5 Best Sights in Hong Kong, China

Located in the West Kowloon Cultural District, M+ is Hong Kong's first global art museum. With 17,000 square meters of exhibition space across 33 galleries, three cinema houses, a roof garden, and other state-of-the-art facilities, M+ has undoubtedly been the most highly anticipated art addition of this decade. There are four permanent collections, as well as an ongoing roster of special exhibits spanning Chinese, Asian, and international art across different media and genres. There are multiple onsite dining options, including Mosu Hong Kong, a sophisticated Korean restaurant. The M+ Shop is an excellent place to pick up an artsy souvenir.

An extensive collection of Chinese art is packed inside this landmark art museum, which emerged from a years-long face-lift with new exhibitions and experiences. The collections include a heady mix of Qing ceramics, ancient calligraphic scrolls, bronze, jade, lacquerware, textiles, and contemporary canvases. It's all well organized into thematic galleries. The museum sits on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront in Kowloon, a few minutes from the Star Ferry and Tsim Sha Tsui MTR stop.

Set inside a heritage building, this museum and gallery is filled with a small but excellent collection of Chinese antiquities. On view are ceramics and bronzes, some dating from 3,000 BC, as well as paintings, lacquerware, and carvings in jade, stone, and wood. The museum also has the world's largest collection of Nestorian crosses, dating from the Mongol Period (1280–1368). There are usually two or three well-curated temporary exhibitions on view; contemporary artists who work in traditional media are often featured. The museum is a seven-minute walk from Sai Ying Pun MTR station.

Located in the Institute of Chinese Studies building, the museum is home to more than 15,000 historical objects, including well-respected collections of bronze seals, classical paintings, calligraphy, Yixing earthenware, and Lingnan school paintings. Considering the breadth of history in the region, it is helpful to take a guided tour with a docent.

A few steps away from Man Mo Temple, this private museum is accessible by guided tour only, and visits must be reserved online in advance. It’s well worth it, however, not only because of the superb collections---which include fine Chinese lacquerware, porcelain, and Ming and Qing dynasty furniture---but also because nothing is behind glass and you are even permitted to feel, pick-up, and interact with some of the treasures.