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Leopold Chen

Hongkongers have expressed excitement about the city’s first locally discovered dinosaur fossils on the first day of a public exhibition, although some visitors said the showcase was short on information and called for more guidance.
Dozens of visitors turned up at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui on Friday morning to view the fossils.
Retiree Got Chong, who arrived at the museum before it opened at 10am, said he was thrilled that the discovery was so close to home.
“It is amazing to see a dinosaur [fossil] in Hong Kong, and I don’t need to travel far to other museums in the world,” he said.
The government announced the finding, believed to be from the Cretaceous period starting 145 million years ago, on Port Island in northeast Hong Kong on Wednesday.
Officials said the fossils were discovered by the Agricultural, Fisheries and Conservation Department 11 years ago, but were only handed to the Antiquities and Monuments Office for inspection earlier this year, due to “work priorities”.
Got said he believed the delay was due to the government wanting to take a cautious approach before making any announcement, and he called for more conservation measures to be adopted on Port Island.
“I am worried that after the discovery, people will flock to the island and damage the area,” he said, citing the case of a juvenile Bryde’s whale that was found dead in Hong Kong waters in July 2023 shortly after news of its appearance sparked public interest.


Gavin Kwai, a surveyor, took his five-year-old son to the museum to see the fossil.
“[My son] is really happy. He wants to have a look at the fossil of Hong Kong’s own dinosaur,” he said.
“I hope more dinosaur fossils can be discovered and turned into a larger exhibition, so that we can learn more about dinosaurs,” he added.
But Kwai added more information about Port Island and the formation process of the fossils should be provided.
“With this information, children would be more interested in it,” he said. “They could also consider providing such information in an interactive way, such as [through] games and animations, which would be more appealing to children.”
The Post observed on Friday morning that staff members would occasionally stand by the exhibit and handle inquiries from visitors, and a display monitor was set up to give basic information about the fossils.

Rick Dong, who works in procurement, said that he would bring his son, a six-year-old dinosaur enthusiast, to the exhibition this weekend.
“My child will be thrilled. He has been interested in dinosaur exhibitions in other museums. I think he would be even more excited seeing Hong Kong’s own dinosaur,” Dong said.
“It is novel that we also have dinosaur fossils in Hong Kong, and it will be another attraction in the city, while it is also meaningful to science.”
But he said the display had limited background information and he expected more details to be given in the future.
Visitor Wong Ling-ling said she did not hear any guidance from a staff member, and that she was unable to grasp much from the exhibit.
“I would come again if they have people to explain the fossils to me,” she said.
Antiquities and Monuments Office assistant curator Ringo Ng Kwok-leung said the office would step up training of frontline staff and offer guided tours in the future.
“Me and my colleagues will be here to handle inquiries from visitors, but this is just a temporary arrangement,” said Ng, citing the short period between the announcement of the discovery on Wednesday and the opening of the exhibit to the public.
“We will strengthen training on basic information among our frontline colleagues and we are expecting to roll out guided tours later.”


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Hong Kong society

Hong Kong dinosaur fossil exhibit debuts to fanfare, but some say showcase lacks context

Visitors at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui view the dinosaur fossils. Photo: Dickson Lee

A rock containing fossils is shown at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre. The government announced the discovery of the fossils on Port Island on Wednesday. Photo: Dickson Lee

How will discovery of Hong Kong dinosaur fossils change city? Experts share expectations

Dinosaur fossils were discovered in Hong Kong for the first time. Photo: Dickson Lee

An expert has said the discovery may reignite public interest in geoscience and deliver long-term benefits to academia. Photo: Handout

Hong Kong dinosaur fossils found in 2013 but ‘priorities’ delayed identification: official

Zhang Pengjie, an expert from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, cleans and prepares a rock containing dinosaur fossils, found in Hong Kong’s Port Island. Photo: Hong Kong’s Antiquities and Monuments Office

Why no dinosaur fossils found earlier in Hong Kong? Few resources, old assumptions on geology

Dinosaur fossils have been discovered in Hong Kong for the first time. Photo: ISD

More fossils are expected to be found, according to experts. Photo: ISD

Dinosaur bone fossils found in Hong Kong for first time, in what expert calls ‘very lucky’ discovery

An expert collect the samples. Photo: Antiquities and Monuments Office

The fossils will be displayed from Friday onwards at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre in Kowloon Park, Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: SCMP

The samples are cleaned. Photo: Antiquities and Monuments Office

Dinosaur expert Michael Pittman (left) called the discovery “very lucky”. Photo: Michael Pittman

The fossils could be from an ornithischian. Photo: Photo: Antiquities and Monuments Office

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Fossils believed to be from Cretaceous period on display at Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui


Fossils believed to be from Cretaceous period on display at Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui.


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