Madame Tussauds Hong Kong

Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, part of the renowned chain of wax museums founded by Marie Tussaud of France, is located at the Peak Tower on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It is the first and one of the only two permanent Madame Tussauds museums in Asia, the other being the Shanghai branch, which opened in 2006.cite web | url = http://www.madame-tussauds.com.hk | title = History of Madame Tussauds: 1980-2000s | accessdate = 2007-05-07 | publisher = Madame Tussauds Hong Kong] The Hong Kong branch houses nearly 100 wax figures of internationally-known personalities, with Asian figures taking up more than a third of the total, of which sixteen were Hong Kongers.cite book | last = The Tussauds Group |title = Madame Tussauds Hong Kong Guidebook | publisher = Madame Tussauds Hong Kong | date = 2006 ] [cite web | url = http://www.madame-tussauds.com.hk/eng/m_clipping.asp | title = News: Press Clippings | accessdate = 2008-06-20 | publisher = Madame Tussauds Hong Kong] The wax figures are featured in a range of themed settings such as Hong Kong Glamour, Music Icons, Historical and National Heroes, The Champions and World Premiere.

History

In the late 1990s, Madame Tussauds had outlets spanning worldwide in major cities such as London, Amsterdam and Las Vegas, but none was in the Asia-Pacific region. When the "Madame Tussaud's Touring Attraction" ran in Asian cities of Singapore and Australia, proving to be highly popular, the Tussauds Group decided to open a permanent outlet in Asia in order to cater to such demand, and Hong Kong was chosen for its proximity to the Asian markets.

Madame Tussauds Hong Kong opens at The Peak in 2000, and features nearly 100 wax figures of internationally-known personalities and local celebrities to date — with Asian figures taking up more than a third of the total, of which sixteen were Hong Kongers. Asian celebrities and superstars have often graced the unveiling of their wax likenesses with sizable groups of their fans tagging along. In September 2005, it began its renovation in its effort to bring an interactive and immersive entertainment experience to visitors. It re-opened at a cost of HK$20 million (US$2.6 million) on 18 May 2006, adding a further convert|700|m2|sqft of exhibition space on three floors and five themed areas. [cite news | title = Aaron Kwok's figure unveils at newly revamped Madame Tussauds Hong Kong | publisher = Xinhua News Agency | date = 22 May 2006 ] Visitors can journey through the attraction, stopping to mingle with the 'stars' in a range of themed settings including Hong Kong Glamour, Music Icons, Historical and National Heroes, The Champions and World Premiere.

As of 2008, the museum is headed by Bret Pidgeon, who is currently the general manager of Madame Tussauds Hong Kong and Shanghai. He has worked for eight years for Madame Tussauds in New York previously. [cite news | title = Bret Pidgeon - General manager Madame Tussauds Hong Kong and Shanghai | date = 7 April 2008 | publisher = South China Morning Post | page = FB Business, Technology ] The museum is accessible from Central via minibus, taxi or Peak Tram and opens all year round from 10 AM to 10 PM daily. Admission fee is HK$140 (US$18) for adults and HK$70 for children aged between 3 to 11 years old. [cite web | last = | first = | url = http://www.madame-tussauds.com.hk/eng/t_general.asp | title = Madame Tussauds Hong Kong: General Admission | accessdate = 2008-06-12 | publisher = Madame Tussauds Hong Kong ]

Wax figure making process

In over one or more sittings, a highly skilled sculptor from Madame Tussauds Studios who is given direct access to the celebrity will record the colours of the hair and eyes, and over 500 precise body measurements are referenced. Madame Tussauds Hong Kong Guidebook (2006) — "Studio Secrets: Wax Figure Making Process".] Most important is to capture the look of the celebrity in order to reflect the personality of each unique individual. The next task is to make a clay model of the head and body which is used to create a mould. Wax cast of the head and hands are made from the mould, and the eyes are inserted. Each eye is hand-painted to achieve a perfect match of the original. Real human hair is then inserted painstakingly strand by strand.

The head and hands are coloured using a blend of oil, water and acrylic colour. From the mould, the body is cast in fibreglass, and the head and hands are fitted to the fiberglass body and dressed in clothes that are often donated by the celebrity. The pose, clothes and expression on the face all contribute to making the figure as realistic as possible. The whole process usually takes up to six months by a team of 20 people to create and cost about HK$1 million each.cite news | last = Gentle | first = Nick | title = Fans to turn the tables on heart-throb Andy Lau | date = 6 February 2005 | publisher = South China Morning Post | page = FT News, Education ]

Unique figures

* The figure of Miriam Yeung, unveiled on November 2006, is the first in the world designed to giggle via in-built sensors. Miriam is well-known for her fun-loving and bubbly personality, and Madame Tussauds want to capture that essence in her figure. [cite news | title = She's made to measure with a giggle | date = 17 August 2006 | publisher = South China Morning Post | page = FT News, Education ]

* The figure of Connie Chan, unveiled on August 2006, was the first figure to appear in full Chinese regalia. The model's costume was inspired by the musical "Only You", set in the Yuan Dynasty, in which Chan formerly starred in. [cite news | title = Actress Connie Chan Po-chu checks out her wax model as it is unveiled at Madame Tussauds... | date = 31 August 2006 | publisher = South China Morning Post | page = FT News, Education ]
* The figure of Bae Yong Joon, unveiled on May 2006, is the first Korean star to be included in a Madame Tussauds exhibition. [cite news | title = It was supposed to be all about Korean film star Bae Yong-jun being immortalised... | date = 16 May 2006 | publisher = South China Morning Post | page = FT News, Education ]

* The figure of Andy Lau, unveiled on April 2005, was the outlet first animatronic model that was crafted out of silicone rather than wax. Lau's animatronic heartbeat was modelled on a similar system installed in a replica of Brad Pitt at Madame Tussauds Amsterdam.

Featured personalities

The list of featured celebrities sorted according to on-site themes are:

Hong Kong Glamour

#Jackie Chan
#Bruce Lee
#Michelle Yeoh
#Ayumi Hamasaki
#Brad Pitt
#Cher
#Eddie Murphy
#Elle Macpherson
#Gerard Depardieu
#Hugh Grant
#Joanna Lumley
#Kelly Chen
#Mel Gibson
#Meryl Streep
#Naomi Campbell
#Cecilia Cheung
#Aaron Kwok
#Leo Ku ("added on 4 April 2007") [cite web | url = http://www.madame-tussauds.com.hk/eng/m_latest_20070404.asp | title = Leo Ku Comes Face to Face with his Cartoon Creation "Kubi" as Madame Tussauds... |accessdate = 2007-08-27 | publisher = Madame Tussauds Hong Kong ]
#Janice Vidal ("added on 18 July 2007")cite news | title = Vidal does a double take, then waxes lyrical | date = 21 July 2007 | publisher = South China Morning Post ]
#Angelina Jolie ("added on 27 Sep 2007")cite news | title = Waxing historical: Simon Yam Tat-wah and Qi Qi pose with wax figures of their... | date = 28 September 2007 | publisher = South China Morning Post | page = FT News, Education ]

The Champions

#David Beckham
#Lee Lai Shan
#Muhammad Ali
#Yao Ming
#Chiyonofuji Mitsugu
#Liu Xiang
#Tiger Woods
#Ronaldinho ("added on December 2007") [cite news | last = | first = | title = Ronaldinho wax figure arrives Hong Kong (Chinese) | publisher = | pages = | date = 21 December 2008 | url = http://www.madame-tussauds.com.hk/eng/img/img_clip_20071221_1.jpg]

Historical and National Heroes

#Leslie Cheung
#Princess Diana
#Luciano Pavarotti
#Mahatma Gandhi
#Nelson Mandela
#Bill Clinton
#George W. Bush
#Mikhail Gorbachev
#Saddam Hussein
#Prince Philip
#Queen Elizabeth II
#Prince Charles
#Princess Anne
#Prince William ("added on 7 Aug 2007"} [cite news | title = Prince William joins royal family in Madame Tussauds HK | date = 7 August 2007 | publisher = Xinhua News Agency ]
#Adolf Hitler
#Sir Winston Churchill
#Rembrandt van Rijn
#Pablo Picasso
#Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
#Deng Xiaoping
#Jiang zemin
#Li Ka Shing
#Lee Kuan Yew
#Shigeru Yoshida
#Hu Jintao
#Albert Einstein
#John Howard
#Madame Tussauds
#Sun Yat-sen ("added on July 2007")
#Mao Zedong ("added on July 2007")
#Yang Liwei ("added on July 2007")
#Donald Tsang (added on 7 April 2008) [cite news | last = | first = | title = Hong Kong's Donald Tsang gives trademark bow tie to wax figure | publisher = Xinhua News Agency | pages = | date = 7 April 2008 | url = ]

World Premiere

#Elizabeth Taylor
#Benny Hill
#Pierce Brosnan
#Andy Lau
#Leon Lai
#Anthony Hopkins
#Jodie Foster
#Harrison Ford
#Humphrey Bogart
#Macaulay Culkin
#Marilyn Monroe
#Sir Alfred Hitchcock
#Bae Yong Joon
#Connie Chan

Music Icons

#Anita Mui
#Elvis Presley
#Freddie Mercury
#Jon Bon Jovi
#Kylie Minogue
#Madonna
#Michael Jackson
#Mick Jagger
#Teresa Teng
#The Beatles
#Tina Turner
#Twins
#Joey Yung
#Jimi Hendrix
#Miriam Yeung

Madame Tussauds Shanghai

The second Asian outlet is located in the Chinese city of Shanghai. Attracted by Shanghai's growing reputation and tourism volume in East Asia, the Tussauds Group approached Shanghai authorities to discuss the possibility of opening its second Asian location in early 2004. The Shanghai authorities agreed with the proposal and Madame Tussauds Shanghai (上海杜莎夫人臘像館) was opened on 1 May 2006 on the 10th floor of the New World Department Store at West Nanjing Road. [cite news | title = Shanghai's house of wax all set | date = 25 April 2006 | publisher = China Daily | page = Industry updates section ]

The Shanghai outlet houses nearly 75 wax figures of local and internationally-known celebrities to date, and will add more in its second and third phases.cite news | last = Xu | first = Xiaomin | title = Meeting Stars Face-To-Face in Shanghai | date = 2 May 2006 | publisher = China Daily ] The museum opens all year round from 10 AM to 10 PM daily and it is divided up into seven themed sections: Glamour, Behind the Scenes, History and Heroes, Music, Film, Speed and Sport. Admission fee is RMB 135 (US$20) for adults and RMB 100 for students. [cite web | last = | first = | url = http://www.madame-tussauds.com.cn/t_general.asp | title = Madame Tussauds Shanghai: General Admission (Chinese) | accessdate = 2008-07-15 | publisher = Madame Tussauds Shanghai ] Madame Tussauds Shanghai is the Tussauds Group's sixth waxwork museum after London, Amsterdam, Las Vegas, New York City and Hong Kong.

Gallery

ee also

*Victoria Peak
*Peak Galleria
*Tourism in Hong Kong

References

External links

* [http://www.madame-tussauds.com.hk/eng/m_clipping.asp Press Clippings: May 2006 — Present (English and Chinese)]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b2aMmZOg18 A video clip on Madame Tussauds Hong Kong]