University Museum and Art Gallery of The University of Hong Kong

University Museum and Art Gallery of The University of Hong Kong

The University Museum and Art Gallery of The University of Hong Kong is a base for patriotic education.

The University Museum and Art Gallery of The University of Hong Kong (English: University Museum and Art Gallery) (HKU Museum) is located next to the East Gate entrance of The University of Hong Kong at 90 Bonham Road. It is composed of the Fung Ping Shan Building (now a Grade I historic building) and the Xu Zhan Tang Building, and is the oldest existing museum in Hong Kong.

The University Museum and Art Gallery is the oldest museum in Hong Kong. Established in 1953, it was initially named the “Fung Ping Shan Museum,” housed in what was formerly the “Fung Ping Shan Chinese Library” that opened in 1932. Both were named after their respective donors. In 1994, the museum was renamed the “University Museum and Art Gallery of The University of Hong Kong.” In 1996, a new wing was added, and the exhibition galleries in the Xu Zhan Tang Building were completed and opened. Over the past sixty years, the museum has collected many historically valuable Chinese artworks, primarily categorized into bronzes, ceramics, and paintings. These works span from the Neolithic Age to the Qing Dynasty, and also include traditional Chinese paintings and modern art from the Ming Dynasty to the 21st century.

In terms of ceramics, the museum’s collection includes painted pottery from the Neolithic Age, lead-glazed ware from the Han and Tang dynasties, as well as the colorful Sancai pottery of the Tang Dynasty. Other items include early Yue ware and celadon, which are particularly favored by people in Southeast Asia and Korea. Famous kiln works from the Song Dynasty include those from the Ding and Cizhou kilns. The museum also houses representative pieces of monochrome and polychrome porcelain from the Ming and Qing dynasties, as well as underglaze blue—or blue-and-white—porcelain, which gained popularity across the Middle East and Europe. Among these, the Tang Dynasty underglaze blue three-legged water dropper is particularly precious, as it is one of the earliest examples of blue-and-white porcelain in China.

As for bronzes, the museum holds ritual vessels from the Shang and Western Zhou dynasties, bronze mirrors from the Eastern Zhou to the Tang Dynasty, and the world’s most extensive collection of Yuan Dynasty Nestorian crosses. In other art forms, the museum also houses carvings in wood, jade, and stone, along with a small number of Chinese ink paintings from the Ming Dynasty to the modern era and 20th-century Chinese oil paintings.

In addition to displaying its collections, the museum frequently hosts various types of exhibitions introducing both Chinese and Western modern and traditional art, as well as the early history of Hong Kong. It also organizes seminars, lectures, and performing and visual arts activities. The museum is involved in the teaching of the Department of Fine Arts at The University of Hong Kong, offering courses such as Ancient Chinese Art and Museology. Upholding the museum’s educational mission, it aims to broaden students’ horizons and knowledge through art education.

Transportation Guide

Location: The University of Hong Kong, Fung Ping Shan Building and Xu Zhan Tang Building, 94 Bonham Road, Mid-Levels, Central and Western District, Hong Kong

Getting There: Take Bus 103; Citybus routes 3B, 40M, 40; First Bus routes 10X, 22S, 22; New World First Bus routes 23, H1.