The plan for the day was to have a picnic at Hong Kong Park and then visit the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware for the first time.

The Hong Kong Park

A very popular public space, the Hong Kong Park was built in 1991 with support from the Jockey Club. The park cost HK $398 million to build and covers a total area of 80,000 square meters.

On this day the decorations for the Lunar New Year of 2024 were present and the atmosphere is very festive. The Hong Kong Park is well-maintained and themed decorations appear during the main festivals, including the Lunar New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival. They make wonderful photographs both during the day and at night.

In the early spring the flowers are already blooming in the well-manicured garden space. I always stop and enjoy the ambience at the pond. It was therapeutic just to take a moment at the benches by the pond. On this day I had a picnic there.

The only drawback, however, were the mosquitoes.

The Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware

The History of the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware

The Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware is a Declared Monument inside the Hong Kong Park. Construction for the Flagstaff House completed in 1846, and it is the oldest surviving western styled building in Hong Kong.

When it began its first chapter, the Flagstaff House was named the Headquarters House. Its first occupant was Major-General Goerge Charles D’Aguilar, whose name is now borne by Cape D’Aguilar and the D’Aguilar Lighthouse. As the Commander of British Troops in China, D’Aguilar was a military officer when he arrived in Hong Kong in 1843. In 1844, he was appointed the Leutenant Governor of Hong Kong, and the Headquarter House was built specifically as his residence.

In 1932, the building was renamed the Flagstaff House, but it served as the residence of the Commander of British Forces until 1978. During the Japanese Occupation years, the Japanese imperial forces also used it as the residence for its military commander in Hong Kong.

The beautiful building became the Museum of Tea Ware in 1984. In 1991, when the Hong Kong Park opened, the Museum of Tea Ware became the classy resident in the well-landscaped public garden.

The Exhibition at the Museum of Tea Ware

Since 1984, the Flagstaff House has become the Museum of Tea Ware with donated exhibits from the collection of Dr. Kwee Seong Lo, the founder of Vitasoy. A tour of this museum will enable visitors a view of the interiors of the Flagstaff House, and it is very worthwhile.

In terms of exhibition, the collection there features tea ware, such as teapots and teacups, from the ancient times of China. The earliest such teapots came as far back as the Tang Dynasty, and for each of the following dynasties, there were exhibits showing the artistic and historic aspects of tea drinking.

The exhibit halls are accessible on both stories of the building. I tended to like the interior of the Flagstaff House more so than its exterior. The large rooms all come with colonial-era fireplaces, and lined with thick carpets in red. With very high ceilings, the building is representative of the best of colonial-style architecture.

I can imagine how this museum will be an incredibly soothing spot for a short rest during the hot summer months of Hong Kong. Stop by here for the air conditioning in a calm, learned environment that comes with the appreciation of a thousand-year meditative practice.

There is no entry fee required to enter the Museum of Tea Ware. A quick tour will take some 30 to 45 minutes there.

The Architecture of the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware

The building is built in the Greek Revival style.

This colonial era building was built in the Greek style. As with other typical colonial-era buildings in Hong Kong, the classy deep verandas served the purpose of ventilation. The tall white pillars line the veranda, in uniformity with the pillars on the top floor lining the balcony. The windows have wooden frames and the main entrance door has an arched top.

I found the two staircases to be incredibly beautiful. As said above, there are colonial-era fireplaces in all of the rooms.

The structure has been carefully restored to preserve its original appearance in the 19^th century. The ambience is serene, elegant and nostalgic.

The K.S. Lo Tea Gallery and Lokcha Teahouse

Next door to the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware, there lies a building featuring the K.S. Lo Tea Gallery. This structure was built to the style of the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware. On site is also the Lokcha Teahouse, which serves vegetarian dim sum and tea. An addition built in 1995, the K.S. Lo Tea Gallery was designed with colonial-style architecture on the exterior but intentional Chinese décor in its interior.

Sources

The Wikipedia on the Hong Kong Park.

Descriptions on site at the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware.

The Wikipedia on George Charles d’Aguilar.

The Wikipedia on the Flagstaff House, Hong Kong.