Madame Tussauds Hong Kong

Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, part of the renowned chain of wax museums founded by Marie Tussaud of France, is located at the Peak Tower on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It is the first and one of the only two permanent Madame Tussauds museums in Asia, the other being the Shanghai branch, which opened in 2006.

The Madame Tussauds Hong Kong branch houses nearly 100 wax figures of internationally-known personalities, with Asian figures taking up more than a third of the total, of which sixteen were Hong Kongers.; The wax figures are featured in a range of themed settings such as Hong Kong Glamour, Music Icons, Historical and National Heroes, The Champions and World Premiere.

History

The Peak Tower at Victoria Peak, Hong Kong; In the late 1990s, Madame Tussauds had outlets spanning worldwide in major cities such as London, Amsterdam and Las Vegas, but none was in the Asia-Pacific region. When the "Madame Tussaud's Touring Attraction" ran in Asian cities of Singapore and Australia, proving to be highly popular, the Tussauds Group decided to open a permanent outlet in Asia in order to cater to such demand, and Hong Kong was chosen for its proximity to the Asian markets.

Madame Tussauds Hong Kong opens at The Peak in 2000, and features nearly 100 wax figures of internationally-known personalities and local celebrities to date — with Asian figures taking up more than a third of the total, of which sixteen were Hong Kongers. Asian celebrities and superstars have often graced the unveiling of their wax likenesses with sizable groups of their fans tagging along. In September 2005, it began its renovation in its effort to bring an interactive and immersive entertainment experience to visitors. It re-opened at a cost of HK$20 million (US$2.6 million) on 18 May 2006, adding a further 700 square metres (7,500 sq ft) of exhibition space on three floors and five themed areas.

Visitors can journey through the attraction, stopping to mingle with the 'stars' in a range of themed settings including Hong Kong Glamour, Music Icons, Historical and National Heroes, The Champions and World Premiere.

Wax figure making process

The wax likeness of singer and movie star Andy Lau; In over one or more sittings, a highly skilled sculptor from Madame Tussauds Studios who is given direct access to the celebrity will record the colours of the hair and eyes, and over 500 precise body measurements are referenced.; Most important is to capture the look of the celebrity in order to reflect the personality of each unique individual. The next task is to make a clay model of the head and body which is used to create a mould. Wax cast of the head and hands are made from the mould, and the eyes are inserted. Each eye is hand-painted to achieve a perfect match of the original. Real human hair is then inserted painstakingly strand by strand.

The head and hands are coloured using a blend of oil, water and acrylic colour. From the mould, the body is cast in fibreglass, and the head and hands are fitted to the fiberglass body and dressed in clothes that are often donated by the celebrity. The pose, clothes and expression on the face all contribute to making the figure as realistic as possible. The whole process usually takes up to six months by a team of 20 people to create and cost about HK$1 million each.;

Unique figures

Teresa Teng, Asia pop-singer extraordinaire; The figure of Miriam Yeung, unveiled on November 2006, is the first in the world designed to giggle via in-built sensors. Miriam is well-known for her fun-loving and bubbly personality, and Madame Tussauds want to capture that essence in her figure.

The figure of Connie Chan, unveiled on August 2006, was the first figure to appear in full Chinese regalia. The model's costume was inspired by the musical Only You, set in the Yuan Dynasty, in which Chan formerly starred in.

The figure of Bae Yong Joon, unveiled on May 2006, is the first Korean star to be included in a Madame Tussauds exhibition.

The figure of Andy Lau, unveiled on April 2005, was the outlet first animatronic model that was crafted out of silicone rather than wax. Lau's animatronic heartbeat was modelled on a similar system installed in a replica of Brad Pitt at 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; Gérard Depardieu; Hugh Grant; Joanna Lumley; Kelly Chen; Mel Gibson; Meryl Streep; Naomi Campbell; Cecilia Cheung; Aaron Kwok; 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)

The Champions

David Beckham; Lee Lai Shan; Muhammad Ali; Yao Ming; Chiyonofuji Mitsugu; Liu Xiang; Tiger Woods; Ronaldinho (added on December 2007)

Historical and National Figures

Leslie Cheung; Princess Diana; Luciano Pavarotti; Mahatma Gandhi; Nelson Mandela; Bill Clinton; George W. Bush; Barack Obama (added on 20 Jan 2009); Mikhail Gorbachev; Saddam Hussein; Prince Philip; Queen Elizabeth II; Prince Charles; Princess Anne; Prince William (added on 7 Aug 2007); Adolf Hitler; Sir Winston Churchill; 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; Madame Tussauds; Sun Yat-sen (added on July 2007); Mao Zedong (added on July 2007); Yang Liwei (added on July 2007); Donald Tsang (added on 7 April 2008)

World Premiere

Elizabeth Taylor; Benny Hill; Pierce Brosnan; Andy Lau; Leon Lai; Anthony Hopkins; Jodie Foster; Harrison Ford; Humphrey Bogart; Macaulay Culkin; Marilyn Monroe; Sir Alfred Hitchcock; Bae Yong Joon; Connie Chan

Music Icons; Anita Mui; Elvis Presley; Freddie Mercury; Madonna; Michael Jackson; Mick Jagger; Teresa Teng; The Beatles; Tina Turner; Twins; Joey Yung; Miriam Yeung; Lady Gaga

Back to Hong Kong Attractions

Getting There:

The museum is accessible from Central via minibus, taxi or Peak Tram and opens all year round from 10 am to 10 pm daily.

Admission fee is HK$140 (US$18) for adults and HK$70 for children aged between 3 to 11 years old.;

Sources: Wikipedia, HKTB,

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