Located in West Kowloon Cultural District, the Xiqu Centre is a world-class art venue dedicated to promoting the rich heritage of Chinese Opera (xiqu) in Hong Kong. It houses a Grand Theatre, a Tea House Theatre, professional studios, and a seminar hall, all specially designed for different types of xiqu-related functions and activities. They also have a few cafes and restaurants that offers Chinese cuisine and dining experience, as well as a souvenir shop that’s filled with modern take of the traditional xiqu or chinese cultural pieces.

The ground floor Atrium is fully open to the public and offers you an introductory encounter with Chinese traditional theatre through exhibitions and detailed venue tours. So, while exploring Hong Kong and you are looking for a place to rest or hang out, this place is available for free!

If there is one thing that I would recommend, it has to be The Tea House Theatre Cantonese Opera experience. It’s the new Hong Kong Gem and a must-see for all you cultural geeks out there or anyone with a curious heart, wanting to learn more about one of Hong Kong’s most celebrated local art forms.

The highlight of this Cantonese Opera is definitely its tourist friendly theatre where they have specially built a screen above the stage just for English subtitles throughout the performance. So, even if you understand little to no cantonese, you could still enjoy the show without compromising the meaning of the performance. For those Chinese literates out there, don’t worry, they have chinese subtitles on both sides of the stage.

I didn’t sit through the full show but for someone who understands very little cantonese, the subtitles seemed pretty accurate. It has a typical old school Hong Kong drama storyline but the actors and actresses were wonderful on stage. Every move and expressions were on point. The accompanied music played with traditional instruments were delightful to the ears and makes sitting in the theatre a little more cozy.

Another unique feature of Xiqu Centre’s Tea House Theatre is the traditional tea and artisanal dim sum sampling while the performance is ongoing. The set that I got was a mix of pastries that are sweet and savoury, along with a pleasant aroma of hot chinese tea.

The full programme usually last for around an hour and 30 minutes. Available at 7.30pm on Wednesdays to Sundays. Current pricing cost between HKD318 to HKD368, it includes performance, tea and dim sum.

Address: 88 Austin Road West, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

Website: https://www.westkowloon.hk/en/XiquCentre

Check out the video for more visuals of Xiqu Centre! 

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