is part of the wider Merry Balloon Hong Kong event, with other highlights including a balloon... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3331346/hong-kong-arts-hub-host-bouncy-fun-park-inflatable-characters-christmas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3331346/hong-kong-arts-hub-host-bouncy-fun-park-inflatable-characters-christmas?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Nov 2025 10:05:02 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li Hong Kong’s newest concert venue, which opened on Tuesday, is 70 per cent booked until the end of the year, with the operator saying the 1,500-standing capacity space fills a demand gap for facilities of such a size in the city. Operator Live Nation added that concert venue Tides, located in the ship-shaped shopping centre The Whampoa in Hung Hom, had yet to receive noise complaints following its soft opening. “The venue is at least 70 to 80 per cent booked up now. Very pleased with the booking... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3329021/hong-kongs-new-concert-venue-garners-70-bookings-until-year-end-upon-opening?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3329021/hong-kongs-new-concert-venue-garners-70-bookings-until-year-end-upon-opening?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 14:23:22 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li Beijing’s world-renowned Palace Museum celebrates its centenary this month. In the first of a three-part series to mark the anniversary, Ambrose Li examines how the West Kowloon Cultural District, home to the Hong Kong Palace Museum, can tackle the thorny issue of funding. When Bernard Chan recently took over as the new chairman of the body managing Hong Kong’s premier arts hub, he made his top priority clear: to ensure its cultural facilities were financially sustainable in the long run. It was... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3328160/can-hong-kong-cash-culture-so-arts-hub-museums-pay-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3328160/can-hong-kong-cash-culture-so-arts-hub-museums-pay-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 00:30:13 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Public museums in Hong Kong are probably no match for New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art in terms of treasures and appeal. But that does not deter the government from pursuing the tall order of opening up some of its venues to commercial or private events in the same vein as the annual Met Gala, a glamorous haute couture fundraising festival, and rightly so. The initiative is part of a package put forward by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau in the latest policy address, along with new... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3326961/hong-kongs-tourism-goals-show-citys-commitment-innovation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3326961/hong-kongs-tourism-goals-show-citys-commitment-innovation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Sep 2025 23:15:12 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng 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... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3326523/bernard-chan-succeed-henry-tang-chairman-hong-kongs-west-kowloon-arts-hub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3326523/bernard-chan-succeed-henry-tang-chairman-hong-kongs-west-kowloon-arts-hub?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Sep 2025 08:00:13 +0000 Wynna Wong Wynna Wong A new arts and performing hub in Hong Kong’s east Kowloon, set to fully debut in November, is being positioned as a leading venue for long-term theatrical runs similar to London’s West End and New York’s Broadway, a government official has said. Director of Leisure and Cultural Services Manda Chan Wing-man said on Thursday that the East Kowloon Cultural Centre would be a hub for art, technology and long-running productions, and hoped that people would associate the area with such... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3325218/new-arts-hub-hong-kongs-east-kowloon-positioned-be-citys-broadway-official?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3325218/new-arts-hub-hong-kongs-east-kowloon-positioned-be-citys-broadway-official?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Sep 2025 11:01:52 +0000 Willa Wu,Harvey Kong Willa Wu,Harvey Kong Hong Kong’s leader visited eastern Kowloon’s grass-roots residents on Saturday morning as part of a consultation exercise ahead of his policy address, which he announced would be delivered on September 17. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Saturday began his visit to two families living in a “light public housing” project on Ngau Tau Kok’s Choi Hing Road before heading to Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate. “The purpose of launching light public housing is to allow those in need to move in in a quicker... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3322910/policy-address-set-september-17-hong-kong-leader-says-during-community-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3322910/policy-address-set-september-17-hong-kong-leader-says-during-community-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Aug 2025 05:27:33 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Sha Tin Town Hall will be reserved for Cantonese opera while the Hong Kong Coliseum will be positioned as a concert venue, the government said on Thursday. The reform of the hiring policy of the city’s performance venues is part of a wider effort to promote the mega-event development of the performing arts in Hong Kong, following the official opening of Kai Tak Stadium in March. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department said the latest move could provide more performance slots for use by... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3315975/hong-kong-repositions-venues-bid-boost-development-performing-arts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3315975/hong-kong-repositions-venues-bid-boost-development-performing-arts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Jun 2025 12:32:54 +0000