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Explore the region
About Flagstaff House
The building’s Greek Revival character forms a distinctive setting for a collection concerned with the shape, material and use of tea vessels. Yixing pottery is a particular focus, while the adjoining K.S. Lo Gallery broadens the visit with ceramics and seals. Look at the architecture before moving through the galleries, and check the current display selection rather than expecting every collection piece to be on view.
The building was designed in Greek Revival style by either Murdoch Bruce or Lieutenant Bernard Collinson of the Royal Engineers. Construction was completed in 1846, and its first occupant was Major-General George Charles D'Aguilar. It was known as Headquarter House until 1932, when it was renamed Flagstaff House.
The west and east wings were shelled and suffered bomb damage during the Japanese invasion in the Second World War; Japanese forces repaired the building, and its commandant used it as a residence during the occupation. After the war it remained the Commander's residence until 1978, when the Commander moved to a purpose-built house on Barker Road. The British garrison agreed in March 1979 to vacate Victoria Barracks (域多利军营), and the barracks land, together with the Commander-in-Chief's residence, was then handed to the Hong Kong government.
The building was declared a monument in 1989 and now houses the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware, a branch museum of the Hong Kong Museum of Art (香港艺术馆). Its two floors hold six galleries tracing the history of Chinese tea drinking from the Tang dynasty to the present, including the world's oldest known extant teapot. The museum regularly holds pottery demonstrations and tea-culture events; its K.S. Lo Gallery wing, added in 1995, is named after collector Kwee Seong Lo (罗桂祥).
What to look for
- The former residence retains a Greek Revival architectural character.
- Tea-ware displays include Yixing pottery, with ceramics and seals in the K.S. Lo Gallery.
Background & history
Flagstaff House, built in 1846, is the oldest example of colonial architecture remaining in Hong Kong. It is located at 10 Cotton Tree Drive, Central – within the Hong Kong Park. It has been a longtime residence of the Commander of the British forces in Hong Kong during colonial times. Today Flagstaff House houses the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware.
Excerpt from Wikipedia: Flagstaff House, Hong Kong · Wikipedia contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected introductory sentences; formatting simplified. Background information, not current visitor-service advice.
Location & getting there
Getting to Flagstaff House
Go to Flagstaff House at 10 Cotton Tree Drive, inside Hong Kong Park. Follow the Museum of Tea Ware signs from the park paths; the K.S. Lo Gallery is the adjoining museum wing.
Combine your visit
Suggested order for the visit:
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Flagstaff House exterior
Look at the former residence within the park.
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Tea-ware galleries
Compare vessel forms and materials.
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K.S. Lo Gallery
Add the ceramics and seals when displayed.
This is an editorial sequence of named spaces or places. It does not imply a verified walking connection or promise opening, ticket availability or a journey time.
Find Flagstaff House
茶具文物馆 · 中西区
The pin marks the area, not the entrance.
More places nearby
Approximate straight-line distances between map pins, not travel distances.
Hong Kong Park 香港公园
Less than 1 km awayHong Kong Park combines a landscaped public park with buildings retained from the former Victoria Barracks. The Edward Youde Aviary and Forsgate Conservatory give the grounds a living-collection focus, while Flagstaff House…
View guide →Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens 香港动植物公园
Less than 1 km awayHong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens occupies sloping ground above Central. The Old Garden to the east contains aviaries, a greenhouse and the Fountain Terrace, while the New Garden to the west concentrates on mammals and…
View guide →Hong Kong Observation Wheel 香港摩天轮
Less than 1 km awayThe Hong Kong Observation Wheel stands beside Central’s ferry piers, with enclosed gondolas overlooking the harbour and the opposite Kowloon shore. Its slow-moving elevated viewpoint contrasts with the waterfront activity below…
View guide →Sources & visit information
The sources below support the place-specific description and arrival information. Suggested combinations are editorial planning ideas; confirm current opening, entry arrangements and transport services for your date.
- Flagstaff House, Hong Kong ↗
- Hong Kong Museum of Art: tea-ware collection ↗
- Chinese Wikipedia: 茶具文物館 (revision 91910940, 2026-03-16) ↗
- English Wikipedia: Flagstaff House, Hong Kong (revision 1364436616, 2026-07-16) ↗
Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikipedia contributors, “Flagstaff House, Hong Kong” · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1364436616.
Background paragraphs translated and condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "茶具文物館", Chinese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 91910940.
Background paragraphs condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "Flagstaff House, Hong Kong", English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1364436616.