Hong Kong Science Museum is situated in a suitably futuristic-looking building on the eastern fringes of the Tsim Sha Tsui district, and has managed in a short time - despite its slightly outlying location - to become one of the city's most popular sights.
Children are likely to find it especially appealing. You could happily spend several hours exploring its three floors, the Science Museum showcases over 500 interesting exhibits, 80 percent of which are hands-on and offer an insight into a wide range of science-related subjects. The exhibition covers many areas of science and technology, including robotics, transportation, virtual reality and more. The most prominent exhibit is the 22-m high twin-tower Energy Machine that is the largest of its kind in the world. A total of 18 galleries cover a wide range of science and technology topics including light, sound, motion, electricity and magnetism, mathematics, life science, geography, meteorology, computer, transportation, communication, food science, energy and home technology.
Almost anything with an even vaguely scientific bent qualifies for attention. The workings of the most basic everyday appliances are explained - items from your kitchen or bathroom, for example - as are the intricacies of more advanced disciplines such as robotics and computer science. Special attention is paid to branches of technology beloved of Hongkong people, notably cellular phones and fax machines: the city has the world's highest per capita number of cellular phones and pagers - 680,000 in 1995, or one for every five people - and the world's second highest rate of fax penetration (over 270,000 dedicated lines). Scientific history is not forgotten, however, and the museum's exhibits include a miniature submarine, several early computers and the DC3 aeroplane that launched the now famous Cathay Pacific airline.
