Kwai Tsing Theatre () is a major performance venue in

Kwai Chung Kwai Chung is an urban area within Tsuen Wan New Town in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Together with Tsing Yi Island, it is part of the Kwai Tsing District District of Hong Kong. It is also part of Tsuen Wan New Town. In 2000, it had a populat ...

New Territories The New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory, and contains around half of the population of Hong Kong. Historically, it ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

. It is located in

Kwai Fong Kwai Fong is an area of Kwai Chung Town, Kwai Tsing District, Hong Kong. Location The mainly residential area extends to Kwai Hing () in the north, Lai King in the south, Tsing Yi South Bridge, Tsing Yi Bridge to the west, and Tai Lin Pai ...

, near

MTR station. It was built by the Regional Council and opened on 18 November 1999 to provide a medium-size venue for performances. It has an 899-seat auditorium, a black box theatre, and various smaller function rooms.

History

A working group appointed by the Recreation and Culture Select Committee of the former Regional Council presented a report, on 13 May 1989, that observed "a dearth of purpose-built, well-located, medium-sized civic centres" in the council's service area. As a result, the council began studying building such a venue within Kwai Tsing District. On 31 May 1990, the council approved, in principle, the provision of a new civic centre in Kwai Tsing District. In the planning stages it was called the Kwai Tsing Civic Centre. Construction began in 1994. The theatre was planned and designed by the

Architectural Services Department The Architectural Services Department is a department of the Government of Hong Kong responsible for the design and construction of many public facilities throughout the territory. It is subordinate to the Works Branch of the Development Bu ...

, a department of the Hong Kong Government. It was engineered by

Ove Arup & Partners Arup (officially Arup Group Limited) is a British multinational professional services firm headquartered in London which provides design, engineering, architecture, planning, and advisory services across every aspect of the built environment ...

and built by

China International Water & Electric Corporation China International Water & Electric Corporation (abbreviated CWE) is a Chinese construction and engineering consulting company that is a subsidiary of China Three Gorges Corporation (CTE). CWE specializes in the construction of water and hydropow ...

. The theatre was officially opened by

Lau Wong-fat Lau Wong-fat, GBM, GBS, OBE, JP (; 15 October 1936 – 23 July 2017) was a Hong Kong businessman and politician. He had been the long-time chairman of the Rural Council, the most powerful organ representing the interests of the New Territo ...

, chairman of the Provisional Regional Council, on 18 November 1999. It cost HK$468 million. Since 2000, the theatre has been managed by the

Leisure and Cultural Services Department The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), is a department in the Government of Hong Kong. It reports to the Culture, Sports & Tourism Bureau, headed by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism. It provides leisure and cultural ...

(LCSD). In early 2008, the exhibition gallery was converted into the LCSD's first

black box theatre A black box theater is a simple performance space, typically a square room with black walls and a flat floor. The simplicity of the space allows it to be used to create a variety of configurations of stage and audience interaction. The black ...

. The renovation was completed in response to local arts groups concerned by the shortage of smaller performance venues in Hong Kong.

Features

* Auditorium (899 seats) * Black box theatre (130-160 seats) * Dance studio * Lecture room (98 removable seats) * Outdoor plaza * Rehearsal room * Restaurant

Notable events

On 2 September 2010, following the

Manila hostage crisis The Manila hostage crisis, officially known as the Rizal Park hostage-taking incident, took place when a disgruntled former Philippine National Police officer named Rolando Mendoza hijacked a tourist bus in Rizal Park, Manila, Philippines, on A ...

, the

Hong Thai Travel Services Hong Thai Travel Services () was one of the largest travel agencies in Hong Kong. It was founded in 1966 and at its peak had employees in more than 30 sales offices, located in Hong Kong, Macao, China (Guangdong Province), United States, Canada ...

organised a public memorial service at the theatre for killed tour leader (謝廷駿), who was posthumously awarded the

Medal for Bravery (Gold) Medal for Bravery (Gold) (Chinese language, Chinese: 金英勇勳章, MBG) is the first Medal for Bravery rank of the Hong Kong honours system. It is awarded for acts of gallantry of the greatest possible heroism or of the most conspicuous coura ...

for gallantry during the standoff.

Transport

The Kwai Tsing Theatre is located opposite

Kwai Fong station Kwai Fong () is an elevated railway station on of Hong Kong's MTR system. Opened on 10 May 1982, it is located between and stations. Named after Kwai Fong Estate, a large public housing estate to its northeast, Kwai Fong, the neighbourhoo ...

of the

Mass Transit Railway The Mass Transit Railway (MTR) is a major public transport network serving :Hong Kong. Operated by the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL), it consists of heavy rail, light rail, and feeder bus service centred on a 10-line rapid transit network ...

(MTR).

References

External links