City Gallery reopens after renovation

The City Gallery located in Central is the first planning and infrastructure gallery in Hong Kong. Resuming full operation in May 2021 after partial renovation, the gallery now houses a number of new interactive games and selfie spots. Here is a brief introduction.

New interactive and fun elements

Hong Kong is developing rapidly. To keep up with the pace, the City Gallery has replaced various exhibits and facilities on the G/F, 3/F and 4/F with more interactive and fun elements. Ms Chan Hau-yin, Margaret, Chief Town Planner (Atg.) of the Planning Department, says that the visitors’ refreshing experience starts right at the moment they step into the gallery, as the “Planning Eye” next to the reception counter will take them on an amazing journey to explore the challenges and opportunities faced by Hong Kong in the course of city development, and display our planning vision through the interactive videos shown on the eyeball-shaped LED and 3D geographic model of Hong Kong combined with audiovisual effect. The models are made with great precision in every detail. The aircrafts and vessels projected go along the same flight paths and fairways as in the real world.

Development experiences of different cities

Near the “Planning Eye” are the new interactive exhibits “City Impression” and “Great World Cities”. With the touch screens, visitors can compare Hong Kong with other cities in terms of urban form, population density and their skyscrapers, and learn about the good practice of some cities in achieving sustainable development goals, e.g. the Cheonggyecheon Stream in Seoul, South Korea; the “SMART Tunnel” (Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and the experience in zero emission gained by Copenhagen, Denmark.

A time-journey reflecting the course of development

New items have been added to the 3/F after the renovation, including the interactive “Planning Timeline” and “Coastlines & Skylines”, which show visitors the development and changes in Hong Kong and along the Victoria Harbour since 1900. One level up on the 4/F, the old and new photos shown on the touch screens of “Hong Kong Now and Then” enable visitors to visualise the evolvement of different places in our city. The “Treasure Hunt”, another section on the same floor, displays miniature models of modern and old buildings, passenger carriers of different periods and playground delights of the old days, such as the merry-go-round, as well as the long and tall metal slide.

Inclusive facilities in the gallery

Ms Margaret Chan says that, taking the people-oriented approach, the City Gallery has incorporated various inclusive facilities to suit the needs of different age groups and people with disabilities. For instance, in a commanding position overlooking the Victoria Harbour on the 4/F stands an architectural illustration of the Victoria Harbour. It is equipped with a tactile-audio interaction system to let visually impaired visitors appreciate the features along both sides of our harbour through touching, braille dots and audio descriptions. Moreover, the “Community Lounge” on the same floor provides a cosy environment with seats where visitors can relax and read books about town planning and infrastructure development.

The City Gallery is a unique exhibition venue. It briefs the public on the major planning proposals and infrastructure projects in Hong Kong, as well as the development directions of our city. The Government will encourage the public to visit the gallery, and to join hands to make Hong Kong a liveable, competitive and sustainable Asia's world city.

(The video is in Cantonese)

(The video is provided by Development Bureau)