The West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD, Chinese: 西九文化區) is a large arts development in Hong Kong.

Bamboo theaters were once a staple for honouring and celebrating the Chinese sea goddess Tin Hau and Zhen Jun.

[1] Designed by VPANG + JET + Lisa Cheung, the M+ Pavilion was used to provide exhibition space for M+ prior to the completion of the main museum building.

Designed by Dennis Lau & Ng Chun Man Architects & Engineers with West 8 and ACLA, the park was partially opened in 2017 and fully operational by 2018.

Stepping through the main entrance, shaped to resemble parted stage curtains, visitors are led directly into an atrium with a raised podium and space for presenting Chinese traditional theatre.

A unique feature of the venue is the location of the Grand Theatre at the top of the building, which allows for the large open atrium below.

Freespace, a centre for contemporary performance, has the largest blackbox theatre in Hong Kong, accommodating up to 900 people, as well as other multi-purpose venues designed for creative exchanges, exhibitions and workshops, as well as professional and private meetings and gatherings.

up to is a highly flexible space fully adaptable for small- to medium-sized performances of experimental theatre, dance, parkour[2] multimedia shows and music events, as well as exhibitions.

On 23 December 2016, Carrie Lam, then chair of the WKCDA, announced in Beijing that a new Hong Kong Palace Museum would be built on the southern part of the land originally slated for the Mega Performance Venue and Exhibition Centre.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust donated HK$3.5 billion for the design, construction and exhibition preparation works of the museum.

As of 2021, the Authority was presently considering developing the northern part of the coastal land as a medium-sized multipurpose venue for exhibitions, conventions and performances through privately financed initiatives.

The promenade can be accessed from the east via Museum Drive or via a pedestrian entrance close to the bus station, to the west of the toll booths.

[4] In 1996, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) conducted a survey of visiting tourists, who cited a lack of cultural attractions.

[9] While it required the provision of certain facilities, proponents were allowed considerable freedom, which meant that developers could sell residential and commercial space for profit.

The three conceptual plans were unveiled on 20 August 2010 by the WKCDA: The Stage 2 Public Engagement exercise lasted three months and ran until November 2010.

[19] The WKCD's Stage 3 Public Engagement Exercise began in September 2011 at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre.

[24][25] On 24 March 2010, Graham Sheffield, formerly artistic director of the Barbican Centre, was appointed CEO of the authority on a three-year, HK$3.5 million-a-year contract.

A recruitment exercise to replace Sheffield as CEO was subsequently launched,[28][29] though the impact of these two top-level resignations worried critics.

[4] On 27 May 2011, Michael Lynch, former Chief Executive of the Southbank Centre, was appointed CEO of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority by Tang.

[32] Longtime bureaucrat Betty Fung Ching Suk-yee was subsequently appointed to the post in June 2021, assuming her duties on 15 October 2021 for a term of three years.