Hong Kong, Beyond the Fair

Angelle Siyang-Li is the director of Art Basel Hong Kong, a position she has grown into over more than a decade with the organisation. Originally from China, she joined Art Basel in a junior capacity and progressed through curatorial and managerial roles as the Hong Kong fair established itself as a central player in the global art market.

Her trajectory mirrors the expansion of the fair’s regional significance and the increasing prominence of Asian markets within it. Here, she maps Hong Kong for visitors to the fair, from where to eat, how to access a wider cross-section of the city’s cultural life and where to hike, surf and switch off.

If someone wanted to understand Hong Kong through food, where would you take them first? Which restaurants or street-food spots do locals swear by?

Hong Kong is structured around food. It is where people meet, where much of our social life takes place. The range and consistency are unusually high.

A useful entry point is the cha chaan teng – a diner-style tea café specific to Hong Kong. These spaces reflect the city’s layered history, combining Cantonese cuisine with traces of British and European influence. You see this in small details – dishes such as “French toast” that bear little resemblance to their namesakes.

In Wan Chai, near the fair, there is a small cha chaan teng called My Cup of Tea. It is highly local – minimal English, fast turnover – but it serves a lovely version of Hong Kong milk tea. Typical dishes include pineapple buns with their crisp tops, and char siu pork on rice.

For dim sum, Dim Sum Corner remains reliable. It is family-run, longstanding and consistent. Much of the food is made on site. These are not destination restaurants, but they are very much part of the city’s daily rhythms.

What neighbourhood restaurant do you return to again and again – the place that feels most like “your” Hong Kong?

In Wan Chai, I return to Always Joy. It sits between Japanese and Cantonese cuisine, and reflects how many restaurants in Hong Kong tend to lean towards hybrid forms.

The space is compact, with an open kitchen and a long communal table that can be reconfigured for big groups. What distinguishes it is its atmosphere: the staff are friendly, the chef is visible and the room encourages interaction. It is informal but very deliberate in its approach.

Angelle Siyang-Le, Director, Art Basel Hong Kong. Courtesy Art Basel.

Which small or under-the-radar galleries should collectors seek out while in the city?

Several smaller galleries operate at the edges of the city’s more visible art infrastructure. Double Q Gallery focuses on artists from Central Asia and Eastern Europe – regions that remain underrepresented in Hong Kong. Its programme introduces a different set of art historical references to the Hong Kong context.

Flowers Gallery in Hong Kong operates independently from its London counterpart in curatorial terms, with a programme centred on Asian artists. It has contributed to extending the visibility of artists such as Movana Chan beyond the city.

Current Plans is more experimental. It established its reputation through durational and open-access projects in a smaller Kowloon space, and remains closely connected to the local artist community, operating largely through word of mouth.

Is there an artist studio, collective or informal creative commune in Hong Kong that captures something unique about how artists live and work in the city today?

Hong Kong’s cultural infrastructure has expanded significantly over the past decade. In that time, Wong Chuk Hang has developed into the city's gallery district, with industrial spaces that support larger-scale and experimental work. Central continues to house international galleries.

More independent activity can be found in Sham Shui Po, where artist-run spaces sit alongside local markets. Fo Tan remains an important area for studios, while organisations such as JCCAC provide subsidised workspaces and shared facilities.

The Cattle Depot Artist Village is particularly indicative: a former industrial space repurposed for studios and exhibitions, reflecting the adaptive use of space that characterises much of Hong Kong’s cultural life.

What is your favourite view of the city – somewhere that captures Hong Kong’s scale and energy but that visitors often miss?

Hong Kong is often known for its density, but much of the territory is mountainous and coastal.

Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park offers a view across the harbour towards the West Kowloon Cultural District, including views of M+ and the Palace Museum while also functioning as an everyday public space.

A second perspective comes from the coastline. Big Wave Bay, around 30 minutes from Central, presents a very different rhythm to the city. The shift from the formality of the financial district to a village environment is immediate.

Ota Fine Arts. Courtesy of Art Basel

Which neighbourhood best reflects the Hong Kong you personally love – the place where the city’s culture feels most alive?

It is less a single neighbourhood than the movement between them. Hong Kong operates through contrast: Central’s commercial intensity, Wong Chuk Hang’s industrial gallery spaces, the more localised environments of Sham Shui Po. That ability to move quickly between different conditions is central to how culture develops here.

If someone wanted to understand Hong Kong beyond its skyline and financial reputation – through its artists, neighbourhoods and communities – where would you tell them to begin?

With focus. If you try and approach the city too broadly, it will feel overwhelming.

But if you direct your attention – towards food, specific neighbourhoods or artistic communities – it becomes possible to understand how different systems operate in relation to one another.

Hong Kong’s global profile is well established, but its local structures are equally significant. Engaging with both is necessary to understand the city in full.