Madame Tussauds Hong Kong. The wax figure of the founder is at left

Madame Tussauds Hong Kong is part of the renowned chain of wax museums founded by outstanding French artist Marie Tussaud (1761-1850), well known all over the world for her wax products).  It was opened in 2000 at the second floor of the Peak Tower (on Victoria Peak) on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. Since its opening, it has drawn the attention of numerous visitors.

Bryan, Kyle and Cheska mixing it up with Bruce Lee

In September 2005, in an effort to bring an interactive and immersive entertainment experience to visitors, it began its renovation, at a cost of HK$20 million (US$2.6 million) and, on May 18, 2006, reopened, adding a further 700 sq. m. (7,500 sq. ft.) of exhibition space on three floors and five themed areas.

The late King of Pop Michael Jackson

Though this was my second visit to The Peak, it was only my first visit to this museum. Upon entry, we journeyed through each incredibly lifelike wax figure of “stars,” stopping to immerse ourselves with K-pop culture at K-wave Zone, practiced our kung fu moves with Bruce Lee at Kung Fu Zone, glammed it up with Taylor Swift and Madonna on stage, enjoy the patterned world of Yayoi Kusama, and took selfies with some of the world’s most respected historical and political leaders.

Yayoi Kusama

Here are some interesting trivia regarding this museum:

• It is the first Madame Tussauds museum in Asia (the others are in Shanghai branch, which opened in 2006, and the third in Bangkok, which opened in 2010).
• The museum houses over 100 wax likenesses of internationally known personalities and local celebrities to date, and 11 interactive zones.
• Asian figures take up more than a third of the total (16 are Hong Kongers) and Asian celebrities and superstars have often graced the unveiling of their wax likenesses, with sizable groups of their fans tagging along.
• The wax figures are featured in a range of themed settings such as Hong Kong Glamour, Music Icons, Historical and National Heroes, The Champions and World Premiere.
• The figure of Miriam Yeung (well known for her fun-loving and bubbly personality), unveiled on November 2006, is the first in the world designed to giggle via in-built sensors.
• The figure of Connie Chan Po-chu, unveiled on August 2006, was the first figure to appear in full Chinese regalia. The model’s costume was inspired by the musical Only You, set in the Yuan Dynasty, in which Chan formerly starred.
• The figure of Bae Yong-joon, unveiled on May 2006, is the first Korean star to be included in a Madame Tussauds exhibition.
• The figure of Andy Lau, unveiled on April 2005, was the first animatronic model that was crafted out of silicone rather than wax. Lau’s animatronic heartbeat was modeled on a similar system installed in a replica of Brad Pitt at Madame Tussauds Amsterdam.
• In 2019, Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach will be the first Filipino to have her wax figure in Madame Tussauds Hong Kong.

Hong Kong celebrity Lee Lai Shan

Celebrities and historical figures from Hong Kong include Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Kelly Chen, Cecilia Cheung Pak-chi, Aaron Kwok Fu-shing, Donnie Yen Ji-dan (added on April 30, 2010), Janice M. Vidal (added on July 18, 2007), Sandra Ng, Lee Lai Shan, Andy Lau Te-wah, Leo Ku (added on April 4, 2007), Miriam Yeung, Sir Ka-shing Li, Donald Tsang Yam-kuen (added on April 7, 2008), Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing, Joey Yung, Anita Mui Yim-fong and Leon Lai-ming.

Japanese sumo wrestler Chiyonofuji Mitsugu

Other Asian celebrities and historical figures include Lin Chi-ling, Jay Chou and Teresa Teng from Taiwan; Michelle Yeoh from Malaysia; Ayumi Hamasaki, Shigeru Yoshida and Chiyonofuji Mitsugu from Japan; Jet Li (added on September 28, 2010), Yao Ming, Liu Xiang, Connie Chan Po-chu, Sun Yat-sen (added on July 2007), Yang Liwei (added on July 2007), Li Bingbing, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, Mao Zedong (added on July 2007) and Hu Jintao from China; Lee Kuan Yew from Singapore; Saddam Hussein of Iraq; Sukarno (added on June 5, 2014) and Joko Widodo (added in 2017) from Indonesia; Amitabh Bachchan, Varun Dhawan, Shah Rukh Khan, Mahatma Gandhi and Narendra Modi from India; and Bae Yong-joon, Suzy and Lee Jong-suk from South Korea.

India’s hero of non-violence Mahatma Gandhi

Chinese President Li Jin Ping and First Lady Peng Liyuan

Actors, actresses and directors on display include Angelina Jolie (added on September 27, 2007), Brad Pitt, Cher, Eddie Murphy, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Mel Gibson, Meryl Streep, Jodie Foster, Harrison Ford, Johnny Depp, Macaulay Culkin, Marilyn Monroe, Vin Diesel, Benny Hill, Robert Pattinson, Pierce Brosnan, Anthony Hopkins, Humphrey Bogart, Gérard Depardieu, Hugh Grant, Joanna Lumley, Alfred Hitchcock, Bruce Lee and Benedict Cumberbatch.

Cheska with Angelina Jolie

David Beckham, Muhammad Ali, Tiger Woods, Maria Sharapova, Stephen Curry,  and Ronaldinho (added on December 2007) represent the world of sports.

Tramcar at the Fashion Zone

The brand-new Fashion Zone, opened last July 10, 2017, consists of three themed areas (Backstage Studio, Billboard Superstar and Runway) and features features AR (Augmented Reality) technology.  On hand are the stars of the  catwalk Elle Macpherson, Kendall Jenner and Naomi Campbell as well as fashion designer Victoria Beckham.

Tennis star Maria Sharapova

David Beckham, Ronaldinho and Yao Ming

Animated World, officially launched in April 2017, brings together famous animated characters such as Yo-kai Watch, McDull and Madame Mak, Marvel Avenger superheroes (Hulk, Ironman and Spiderman), Hello Kitty and Balala the Fairies. 

Animated World: Jandy in the clutches of The Hulk

Iron Man with fan Jandy

Historical and national heroes from the Europe, U.S.A. and Africa  include Sir Winston Churchill, John Howard, Diana, Princess of Wales, The Duke of Edinburgh; Elizabeth II; The Prince of Wales; The Princess Royal; The Duke of Cambridge (added on August 7, 2007) and William Shakespeare of the United Kingdom; Luciano Pavarotti of Italy; Nelson Mandela of South Africa; Albert Einstein, Bill Clinton; George W. Bush; Barack Obama (added on January 20, 2009) of the USA; Mikhail Gorbachev of Russia; Adolf Hitler of Germany; Pablo Picasso of Spain; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart of Austria; Rembrandt van Rijn from The Netherlands; and Marie Tussaud herself.

The author seated between the Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Elizabeth

Music icons include Elvis Presley, Freddie Mercury, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, The Beatles, Tina Turner, Twins, Westlife, G.E.M. and TVXQ. 

Grace as the fifth Beatle

Madame Tussauds Hong Kong:  Shop P101, Peak Tower, 128 Peak Rd., The Victoria Peak, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong.  Tel: +852 2849 6966. Website: www.madametussauds.com/hong-kong. Open daily, 10 AM to 10 PM. Admission:s HK$140 (adults) and HK$70 (children aged between 3 and 11 years old).

How to Get There: Take bus 15C from Central Pier 8 or walk from MTR Central Station Exit J2 to take the Peak Tram from the Peak Tram Lower Terminus on Garden Road; or bus 15 from Exchange Square bus terminus (near MTR Hong Kong Station, Exit D); or minibus 1 from the public transport interchange at MTR Hong Kong Station, Exit E.

Hong Kong Space Museum

The Hong Kong Space Museum (Chinese: 香港太空館), a museum of astronomy and space science managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong Government, is one of the most famous and outstanding landmarks in Hong Kong. Conveniently located on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront (next to Hong Kong Museum of Arts and HK Cultural Centre), Mr. Joseph Ming Gun Lee of the Public Works Department was the chief architect of the project.  Construction started in 1977 and the museum opened on October 8, 1980.

The planetarium and other equipment, worth HK$3,050,000, were purchased from the Carl Zeiss Company. With the aid of interesting hands-on exhibits and advanced equipment such as seats installed with multi-language and interactive systems, coupled with lighting effects and environmental decorations, the exhibition introduces astronomy and space science in a vivid approach.

The planetarium’s dome

The museum, occupying an area of 8,000 sq. m., has two wings.  The East Wing consists of the core of the museum’s popular planetarium, the first local planetarium for the popularization of astronomy and space science education and the first planetarium in the world to possess a fully automatic control system at its Stanley Ho Space Theatre (boasts the first OMNIMAX film projector in the eastern hemisphere) beneath it.

The planetarium’s rather unusual, easily recognizable and striking egg-shaped hemispherical projection dome, a famous landmark on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, has a diameter of 23 m.. Also beneath the planetarium is the Hall of the Cosmos, the Hall of Space Exploration, workshops and offices.

Hall of the Cosmos

There is also a mockup of the nose and cockpit section of the Space Shuttle orbiter.  The West Wing houses the Hall of Astronomy, a thematic exhibition hall on the first floor; the Lecture Hall; a gift shop and offices.

Hall of Space Exploration

The “Hall of the Cosmos” (showcases the Universe from near to far, travelling from the solar system that we are living in, to the stars, Milky Way and galaxies further away and exploring the science and evolution of the universe all along the way), on the ground floor, and “Hall of Space Exploration” (depicts the development of space exploration and space technology), on the first floor, covering a total area of 1,600 sq. m. (17,200 sq. ft.), houses a hundred exhibits, about 70% of which are interactive, enabling visitors to learn through a series of entertaining and educational experiences.

Stanley Ho Space Theatre

The museum houses a large collection of meteorites and offers an extensive range of activities for both adults and children, producing 2 planetarium shows as well as introducing some of the best foreign OMNIMAX and 3D Dome Shows productions, using the digital planetarium projection system, in Hong Kong.

The museum also organizes plenty of extension activities each year including Astronomy Carnival, Astronomy Happy Hours, fun science lab sessions, astronomy competitions, lectures and astronomy film shows, etc.

Hong Kong Space Museum: 10 Salisbury Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong.  Tel:+852 2721 0226. Website: hk.space.museum. Open Mondays –Fridays, 1 – 9 PM; Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays, 10 AM – 9 PM; closed on Tuesdays, the first two days of the Chinese New Year and at 5 PM on Christmas Eve and Chinese New Year’s Eve.
Admission: HK$10 (standard). Concession (HK$5) is applicable to full-time students, people with disability (and one accompanying minder) and senior citizens aged 60 or above. Children under 3 years old will not be admitted. Free admission on Wednesdays (visitors are required to queue on site for admission by session). Full-time students and museum pass holders are eligible for free admission to the exhibition halls and need not purchase tickets, but are required to book the admission session online before the visit (except Wednesdays). Booking will be available within one week of the visit.

How to Get There: Take the MTR to get to Tsim Sha Tsui Station. Get out of the station through Exit E and cross the road. Walk 150 m. to Salisbury Road. You’ll see the museum across the road. Then use subway to cross Salisbury Road. When you exit the subway, walk a little along Salisbury Garden. You can also take MTR East Tsim Sha Tsui Station.  Get out through Exit J, then walk about 10 mins. to the museum. Via Star Ferry Pier, from Central or Wan Chai to Tsim Sha Tsui, walk for approximately 10 mins. to the museum.