Your ultimate guide to Hong Kong

We all love a good list, and the New York Times has recently dropped a banger. They rounded up over 500 influential directors, actors, and big names from Hollywood and all over the world to vote on the best films released since 2000, and gathered the results to give us a list of the best 100 movies of the 21st century – and a Hong Kong film ranked within the top 10. Out of the many stellar films picked by industry experts, such as City of God, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, The Favourite, and Y Tu Mamá También, Wong Kar-wai’s In the Mood for Love has been ranked as the fourth best movie made within this century. The smouldering film, filled with silent longing, cigarette smoke, and repressed desire, is undoubtedly the most widely known of Wong’s works around the world. It also helps that a moody, charming Tony Leung Chiu-wai and the beautiful Maggie Cheung, clad in a rotation of the best cheongsam dresses to ever be captured on film, are there to grace viewers’ screens for an hour and 40 minutes. Photograph: Courtesy Jet Tone Production / Paradis Films Director Sofia Coppola was among the names who voted for In the Mood for Love, saying of her choice: ‘It really blew my mind that you could make films … as a poetic medium that doesn’t have to spell everything out.’ Another Hong Kong-related mention to make the list is Ang Lee’s martial arts epic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, starring the inimitable Chow Yun-fat and Michelle Yeoh, which ranked at number 16. Notably, the only animated movie in the top 10 spots is Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away, a fantastical adventure that deals with the loss of innocence, bravery, and humans’ corruption of nature, all wrapped up in spellbindingly gorgeous visuals and a stellar soundtrack. Topping the New York Times’ 100 best movies of the century is Bong Joon-ho’s 2019 black comedy thriller Parasite. For those that have yet to see it – and there are probably very few of you out there – the Oscar-winning picture follows a poor Korean family that worms their way into the lives of a wealthy household, in an unsettling but at times wildly funny social satire. See below for the list of top 10 movies, and visit the New York Times for the full list.  10 best movies of the 21st century, according to the New York Times: Parasite by Bong Joon-ho, 2019 Mulholland Drive by David Lynch, 2001 There Will Be Blood by Paul Thomas Anderson, 2007 In the Mood for Love by Wong Kar-wai, 2001 Moonlight by Barry Jenkins, 2016 No Country for Old Men by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, 2007 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind by Michel Gondry, 2004 Get Out by Jordan Peele, 2017 Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki, 2002 The Social Network by David Fincher, 2010 Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Hong Kong newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox Recommended reading: See these detailed miniature dioramas all about Hong Kong’s North District The Chairman is bringing exclusive dishes to LMO Freshly Baked Ancient Egyptian treasures are coming to Hong Kong in this special exhibition

Everybody thinks of Hong Kong as an ultra-modern bustling city – and rightly so – but what a lot of people don’t realise is that only about 25 percent of Hong Kong’s total land area has been developed into the tower-filled cityscape that we all know and love. There is much of our territory that is nature parks and sleepy villages, including the oft-looked North District. The Joyful Miniature Association has now dedicated a whole exhibition to highlight the culture and rural charm of neighbourhoods like Sheung Shui, Fanling, Sha Tau Kok, Ta Kwu Ling, and more. Through a total of 28 miniature dioramas, including seven main art pieces, visitors can see replicas of this district’s history, architecture, and festivals. Some highlights include the Lung Yeuk Tau Ritual Opera, a Taoist festival that is put on by the Tang clan once every 10 years, showing the inner workings of a traditional Cantonese opera show in a bamboo theatre; as well as the Liu Man Shek Tong, the ancestral hall of the Liu clan in Sheung Shui that dates back to the early Qing dynasty. The exhibition also captures the 300-year-old Fish Lantern Dance, which is held in Sha Tau Kok and a sight rarely seen for most Hongkongers. Photograph: Courtesy Joyful Miniature Association Since we are such foodies in this city, the cuisine of the North District is also a special part of the show, with 12 signature dishes featured within the Walled Villages Hakka Cuisine miniature. See also dioramas of how cha kwo tea cakes are made, a local snack shop famous among hikers and cyclists for its tofu pudding, a festive communal banquet, and more. The ‘North District in Miniature’ exhibition is running until July 9, at the atrium of Spot in Sheung Shui. It might be a bit of a trek out to the New Territories, but well worth a day trip to see tiny, exquisite renderings of a side of Hong Kong that you might otherwise never experience. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Hong Kong newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox Recommended reading: The Chairman is bringing exclusive dishes to LMO Freshly Baked Ancient Egyptian treasures are coming to Hong Kong in this special exhibition Barkada returns to Hong Kong’s food scene with a new home in Soho

For the month of July, the Mandarin Oriental’s acclaimed LMO Freshly Baked is presenting one of Hong Kong’s most distinguished culinary destinations, The Chairman. We’ve most recently heard from them when the Cantonese fine-dining venue was ranked in the annual World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025 list. The LMO Freshly Baked’s Tastemaker series gets homegrown culinary icons to reimagine some of their most distinctive dishes, and The Chairman has created three time-limited offerings that are an homage to Cantonese flavours, and exclusive to this pop-up. There’s the Szechuan Spicy Peppercorn Beef Pie ($98) featuring tender beef short rib, shiitake mushrooms, and spices packed into a flaky pastry; and a Lotus Root and Celtuce Salad ($98) with lily bulb, baby corn, and shrimp in a refreshing pine nut dressing. Finally, there’s also the Char Siu Sauce Chicken Thigh Sandwich ($78), where the juicy chicken is glazed in The Chairman’s signature char siu sauce, served on fluffy Hokkaido milk bread with caramelised onions. This is the first time that The Chairman has ever translated their award-winning food into a casual, grab-and-go format – and a great opportunity to try out offerings from a Michelin-starred restaurant for under $100! Proceeds from LMO Freshly Baked also go to supporting Mindset, a charity that raises awareness and supports mental health. Find The Chairman x LMO Freshly Baked from July 1 to 31, on the second floor of Landmark Atrium in Central.

Who has read the gold foil-covered Egyptology book, watched The Mummy films too much as a child, and has been obsessed with ancient Egypt ever since? Yeah, same here. If the Egyptian section of museums has always been your favourite, then you can look forward to this special exhibition on treasures from ancient Egypt that’s coming to Hong Kong this year! From mid-November onwards, the Hong Kong Palace Museum will host the ‘Ancient Egypt Unveiled: Treasures from Egyptian Museums’ exhibition. Our museum has signed an agreement with the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt to bring 250 priceless artefacts from seven major museums in Egypt, including the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the Luxor Museum of the Ancient Egyptian Art, the Suez National Museum, and the Sohag National Museum. There will also be recent discoveries from Saqqara, a royal burial ground and the necropolis for the ancient Egyptian capital Memphis, that will be on display. Photograph: Courtesy Hong Kong Palace Museum Visitors can expect to see statues of pharaohs and deities, gold ornaments, stone sculptures, large-scale coffins and sarcophagi, animal mummies, and more, dating from up to 7,300 years ago and representing over 5,000 years of history from this ancient civilisation. All of the artefacts in this exhibition are on display in Hong Kong for the first time, and many of them have never even been shown outside Egypt before, so it’s sure to be a feast for any history buff.  Among the four themed sections, don’t miss the monumental stature of the legendary boy pharaoh Tutankhamun measuring over 2.8 metres tall; a statue of the cat-headed goddess Bastet; and a colossal statue of Akhenaten, Tutankhamun’s father and the ruler famous for trying to unite the worship of Egypt’s multiple gods under one solar deity Aten.  ‘Ancient Egypt Unveiled: Treasures from Egyptian Museums’ will run for an unprecedented nine and a half months from mid-November. Ticketing details and accompanying events like performances and workshops will be announced in August. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Hong Kong newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox Recommended reading: Filipino restaurant Barkada returns with a new home in Soho Socio’s team opens cocktail bar and nightclub hybrid Gossip Cristiano Ronaldo will visit Hong Kong for the opening of his CR7 Life Museum

Back in mid-May, the news dropped that popular modern Filipino restaurant Barkada was closing its doors. Luckily, they also announced in the same breath that it wasn’t for good and they were simply looking to move somewhere with a more affordable rent. It’s now been confirmed that Barkada has found a new home – and still in Central, no less. They’ve just moved up the hill to Soho, next to Holy Eats, and while the new venue is definitely smaller than their FOCO Building location, it does mean that diners will finally be able to feel cool without the patio doors and fold-out windows letting out all the precious air conditioning! The restaurant is also revamping their menu direction to a ‘Filipino heart, New York edge’ concept, so we can probably expect some American-inflected offerings. (No worries, we’re told their lumpia and spicy coconut noodles are still around.) The new Barkada is now in their soft-launch period, and diners can enjoy 15 percent off their bill and BYOB until July 14. For now, they are open from 6pm to 10pm on Wednesday, Thursdays, and Sundays; 6pm to 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays; and closed on Mondays to Tuesdays. Find Barkada at 25 Elgin Street, Soho. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Hong Kong newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox Recommended reading: Socio’s team opens cocktail bar and nightclub hybrid Gossip Cristiano Ronaldo will visit Hong Kong for the opening of his CR7 Life Museum Han So-hee is coming to Hong Kong for her first fan meeting world tour

We’ve all seen Socio and its queues outside that trails out along Staunton Street. If you enjoy their sustainability-forward Asian-inflected cocktails, then you’ll be glad to know that the people behind Socio have a brand-new concept in their latest nightlife destination named Gossip. Knowing that cocktail bars don’t usually have good music to vibe to, and that nightclubs usually only serve overpriced but uninspired drinks and pricey bottles with sparklers, Amir Javaid and Max Bajracharya have decided to give Hong Kong’s night owls the best of both worlds by combining these concepts into a premium cocktail club.  Their drinks menu is inspired by the many traditional masks of Asia, each with its own personality and story, and giving rise to its accompanying cocktail made with distinctly Asian ingredients such as mango sticky rice, Korean gochujang, and Sichuan pepper. Thotsokan, a lemongrass and coconut-washed Tanqueray gin-based cocktail, contains Thai flavour profiles with kaffir lime distillate, mango sticky rice, sparkling wine, and a piece of dehydrated fruit – it’s light, refreshing, and the perfect first drink to start with. Photograph: Courtesy Gossip Some of our other favourites include the creamy, Japanese-inspired Hannya, made with yuzu koshō and kombu-infused Bacardi, lichiko, dry sherry, clarified pear, white chocolate, and topped with a foamy puff of matcha air. One of Gossip’s best on the menu is the Nuoxi, which is a delicately savoury mix of Sichuan pepper-infused Ketel One, elderflower, fermented tofu, sesame oil, lemon, and pickled cucumber. Its tasting notes read somewhat like a grocery list, but the Chinese-inspired blend of florals, fermented fruit, and umami notes just work. The cocktail lounge hosts live music performances on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and when the clock hits midnight from Thursday through the weekend, Gossip transforms into a clubby atmosphere with the tables and chairs moved aside for a dancefloor and multicoloured light strips pulsing overhead. If you’re bored of the thumping, techno-heavy beats that are spinning in most clubs, then you’ll appreciate that Gossip focuses on playing R&B and hip-hop – a win in our books! Gossip is now in its soft-launch period and will officially open to the public in mid-July. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Hong Kong newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox Recommended reading: Cristiano Ronaldo will visit Hong Kong for the opening of his CR7 Life Museum Han So-hee is coming to Hong Kong for her first fan meeting world tour Hokkaido’s famous Cheese Wonder opens first pop-up in HK

Hong Kong’s football fans were all in a tizzy when the news broke earlier this year that a Cristiano Ronaldo museum is opening in Hong Kong. It has now been confirmed that the CR7 Life Museum will officially open on July 7. Housed within the sixth floor of K11 Musea, this museum will span over 12,000 sq ft, featuring immersive exhibits, authentic memorabilia, and interactive storytelling that highlight Ronaldo’s discipline, resilience, and excellence over the course of his three-decade career. If you’ve been following him since Alex Ferguson signed a young Ronaldo to Manchester United back in 2003 – making him the first Portuguese player ever to be signed to the club – then CR7 will allow you to take a fond walk down memory lane, and even see some of Ronaldo’s jerseys and trophy collection up close. What makes things even more exciting is that Ronaldo will be visiting Hong Kong in person to celebrate the museum’s opening, which will be the first of its kind in Asia. Exact details about his arrival and the events that will inevitably take place are yet to be disclosed, so watch this space for updates!  Apart from the museum, the brand is also opening the first-ever CR7 Life Museum Official Flagship Store in Times Square, which we expect to be packed with exclusive Cristiano Ronaldo signed merchandise and memorabilia. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Hong Kong newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox Recommended reading: Han So-hee is coming to Hong Kong for her first fan meeting world tour Hokkaido’s famous Cheese Wonder opens first pop-up in HK Pure launches a fitness-led smart wellness studio with the new Re:set

Fans of popular Han So-hee will be glad to know that the popular South Korean actor is coming to town on her fan meeting world tour ‘Xohee Loved Ones’. This marks the first time ever that Han is going around the world for the sole purpose of connecting with fans (nicknamed ‘sosamos’). As seen in the event’s tagline, “You are sparkling treasures to me”, Han is taking this as an opportunity to personally show her appreciation to her global fans. Attendees can expect a variety of thoughtfully curated special segments apart from the standard meet-and-greet, in which Han has promised to appear as her most genuine self. There will be group photo sessions, autographed Polaroid photos given out, a hi-touch event, and other activities that will give sosamos the opportunity to interact with the screen star on an intimate scale.  Han has previously made appearances in Hong Kong before, but only for brand events, so if you’re a fan and want to see her up close on home turf, then seize this chance. The fan meeting will take place on Saturday, September 6, at Go Park’s AXA Dreamland. Tickets range from $888 to $1,688, and will go on sale at 11am on Monday, June 30. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Hong Kong newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox Recommended reading: Pure launches a fitness-led smart wellness studio with the new Re:set Everything you need to know about G-Dragon’s Hong Kong concert 2025 Tickets to M+ museum will cost a single flat price from next month

Hong Kong’s largest Japanese online mall Yaichi opens the first-ever Cheese Wonder pop-up store from now to July 14. Following its online sell-out success, Cheese Wonder brings its signature desserts to Hysan Place, offering the No-bake Cheese Cake ($246/six pieces) – which can be enjoyed frozen, semi-thawed, or fully thawed for varied textures – made with a rich soufflé base, smooth mousse, and crisp almond cookie.  Also available is the Wonder Sand double cheese cream sandwich cookie ($182/six pieces), featuring Hokkaido mascarpone and cheddar cream between crunchy almond cookies. For a tasty twist, use leftover chocolate crisps from the tin as a topping for milk or ice cream. These treats are available in limited quantities at the pop-up store, so don't miss out! Visit yaichi.co for more details or to purchase online. 

What is arguably Hong Kong’s most popular gym brand is now aiming to also take care of our rest and relaxation needs, on top of urging customers towards fitness goals. Pure Group has now launched the brand-new Re:set by Pure, a space that offers smart wellness experiences perfect for pairing with gym sessions. In our hectic city where burnout and chronic fatigue are unfortunately common, Re:set offers a respite where Hongkongers can recharge and return to daily life feeling calmer and more energised. They also flexibly meet your body’s changing requirements, starting every session with a personalised Body Meter scan that checks in with your physical and mental states, and selects modalities catered to differing needs every day. The data-driven, expert-led process has been designed to deliver results. Photograph: Courtesy Pure Group Some significant facilities in the Re:set studio include a Re:vive zone with pioneering recliners that combine red light therapy, compression therapy, and zero gravity all in one experience; a Progressive Cold Shower System that adapts to the different needs of female and male bodies; hot and cold immersion for contrast therapy that strengthens the immune system; both infrared and traditional saunas; and an area for mobility and breathwork. While these tools are excellent for recovery after strenuous exercise, Re:set isn’t just for athletes – it’s also for sedentary office workers, busy parents, frontline staff, entrepreneurs under pressure, stressed-out students, or even someone who just wants to take a nap. Like the rest of the Pure locations, shirts and shorts are provided, as are towels and slippers – so all that visitors need to bring is their water bottle (and swimwear, if using the immersion pools and cold showers). Photograph: Courtesy Pure Group Instead of monthly fees the way the Pure gyms do it, Re:set operates on a buy-as-you-go basis, with packages ranging from $800 for one hour to $18,000 for 30 hours. Early-bird customers can receive up to 180 minutes of access for free, while Pure Fitness and Pure Yoga cardholders will also receive extra free minutes on their choice of Re:set packages.  Re:set by Pure studio is located on the 11th floor of Lee Theatre Plaza in Causeway Bay. Which therapeutic zone are you looking forward to trying first? Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Hong Kong newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox Recommended reading: Everything you need to know about G-Dragon’s Hong Kong concert 2025 Tickets to M+ museum will cost a single flat price from next month Generations of Hong Kong artisans honour our unique neon sign heritage with this exhibition

Do you remember an exhibition last summer that displayed miniature scenes of the Central and Western districts in Pacific Place? In case you missed it, the Joyful Miniature Association (JMA) is back once again, this time with more incredibly detailed dioramas of life in Hong Kong, including seven brand-new miniatures that have never been seen before. The 24 art pieces will highlight some of Hong Kong’s famous landmarks, cultural customs, and unique lifestyles. Peek into painstaking recreations of Sunday dim sum at Maxim’s Palace in City Hall, chaotic nighttime revelry along Lan Kwai Fong, the customs of worship and pin wheel buying at Man Mo Temple and Wong Tai Sin Temple, a moving model of the fifth generation of the Peak Tram funicular railway, views of Victoria Harbour complete with boats sailing and fireworks, and more.  Photograph: Courtesy Joyful Miniature Association The new miniatures at this show include the Kai Tak Sports Park, the legendary old Kowloon Walled City, night scenes of Temple Street, horse racing, aquatic animals on sale at one of the many shops along Goldfish Street, the cable car at Ngong Ping 360, and Hong Kong’s transhipment history at the Insta-famous Western District Pier. The JMA brings together over 100 Hong Kong artists who collectively integrate the traditionally European craft of miniatures with our distinctly local culture using cutting-edge technology. If there’s one way to stroll through the most iconic sights and experiences of Hong Kong in just a few steps, this exhibition is definitely it. ‘Hong Kong: Through the Looking Glass Miniature Exhibition’ will be on display at The Peak Tower from April 25 to June 23 – JMA’s longest exhibition in the city. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Hong Kong newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox Recommended stories: Hong Kong ranked as the 10th most walkable city in the world; 1st in East Asia Hong Kong Airport Express proposes fare increase of 9.4 percent The Cheung Chau Bun Festival is hosting a carnival this Sunday

We sit down with artist and designer Joe Foti before his new exhibition in Hong Kong

March in Hong Kong is not complete without a trip to the Wanchai Convention Centre to spend a day or two at Art Basel. This year’s fair gathers 240 global galleries, with large-scale installations, paintings, sculptures, digital art, live performances, video works, and more to see!

From a world without colours to her love of big city metros, we caught up with British artist Monster Chetwynd for a round of quick-fire questions while she's in town for her new installation at Pacific Place! 

Free on Tuesdays? Head over to Hugo's in TST for their unlimited steak and frites night, which also come with Caesar salad, a dessert, and plenty of tipples – just remember to wear loose pants.

G'day foodies! Renowned chef Shane Osborn has just opened a laidback Aussie-style cafe inspired by Australian pit stops. Perfect for a casual meal when in Central.

This arts month, don't miss Hong Kong's first ASMR exhibition that will give you all kinds of tingles.

This ‘Picasso for Asia’ exhibition is the first time that masterpieces from the Musée national Picasso-Paris are being shown alongside works from an Asian museum collection. Find out what makes the Spanish master of Cubism so influential – you have until mid-July!

These cool (and just a tad creepy) faceless sculptures are here for the whole of Hong Kong Arts Month, so make time in your diary to visit this month

What is villain hitting and why are old ladies beating paper with a shoe for $50? Of all the weird and wonderful traditions we have in Hong Kong, this one is definitely up there.