Opening hours
Monday8:00~18:00
Tuesday8:00~18:00
Wednesday8:00~18:00
Thursday8:00~18:00
Friday8:00~18:00
Saturday8:00~18:00
Sunday12:00~17:00
Public Holiday 12:00~17:00
Fee
Free admission
Suggested time for visit
30 minutes
For a century, the colonial postboxes in Hong Kong were painted red, but now all of them have urned into green. As you make your way to the Postal Gallery located in the General Post Office in Central, you can catch a glimpse of a variety of postboxes from different periods, including the cylindrical postbox bearing the British royal insignia, the square-shaped postbox, as well as two flanging stamps vending machines from Tai O Post Office. Other valuable exhibits include postmen’s uniforms, First Day Covers, the stamp chop machine and stamps vending machines. Considering that the first post office in Hong Kong was set up in 1841, it is evident that these relics boast a longer history than the post office itself. From the Gallery, one can catch a glimpse of the post office counters on the other side, and the wooden arch-like plague left from the previous era.
Moreover, the Gallery showcases various local and overseas stamp products. Often, the birth of each stamp is connected with the economic, social, cultural, political, geographical and even technological development of a place. A massive stamp jigsaw puzzle is suspended in the proximity of the front entrance of the post office, features over 69,000 stamps contributed by 98 countries from all over the world. Commissioned as part of the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Postal Trading Fund, the large-scale jigsaw has been included in the Guinness Records in 2005.
Since its opening in 1999, the Gallery has maintained its original collection of exhibits, but these precious relics are exhibited in various thematic ways. In the recent roving exhibition entitled “A Journey through Hong Kong's Postal History - A Glimpse of Hong Kong's Postal History through the Old GPO Building (1911-1976)”, the postal equipment and historic photos showcasing the postal services in the earlier era were exhibited, offering a glimpse into the different styles and appearances of postal offices in the past. Built in 1976, the General Post Office is considered the fourth generation of Hong Kong’s post offices. Adopting a practical, modern style, it is functioning satisfactorily even today, and has become a major landmark in Central. Recently, the government has plans to split up the General Post Office, proposing to relocate the Post Office headquarters to Kowloon Bay. Should this plan go ahead, the General Post Office will have to be demolished just like the Queen’s Pier. It would mean that there will be one less modern architectural landmark along the Central Waterfront, making the City Hall the only surviving modern architectural landmark.