The Avenue of Stars, one of the most famous attractions in Hong Kong, has been temporarily closed since the 8th of last month for a three-year expansion, which has disappointed many visitors to Hong Kong. However, there is good news; the adjacent Tsim Sha Tsui Waterfront Garden has transformed into the "Star Garden," resetting the statues and handprints originally located on the Avenue of Stars, and will officially open to the public on November 15th.
The Waterfront Garden transforms into the "Star Garden"
After the handprints are relocated to the Star Garden, they will all be remolded and displayed differently from the Avenue of Stars, no longer installed on the ground but instead all "upright," allowing visitors to take photos with the handprints without having to "lean" on the ground. The first phase will showcase 20 handprints, with the remaining 87 handprints to be gradually placed, expected to be fully exhibited by the first quarter of next year. At the same time, the "Star Garden" has also reset four statues originally located on the Avenue of Stars, including the Hong Kong Film Awards goddess, martial arts superstar Bruce Lee, the late singer Anita Mui, and the cartoon character McDull.
The "Star Cinema" showcases classic films
In addition to the original exhibits on the Avenue of Stars, the "Star Garden" has added a 63-meter long, 360-degree "Star Cinema" mural, connecting 17 classic Hong Kong films and 43 movie characters, including "Rouge," "A Better Tomorrow," "Infernal Affairs," and "Time Raiders." The mural was conceived by veteran filmmaker Law Kar, who hopes to showcase the talent of the Hong Kong film industry, while tourists can "look and guess" which scenes come from which films. The garden also features a Hong Kong film area, with nine lamp posts displaying classic movie quotes, such as "Chinese people are not sick men" from Bruce Lee's films.
The pedestrian tunnel transforms into the "Star Corridor"
The pedestrian tunnel connecting Tsim Sha Tsui and East Tsim Sha Tsui MTR stations has transformed into the "Star Corridor." The 200-meter long corridor is divided into five themed areas: "Movie Stills and Dialogue Area," "Classic Movie Poster Area," "Movie Typography Design Area," "Avenue of Stars Ten-Year Review," and "One Hundred Years of Hong Kong Cinema." Each area has its own characteristics, for example, the "Classic Movie Poster Area" showcases over 20 classic movie posters, the earliest dating back to the 1958 film "The Kingdom and the Beauty."
It is reported that after the opening of the "Star Garden" and "Star Corridor," the MTR station and the original site of the Avenue of Stars will have signs posted to guide the public to the garden and corridor.