Attracting visitors to Hong Kong’s lesser-known districts with art – what to know about Design District Hong Kong
Often overlooked by tourists, Tsuen Wan and Sha Tau Kok might just rise up the bucket-list rankings thanks to outdoor artworks by En Iwamura and Vivian Ho
Tsuen Wan and Sha Tau Kok don’t usually make the list of top Hong Kong neighbourhoods to visit, but that’s set to change thanks to Design District Hong Kong, a creative tourism project running until February 14, 2025. The initiative is organised by the Tourism Commission, which ran successful iterations of the scheme in Wan Chai and Sham Shui Po from 2018 to 2021.
Resumed post-Covid last year, the latest event expands to Sha Tau Kok, a sleepy border-town inside the city’s Frontier Closed Area that has seen a revival in recent years thanks to a government effort to promote recreational pursuits and ecotourism. Visitors to the town must apply for a special entry permit, which are limited to 1,000 per day, but once inside, a number of site-specific artistic installations curated by Hong Kong-based design agency Number 2, alongside guided tours, workshops and craft markets, awaits.
In Tsuen Wan, American animation artist Coolman Coffeedan has wrapped Sai Lau Kok Garden in a tableau featuring his cartoon mascot Spesh, while Tsuen Wan Park plays host to an interactive inflatable fountain, designed by Australian studio ENESS to resemble a school of koi. At Sam Tung Uk Museum, local knot designer Zoe Siu employs the intricate weaving techniques of Hakka floral bands, bringing some new colour to the 200-year-old protected Hakka monument.
Meanwhile, in the woods of Shing Mun Country Park, floral artist Kiki Ji has used traditional bamboo artistry to create a suspended sculpture weaving around a thicket of trees in a fusion of traditional craftsmanship and nature.
Nature and local heritage features prominently in the artworks at Sha Tau Kok. Japanese sculptor En Iwamura has created a floating sculpture anchored off of Sha Tau Kok Pier that brings together the sea, mountains and islands in colourful, cartoonlike fashion, while local illustrator Vivian Ho’s “Stories on Wheels” captures the experiences of the town’s residents, using a train shell as the canvas.
Koi again make an appearance in Sha Tau Kok’s town square in a flowing installation by contemporary artist Louis To Wun that pays tribute to the local fishermen, their customs and the sea.
Those looking for insights into the history of the two neighbourhoods can sign up for guided tours. Columnist, editor, photographer and curator Kit Chan is due to lead two tour routes covering the art, history and community culture of Tsuen Wan, including historic Lo Wai Village, the teahouses of Chuen Lung Village on Tai Mo Shan, and art and photography hub Koon Man Space. Other Tsuen Wan routes are led by the likes of forest therapist Winnie Wong and cycling lifestyle platform Bike The Moment.
