Liang Yi Museum launches the latest initiative, Liang Yi Arts Corridor, a creative solution aimed at bringing together Hong Kong’s art and design industry in a time of difficulty. The new retail concept will provide opportunities for galleries focusing on design, craftsmanship and heritage to open at a prominent location in Hong Kong, and inject a new vitality to Hollywood Road as the destination for local and international visitors hungry for an integrated experience of Hong Kong’s dynamic art scene.  

The second oldest street in Hong Kong, Hollywood Road has long been the must-visit spot for antique-hunters, with establishments filled with exquisite artefacts running the length of the street. Liang Yi Museum’s connection with Hollywood Road dates back to more than three decades ago, when the central collection of the Museum – one of the world’s largest and best-curated collections of Chinese antique furniture – was sourced primarily from the dealers on this very road. It was also a natural choice for the private museum to choose Hollywood Road as its home when it opened in 2014. 

In recent years, however, Hollywood Road has witnessed rapid gentrification, becoming home to a shorter-lived group of coffee shops and trendy restaurants. The pandemic last year brought substantial challenges to the street, with many of these newcomers unable to sustain themselves, and closing shop, thereby lending a ghost-town vibe to the neighbourhood. With the local community’s sustainable development as an integral part of Liang Yi Museum’s long-term strategy, the Museum saw an opportunity to have a direct social impact on the local community by launching the Liang Yi Arts Corridor concept. 

The nine street-level retail spaces directly underneath the Museum have always been Museum property, and with the launch of the Liang Yi Arts Corridor, the Museum will reach out to galleries and design retail concepts that share the same core values. It will charge these tenants half the market rent, alongside a short-term flexible lease. It hopes to not only alleviate the financial burden of the tenants, but also allow these galleries and the Museum to empower each other to thrive together despite the current challenges. To keep the integrity of the Corridor, applications are only open to tenants in arts-related fields.