July 1 | Two museums in West Kowloon offer free admission. The Palace Museum requires advance reservations—many people showed up but couldn’t get in.

Today is July 1st, the West Kowloon Cultural District is offering free admission to designated exhibitions at the Hong Kong Palace Museum and M+ for the public. Entry to M+ exhibitions requires queuing, while the Hong Kong Palace Museum requires advance reservations. However, many visitors were unaware of this, resulting in some being turned away. Some visitors hope that next time, the information will be "clearly stated."

Visitor: "Originally thought it would be free, so I came to check it out."

Mr. Tan, a member of the public, originally planned to visit the Hong Kong Palace Museum in the afternoon, saying, "I thought I'd come over for a free look." However, upon arrival, he found out that a reservation was required. He hopes that next time, it will be explained more clearly: "I only saw that Halls 1 to 7 are free. Many people don’t know this; 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 came for a stroll. Who knew I wouldn’t be able to get in, empty-handed." He mentioned that he plans to go to M+, which doesn’t require a reservation, or take a walk in the West Kowloon Cultural District.

Mr. Zheng also brought his 7-year-old daughter today, planning to use the holiday to visit the Palace Museum. He frankly stated that he had already planned to buy tickets on-site: "Anyway, I was sure there wouldn’t be any free tickets, since the quota is so 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’d have to buy tickets anyway, I might as well come next Monday, when there will surely be fewer people." Mr. Zheng added that he would go to M+ next, then take his daughter to see the Minions movie at the theater.

Some visitors still purchased tickets for 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 today’s holiday: "So we can learn about different cultures." His son, who is going into the fifth grade, said he learned about Egyptian culture in third grade and has a strong interest in it. However, the museum was packed today due to the free admission. Mr. Yang admitted he hadn’t expected this but understood the situation. He noted that he is usually busy with work, so this holiday is the only chance to go out with his child. "It’s crowded today, but there’s nothing to be done." He also believes that although the permanent exhibitions are free today, special exhibitions like the Egyptian one still require tickets, so the crowds inside should be smaller.

M+ free admission: Visitors say the exhibits are very different from traditional ones.

The other museum, M+, did not require reservations for entry, attracting many visitors to line up, and a queue even formed outside. Mr. Zhou, who occasionally visits art galleries, came to M+ for the first time today. He frankly said that M+’s exhibits are "very different" from traditional museums, and that traditional history and modern art each have their own fans. He joked that compared to the Palace Museum’s artifacts, he actually prefers the Palace Museum’s exhibits, admitting, "Modern art isn't so easy to understand or appreciate." So today, he came with a mindset of "observing and learning." As for today’s free admission, Mr. Zhou said it was less crowded than expected, and the queue situation was better than imagined.

Quan, a third-grade student, also visited M+ today with his mother. The exhibits were profound, and Quan frankly said, "I don’t understand them, but I like them." Since today was a free admission day, Quan also thought 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 tourists also "formed groups" waving national flags to celebrate the July 1 anniversary, attracting many onlookers.