4 reasons to travel to Hong Kong this March

There’s no doubt that March is Hong Kong’s most creative month, and at the heart of the action is the prestigious contemporary art fair Art Basel Hong Kong 2025. Founded in the ’70s, this international showcase pops up annually in Basel, Miami, Paris and Hong Kong, spotlighting top galleries, collectors and artists. This year, Art Basel Hong Kong welcomes 240 galleries from 42 countries and territories, offering an unmissable three-day celebration of contemporary art.

Art Central returns to Hong Kong’s harbourfront for its milestone tenth anniversary, spotlighting the next generation of talent from Asia’s most innovative galleries. This year’s edition introduces Legend, a special exhibition featuring renowned artists from around the world.

For street art lovers, Hong Kong’s biggest street art festival, HKWalls, is taking over the heart of the city. Bringing together local and international artists, the festival will transform Hong Kong with striking murals and original artworks. You can also get involved with workshops, guided tours and artist talks on offer. 

Thanks to vibrant street art initiatives like HKWalls, Hong Kong is home to a wealth of colourful murals waiting to be discovered. Start your journey in Sheung Wan, where a stroll through the chic neighbourhood will reveal a number of striking artworks dotted throughout the area. One must-visit spot is Square Street at Tai Ping Shan, where you’ll see the works of artists from all across the globe within steps of each other.

Wander over to Sai Ying Pun, home to ARTLANE, a vibrant open-air gallery where larger-than-life murals create the perfect backdrop for the ’gram. End your art-filled adventure in Kennedy Town, a once-sleepy residential district that has evolved into a cultural hotspot. You’ll find eye-catching street art alongside a stellar selection of restaurants, cafés, and cocktail bars – perfect for winding down after a day of exploration.

Whether you're in Hong Kong for the first time, or revisiting a favourite work of art, a visit to the city’s best museums should be on your to-do list. Make a start at M+, Asia's global museum of contemporary visual culture, where the works of Spanish artist Pablo Picasso will be showcased alongside Asian contemporary art in the special exhibition Picasso for Asia: A Conversation. While you’re there, snag a ticket to Guo Pei: Fashioning Imagination, the first major exhibition in East Asia dedicated to celebrated Chinese couture artist Guo Pei. 

At the Hong Kong Palace Museum, explore the opulence of two world heritage sites with The Forbidden City and the Palace of Versailles: China-France Cultural Encounters in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. This rare exhibition brings together more than 150 treasures, from imperial portraits to exquisite glassware, for a one-of-a-kind cultural exchange.

Over at Hong Kong Museum of Art, immerse yourself in the world of Impressionism with  Cézanne and Renoir Looking at the World — Masterpieces from the Musée de l’Orangerie and the Musée d’Orsay on display until May. The collection, which features more than 50 masterpieces, marks Hong Kong’s first large-scale exhibition dedicated to the pioneering artists.

Cinephiles should make a stop at the contemporary art centre Para Site, where they’re hosting a group exhibition inspired loosely by Wong Kar-Wai’s 1997 film Happy Together. Or, head to Kai Tak, Kowloon and catch the final months of the Twilight of the Warriors exhibition, which features set pieces from the blockbuster neo-noir martial arts film that quickly became one of Hong Kong’s highest-grossing domestic hits.

Swap brushstrokes for book spines and dive into another creative world at the Hong Kong International Literary Festival, returning for one week this March. Bringing together emerging and established writers, plus book lovers everywhere, this year’s festival features 68 events across the city. Sign up for a talk with Bernadine Evaristo, the Booker Prize-winning author of Girl, Woman, Other; a session with Asako Yuzuki on her thrilling novel Butter; and a writing workshop by Hong Kong author Sonia Leung.