The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre or HKCEC, is a major event and exhibition venue in Hong Kong. Located in Wan Chai North facing the Victoria Harbour, it is one of the Hong Kong landmarks.

Every year, HKCEC hosts over 45 international trade fairs for visitors from all over the world every year including leather, watch and clock, giftware, toys, fashion, jewellery, electronics and optical products. Some of the exhibitions are the largest in Asia and in the world. HKCEC has been recognized as one of the Best Convention and Exhibition Centres in Asia and around the globe.

Additionally, it was also featured in popular culture. Until now, HKCEC is the setting of three movies which are New Police Story (2004) starring Jackie Chan, Gen-X Cops (1999) and Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014).

While you may have been to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, you may not know that Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, hosted the groundbreaking ceremony in 1986. Eleven years later, the Hong Kong handover ceremony also took place here.

Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre Phase I, II and III

The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center currently has two Phases. They were opened in the late 1980’s and the late 1990’s respectively.

• HKCEC Phase I (the old wing)

The opening ceremony was held by Sir David Wilson, the Governor of Hong Kong (1987 – 1992) in 1988. HKCEC was officially opened by Prince Charles a year later.

The first phase is a 7-storey building with conference rooms and halls, lecture halls, exhibition halls and a restaurant. HKCEC even had the world’s largest glass curtain wall at that time.

HKCEC is actually a complex building with Convention Plaza, Renaissance Harbour View Hotel Hong Kong, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong and Harbour View Apartments on top of it.

• HKCEC Phase II (the new wing)

Phase Two was constructed from 1994 to 1997 featuring a bird-like rooftop. It was argued that the new wing was in imitation of the Sydney Opera House (I leave it to you to decide it). You can have a better look at it on the opposite side of the Harbour at Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade.

Phase Two was connected to Phase One with an overhead walkway across the sea originally. To cope with increasing demand, an expansion project took place from mid-2006 to 2009. Now the atrium connecting the two Phases has become an expanded exhibition hall.

You may also visit the Golden Bauhinia Square and the Reunification Monument right outside the harbour-facing side of Phase Two.

• HKCEC Phase III

A Phase III expansion of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre at a nearby reclaimed land is expected in the near future.

HKCEC Restaurants

There are over 5 restaurants in HKCEC with a number of concession stands open during mega exhibitions.

• Congress Plus – Deluxe International Seafood Dinner Buffet
• Golden Bauhinia – Authentic Cantonese Delicacies
• New Shanghai – Traditional Shanghainese Cuisine
• Harbour Kitchen – Classic Hong Kong-style café, Cha Chaan Teng
• Harbour Road Café – Excellent Quality Coffee and Light Bites

Open during Major Exhibitions only:

• Traders – Italian and Asian Delicacies
• Port Café – Cosmopolitan Buffet
• Concession Stands – Convenient and Instant Chinese and Western food and beverage

HKCEC MTR Exit and more

• MTR Wan Chai Station Exit A5, walk along the footbridge of O’Brien Road, pass through Immigration Tower and Central Plaza to get there.
• MTR Exhibition Station (Expected 2021)
• Star Ferry: HKCEC, Wan Chai – Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui

• HKCEC Events: https://www.hkcec.com/
• Interactive HKCEC Floor Plan/Map: https://www.hkcec.com/en/virtual-tour

Have you been to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre? What are your favourite fairs and/or restaurants? Please feel free to leave us comments or contact us if you have any questions.

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