In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Tai Kwun is the former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison on Hollywood Road, now a heritage and arts centre with 16 restored buildings and two modern additions. The compound is open 08:00 to 23:00, JC Contemporary 11:00 to 19:00, Tuesday to Sunday. PMQ, on Aberdeen Street, is the former Police Married Quarters turned design studios, with studios and shops open 12:00 to 19:00 and cafes and restaurants 09:00 to 23:00. They are five minutes apart on foot. Or book a tour: Hong Kong City Highlights Tour with Peak Tram Ridead (from HK$619, 4.4 stars from 49 reviews) takes in Tai Kwun and Central Market on a guided half-day.
Tai Kwun and PMQ at a glance
| Tai Kwun | PMQ | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison | Former Police Married Quarters, now design studios |
| Address | 10 Hollywood Road, Central | 35 Aberdeen Street, Central |
| Hours | Compound 08:00 to 23:00; Visitor Centre 10:00 to 20:00; JC Contemporary 11:00 to 19:00 (Tue to Sun); heritage exhibitions 11:00 to 19:00, Main Heritage Gallery and Operation Central from 10:00 | Studios and shops 12:00 to 19:00; cafes and restaurants 09:00 to 23:00 |
| Highlights | Parade Ground, Barrack Block, Central Magistracy courtroom, Victoria Gaol | Studios in the two residential blocks, the Qube courtyard, a tunnel through the foundations of the old Victoria College |
Tai Kwun’s hours are from its visiting page; PMQ’s are from pmq.org.hk.
The Central Magistracy at Tai Kwun. Photo: Wpcpey, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Tai Kwun
Tai Kwun means “Big Station” in Cantonese. Its historical timeline runs from 1841, when Captain William Caine was appointed Chief Magistrate with power to police and detain. The first Central Police Station moved to the current site in 1864, the third Central Magistracy was built in 1914, and a new Police Headquarters Block with the facade on Hollywood Road followed in 1919. In 1995 the Central Police Station, the Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison were declared monuments. The centre has 16 restored buildings and two modern additions (buildings).
- Parade Ground: the open square at the heart of the compound, framed by the Barrack Block and the Police Headquarters Block.
- Victoria Gaol: the timeline records Ho Chi Minh being arrested in Hong Kong and spending part of his detention there between 1931 and 1933.
- Central Magistracy: the courtroom exhibition below shows how a hearing ran.
- JC Contemporary: the contemporary art gallery, open Tuesday to Sunday.
The Footbridge Gate on Hollywood Road at Old Bailey Street connects straight to the Central to Mid-Levels Escalator; the other gates are on Old Bailey Street and Hollywood Road (Pottinger Gate, with lift access) (visit).
A courtroom exhibition in the Central Magistracy. Photo: Wpcpey, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
PMQ
PMQ stands on the grounds of Queen’s College, built on the site in 1889. After the Second World War damage, the buildings were replaced in 1951 with quarters for junior police officers, and in April 2014 the complex opened as a creative hub (Wikipedia). The former flats are now design studios, shops and restaurants. A tunnel lets visitors pass through the foundations of the former Victoria College.
A block of studios at PMQ. Photo: Tpechncoam, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Tours that include Tai Kwun
Tai Kwun and PMQ are free to walk round, so a tour pays only for a guide’s story and a route. These GetYourGuide products pass through Central.
City highlights with a tram ride
From HK$619 · 4.4 stars from 49 reviews · 3.5 hours · free cancellation
Hong Kong: City Highlights Tour with Peak Tram Ridead: a guided half-day through Chi Lin Nunnery, Wong Tai Sin Temple, Central Market and Tai Kwun, ending with the Peak Tram. Book at least four hours ahead.
Priority tram, city walk and dim sum
From HK$620 · 4.4 stars from 593 reviews · 5 to 7 hours · free cancellation
Hong Kong Day Tour: Priority Peak Tram, City Walk & Dim Sumad: a walk through Old Town Central past the outdoor escalator, Tai Kwun, Hollywood Road and Man Mo Temple, a dim sum tasting and priority boarding on the Peak Tram. Hotel pick-up is available.
Heritage walk through Central
From HK$459 · 4.5 stars from 28 reviews · 3 to 4 hours · free cancellation
Hong Kong Heritage - Past to Presentad: a heritage tour among historic buildings in Central, with a private option and pick-up. The listing does not name Tai Kwun, so read the itinerary for the stops. Book at least ten hours ahead.
Getting there
Tai Kwun’s own directions: from Central Station Exit D1 (Wheelock House), walk along Queen’s Road Central towards Sheung Wan, turn left at Queen Victoria Street and reach Tai Kwun by the escalator in 100QRC and the Central to Mid-Levels Escalator. From Hong Kong Station Exit E (One IFC), the Central elevated walkway leads to the former Central Market and the escalator. Citybus 12, 12M, 13 and 26 stop on Hollywood Road. There is no car parking inside the compound (visit).
PMQ is a short walk west along Hollywood Road. For a longer route from Central to Sheung Wan, see the Central to Sheung Wan walk, and for more no-cost sights see free things to do in Hong Kong. The other waterfront walk is Tsim Sha Tsui to West Kowloon.
Common questions
What is Tai Kwun in Hong Kong?
Tai Kwun is the former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison in Central, reopened as a heritage and arts centre. It has 16 restored buildings and two modern additions (taikwun.hk), among them JC Contemporary, an art gallery.
What are the opening hours at Tai Kwun?
The compound is open 08:00 to 23:00 and the Visitor Centre 10:00 to 20:00. JC Contemporary is open 11:00 to 19:00, Tuesday to Sunday. The heritage exhibitions are open 11:00 to 19:00, with the Main Heritage Gallery and Operation Central opening at 10:00.
What are the opening hours at PMQ?
Studios and shops at PMQ open 12:00 to 19:00, and its cafes and restaurants 09:00 to 23:00, with individual studios and shops listing their own hours on pmq.org.hk.
How do you get to Tai Kwun from Central MTR?
From Central Station Exit D1 walk along Queen's Road Central, turn left at Queen Victoria Street, and reach Tai Kwun by the escalator in 100QRC and the Central to Mid-Levels Escalator. The Footbridge Gate at Hollywood Road and Old Bailey Street connects directly to the escalator. From Hong Kong Station Exit E, the Central elevated walkway leads to the former Central Market and the escalator.
Who was held in Victoria Prison?
Tai Kwun's timeline records that Ho Chi Minh, the future Vietnamese leader, was arrested in Hong Kong and spent part of his detention in Victoria Gaol between 1931 and 1933.
