HONG KONG’S FIRST CULTURAL VILLA

A New Chapter in
East–West Dialogue

Connecting Cultures, Inspiring Creativity.

Chinese Renaissance

ARCHITECTURAL STYLE

1935

Grade I

FOUNDED

HISTORIC BUILDING

View through a narrow opening of stained glass doors featuring tigers and a lush jungle scene, with the outside visible through the open doors.

— ABOUT THE VILLA

Villa Haw Par is a living cultural landmark at the heart of Hong Kong. Built in 1935 by Aw Boon Haw, the Tiger Balm magnate, this Grade I historic building is being reimagined as a bridge between heritage preservation and contemporary artistic creation, a cultural villa in the lineage of Villa Medici, Villa Albertine, and Villa Kujoyama.

Under the stewardship of the Foundation for Art and Culture (FAC), Villa Haw Par is entrusted with a mandate from the Hong Kong government to develop exhibitions, artist residencies, and international cultural dialogue.

An Embassy
for Culture

Close-up of a traditional Asian-style ceramic roof with green glazed tiles, showing weathering and moss growth.
Close-up of ornate, green ceramic tiles with dragon motifs on a traditional architectural structure, with blurred greenery in the background.

— OUR MISSION

Three Pillars

Colorful stained glass window featuring a pagoda-style building and natural landscape elements.

Heritage

The villa will open as a public cultural site, inviting visitors to engage with its architectural legacy and the history of Hong Kong. Through its spaces and material details, the house becomes a lens onto the city itself.

Colorful stained glass window with abstract floral patterns and vibrant hues of blue, green, yellow, orange, and red.

International Residency

Conceived as a place of creation, the villa will host an international residency programme supporting artistic research and production. Artists will work on site and within a wider network, using the house as an active framework for creation.

Cultural Programming

The villa will present an ambitious programme structured around a focused set of themes. Developed with Hong Kong partners, it spans design, cinema, fashion and the arts, forming a cultural ecosystem grounded in excellence and long-term engagement.

Close-up of a colorful stained glass window featuring abstract shapes with shades of green, blue, orange, red, and yellow, outlined by black lead lines.
Colorful traditional Chinese painting with figures in historical attire and a vibrant backdrop, beneath a decorative green and gold roof.

HERITAGE

Villa Haw Par

Black and white photo of a street with vintage cars, trees, and buildings, with a multi-story pagoda on a hill in the background.
Black and white photo of a street with vintage cars, trees, and buildings, with a multi-story pagoda on a hill in the background.
1935

Aw Boon Haw builds Haw Par Mansion in the Chinese Renaissance style.胡文虎以中國文藝復興風格建造虎豹別墅。Aw Boon Haw construit le Manoir dans le style Renaissance chinoise.


1954

Following Aw Boon Haw's passing, the mansion enters institutional stewardship.胡文虎辭世,別墅進入機構管理。Le manoir entre en gestion institutionnelle.


2009

Classified Grade I Historic Building by Hong Kong's Antiquities Advisory Board.被列為一級歷史建築。Classé bâtiment historique Grade I.


2025

Foundation for Art and Culture awarded a government mandate.FAC獲得三年政府委託。La FAC reçoit un mandat de trois ans.


2026

Set to open as Hong Kong's first cultural villa.作為香港首座文化別墅正式開幕。Ouverture en première villa culturelle de Hong Kong.

Partners & Institutional Support

Interested in partnering with Villa Haw Par?