Hong Kong Maritime Museum

Description:

• Shoppers in need of a break (or their companions in need of a break from fellow shoppers) might find respite in this museum near Stanley Market. It's located in the historic 1846 Murray House, which once stood in Central but was dismantled in the early 1980s and reassembled here on the Stanley waterfront. The museum is divided into two galleries: The Ancient Gallery follows the development of Chinese vessels, from war boats and trading ships to Chinese junks, while the Modern Gallery concentrates on the evolution of Hong Kong's shipping industry and how that industry has changed with the arrival of bulk carriers, tankers, and container ships. Visitors can steer a container ship in a bridge simulator, see memorabilia from the golden age of ocean steamers, and listen via headphones to a former waiter describe his life working on passenger cargo lines. I was particularly captivated by the 50-some boat models on display, all wonderfully crafted down to the minutest details. Depending on your interest, you'll spend 45 to 60 minutes here.

• © Frommer's 2012