July 1 | Two West Kowloon museums are free to enter; the Palace Museum requires advance booking, and many people ended up hitting a closed door (being turned away).

Today is July 1st, and the West Kowloon Cultural District is offering free entry to designated exhibitions at the Hong Kong Palace Museum and M+ for the public. Entry to M+ exhibitions is on a first-come, first-served basis, while the Hong Kong Palace Museum requires advance reservations. However, many visitors were unaware of this, resulting in some being turned away at the venue. Some citizens hope that next time, the information can be "made clearer."

Citizen: "I originally planned to come and check it out for free."

Mr. Tan, a citizen, originally intended to visit the Hong Kong Palace Museum in the afternoon, saying, "I thought I'd come and see it for free." However, he only learned upon arrival that reservations were needed in advance, and he hopes next time the details can be clearer. "I only saw that Halls 1 to 7 are free—many people didn't know that, it's unclear." As for today being a holiday, Mr. Tan said he had no special plans, "I just woke up, had a meal, and had nowhere to go, so I thought I'd come for a stroll. Who knew I wouldn't be able to get in—all for nothing." He said he plans to check out M+, which doesn't require reservations, or take a walk around the West Kowloon Cultural District.

Mr. Zheng also brought his 7-year-old daughter today, planning to visit the Palace Museum on their day off. He admitted he had already planned to buy tickets on-site anyway, "I knew there wouldn't be any free tickets, the quota is very small." Upon arrival, not only were there no free tickets, but the crowd was larger than expected, so he decided to come back on a weekday instead. "Since I have to buy a ticket anyway, I might as well come back next Monday, when there will definitely be fewer people." Mr. Zheng added that he would head to M+ next and then take his daughter to see the Minions movie at the theater.

Some Citizens Still Bought Tickets to Enter the Egyptian Special Exhibition

Mr. Yang and his family visited the Palace Museum today to see the Egyptian special exhibition. He said they had bought tickets in advance, making it a family activity for the holiday, "to learn about different cultures." His son, who is about to enter fifth grade, mentioned that he studied Egyptian culture in third grade and has a strong interest in it. However, the museum was packed due to the free admission today, which Mr. Yang said he didn't expect, but he understands. He noted that he's usually busy with work and can only go out with his kids on holidays like today. "It's unfortunate that it coincides with such a large crowd, but there's no helping it." He also believes that although the permanent exhibitions are free today, special exhibitions like the Egyptian one still require tickets, so the crowd inside should be smaller.

M+ Free Entry: Citizens Say Exhibits Are Very Different from Traditional Ones

The other museum, M+, does not require reservations for entry, attracting many visitors to line up, with queues forming outside at times. Mr. Chow, a citizen who occasionally visits art galleries, came to M+ for the first time today. He said the exhibits at M+ are "very different" from traditional museums, and traditional history and modern art both have their fans. He joked that compared to the artifacts at the Palace Museum, he actually prefers the Palace Museum's exhibits, admitting, "Modern art is not so easy to understand or appreciate." So today, he came with a mindset of "observing and learning." As for the free admission today, Mr. Chow said there were fewer people than expected, and the queuing situation was better than anticipated.

Third-grader Quan, accompanied by his mother, also visited M+ today. The exhibits were quite profound, and Quan admitted, "I don't understand them, but I like them." Since today was a free admission day, Quan also noted that the museum was "very crowded," but fortunately, the space was spacious, so it didn't feel too congested. He said this wasn't his first visit to M+, but it still felt fresh.

Meanwhile, this afternoon on the East Coast Boardwalk, some visitors formed groups waving national flags to celebrate the July 1 handover anniversary, attracting a crowd of onlookers.