Madame Tussauds Hong Kong

Madame Tussauds Hong Kong is a wax museum situated in the Peak Tower on Hong Kong Island. It opened in 2000 and was the first branch of the Madame Tussauds museum to be established in Asia. The museum features approximately 100 wax figures, including a substantial number representing Asian personalities, with sixteen figures originating from Hong Kong. The exhibits are arranged into themed zones, such as Hong Kong Glamour, Music Icons, Historical and National Heroes, The Champions, and World Premiere.

History

In the late 1990s, Madame Tussauds operated museums in several major cities, including London, Amsterdam and Las Vegas. However, the AsiaÃ¢ÂÂPacific region remained unrepresented. In response, the Tussauds Group launched a touring exhibition titled Madame Tussaud's Touring Attraction, which visited Singapore and Australia and received a positive public response. Encouraged by the reception, the Group selected Hong Kong as the location for its first permanent venue in Asia, citing its strategic proximity to regional markets.

Madame Tussauds Hong Kong opened in 2000 at The Peak, with a large collection of wax figures representing notable individuals from around the world, as well as prominent Hong Kong celebrities. More than one-third of the exhibits portray Asian personalities. The museum has regularly hosted figure unveiling ceremonies, often attended by the celebrities themselves and their fans. In 2005, the venue underwent a significant renovation costing (). The facility reopened on 18 May 2006, with the renovation having the exhibition area by across three floors and introduced five themed zones. These include Hong Kong Glamour, Music Icons, Historical and National Heroes, The Champions, and World Premiere, where visitors can interact with figures in immersive settings.

, the museum is managed by Bret Pidgeon, who also oversees the Shanghai branch. Pidgeon previously served at Madame Tussauds New York for eight years. The Hong Kong location is accessible by minibus, taxi, or the Peak Tram from Central. It operates daily from 10:30 AM to 9:30 PM.

Wax figure making process

Creating a wax figure involves multiple sittings with the celebrity, during which a sculptor from Madame Tussauds Studios records details such as hair and eye colour and takes over 500 body measurements. The primary objective is to capture the subject's likeness and personality accurately. A clay model is initially sculpted and used to create a mould. Wax casts of the head and hands are produced, into which hand-painted acrylic eyes are inserted. Real human hair is applied strand by strand for realism.

The figure is then coloured using a mixture of oil, water, and acrylic. The body is cast in fibreglass, to which the wax head and hands are attached. Clothing is often donated by the celebrity, and the pose, facial expression, and styling aim to ensure maximum authenticity. Each figure takes approximately six months to complete and involves a team of around 20 artists. The cost per figure is estimated at .

Unique figures

Several figures at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong are notable for their innovation or cultural significance:

The figure of Miriam Yeung (unveiled November 2006) Ã¢ÂÂ the first wax figure globally to feature built-in sensors that allow it to giggle, reflecting Yeung's well-known lively personality.
The figure of Connie Chan (unveiled August 2006) Ã¢ÂÂ the first figure dressed in full traditional Chinese regalia. The costume was inspired by her role in the musical Only You, set in the Yuan Dynasty.
The figure of Bae Yong-joon (unveiled May 2006) Ã¢ÂÂ the first Korean celebrity to be represented in a Madame Tussauds museum.
The figure of Andy Lau (unveiled April 2005) Ã¢ÂÂ the museum's first animatronic figure, made from silicone rather than wax. Lau's model features a heartbeat mechanism inspired by a similar animatronic installed for Brad Pitt in the Madame Tussauds Amsterdam.

Featured personalities

The list of featured celebrities sorted according to on-site themes are:

Hong Kong Glamour

Jackie Chan
Jay Chou
Bruce Lee
Michelle Yeoh
Ayumi Hamasaki
Brad Pitt
Cher
Eddie Murphy
Elle Macpherson
GÃÂ©rard Depardieu
Hugh Grant
Joanna Lumley
Kelly Chen
Mel Gibson
Meryl Streep
Naomi Campbell
Cecilia Cheung
Aaron Kwok
Angelababy
Johnny Depp
Carina Lau
Li Bingbing
Kendall Jenner
Hu Ge
Leo Wu
Huang Xiaoming
Leo Ku (added on 4 April 2007)
Janice Vidal (added on 18 July 2007)
Angelina Jolie (added on 27 Sep 2007)
Donnie Yen (added on 30 April 2010)
Jet Li (added on 28 Sep 2010)
Louis Koo (added on 28 January 2011)
Kim Woo-bin (added on 22 Sep 2018)
Pia Wurtzbach (the first Filipino wax figure to join the list on 25 March 2019)
Jackson Wang (added on 29 July 2019)
Zhu Yilong (added on 20 September 2021)
Cate Blanchett (added on 10 August 2022)
Catriona Gray (the third Filipino celebrity wax figure added on 7 September 2023)
Chris Hemsworth (added on 23 October 2023)
Elon Musk (added on 25 April 2024)
Anne Curtis (the fourth Filipino celebrity wax figure added on 9 December 2024)

The Sports Champions

David Beckham
Lee Lai Shan
Muhammad Ali
Yao Ming
Chiyonofuji Mitsugu
Liu Xiang
Tiger Woods
Ronaldinho (added in December 2007)
Stephen Curry
Maria Sharapova
Wayne Rooney
Alexander Ovechkin
Li Na
Su Yiming
Lee Chong Wei
Sun Yang
Cristiano Ronaldo
Manny Pacquiao (the second Filipino celebrity wax figure added on 24 November 2021)

Historical figures and national heroes

Diana, Princess of Wales
Luciano Pavarotti
Mahatma Gandhi
Nelson Mandela
Bill Clinton
George W. Bush
Barack Obama (added on 20 January 2009)
Mikhail Gorbachev
Saddam Hussein
Yasser Arafat
Tony Blair
The Duke of Edinburgh
Elizabeth II
Charles III
Camilla
The Princess Royal
Prince of Wales (added on 7 Aug 2007)
Princess of Wales (added on 5 Oct 2013)
Adolf Hitler
Sir Winston Churchill
Julia Gillard
Yayoi Kusama (added on 19 October 2016)
Rembrandt van Rijn
Pablo Picasso
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Deng Xiaoping
Jiang Zemin
Li Ka Shing
Lee Kuan Yew
Shigeru Yoshida
Hu Jintao
Albert Einstein
John Howard
Marie Tussaud
Sun Yat-sen (added in July 2007)
Mao Zedong (added in July 2007)
Yang Liwei (added in July 2007)
Donald Tsang (added on 7 April 2008)
Narendra Modi
Sukarno (became the second statue of Sukarno, the first statue of Sukarno was in Madame Tussauds Bangkok, added on 5 June 2014)
Joko Widodo (added on 1 May 2017)
William Shakespeare
Donald Trump (added on 26 April 2018)
Leonardo da Vinci
Steve Jobs
Bill Gates
Xi Jinping (added on 16 September 2017)
Peng Liyuan (added on 16 September 2017)

World Premiere

Musicians

Madame Tussauds Shanghai

Madame Tussauds' second Asian location was established in Shanghai following the city's growing status as a cultural and tourist hub in East Asia. In early 2004, the Tussauds Group entered discussions with local authorities, resulting in an agreement to open a new museum. Madame Tussauds Shanghai () opened on 1 May 2006 on the 10th floor of the New World Department Store on West Nanjing Road.

The Shanghai venue currently features approximately 75 wax figures of both Chinese and international celebrities, with additional expansion phases planned. The museum is divided into seven themed zones: Glamour, Behind the Scenes, History and Heroes, Music, Film, Speed, and Sport. It operates daily from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Admission is () for adults and students. Shanghai became the sixth Madame Tussauds museum worldwide, following those in London, Amsterdam, Las Vegas, New York, and Hong Kong.

References

External links