Although I was raised in the Netherlands, every time I visit Hong Kong, I find myself drawn to its layered history—especially its industrial past. This time, my sister-in-law suggested I visit The Mills, once a thriving centre of Hong Kong’s textile industry.
The Mills, a vast former textile factory, is now home to the Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile (CHAT)—a cultural space dedicated to Hong Kong’s textile heritage and contemporary art. Since opening in 2019, CHAT has become a dynamic hub for exhibitions, workshops, and artistic innovation, where the city’s industrial past meets its creative future.
A space for culture, community, and design
More than just a historic site, The Mills is now a creative ecosystem. The multi-level space houses concept stores from local designers and brands, many of which focus on textiles, craftsmanship, and sustainability. It’s also home to vintage fashion resellers, artisanal cafés, and a thoughtfully curated selection of restaurants—making it a cultural destination in its own right. Adding to its unique atmosphere, The Mills is one of the most pet-friendly spaces in Hong Kong. Unlike many shopping districts in the city, visitors can bring their dogs inside, making it a relaxed and welcoming environment.
At the heart of CHAT is its permanent exhibition at The D.H. Chen Foundation Gallery, which takes visitors deep into Hong Kong’s textile history. Archival photographs, vintage cotton products, and black-and-white images of factory workers—many dressed in cheongsam—bring this legacy to life.
The exhibition doesn’t just focus on objects; it highlights the people who powered the city’s once-booming textile industry. Workshop-style installations evoke the atmosphere of past ateliers, offering a glimpse into the skill and precision behind textile production. Every detail—from old factory equipment to carefully preserved worker records—reveals the labour and craftsmanship woven into every thread. Watching raw cotton transform into thread, you see how deeply this industry shaped the city—an industry intertwined with its culture, economy, and daily life.
The legacy
Tsuen Wan, where The Mills is located, was once a bustling industrial neighbourhood—strategically positioned near the sea, making it an ideal location for trade and production. The textile mills that once dominated this district were part of Hong Kong’s rapid industrial expansion in the mid-20th century, with goods being exported across Asia and beyond.
This transformation echoes similar developments in the Dutch city of Enschede, which was once a textile powerhouse producing fabrics for both local and international markets. Just as Enschede’s industrial past shaped its urban identity, The Mills stands as a reminder of Hong Kong’s own textile heritage—one that, rather than fading into history, has been reimagined for contemporary creativity.
Originally cotton-spinning mills and factories, The Mills now represents both Hong Kong’s industrial past and its future as a centre for design and culture. Its revitalisation by Nan Fung Group seamlessly blends heritage with modernity, turning the space into an innovative hub for entrepreneurs, designers, and cultural practitioners.
The combination of heritage preservation, commercial spaces, and artistic programming makes The Mills a rare example of a site that doesn’t just document history—it actively engages with it in a contemporary context.
Kingsley Ng’s sensory installation
Beyond its historical exhibits, CHAT embraces contemporary perspectives on textiles. A prime example is Kingsley Ng’s immersive exhibition, Listen to the Sound of the Earth Spinning.
The Hong-Kong based artist, known for his poetic and conceptual works, explores the relationship between humans, animals, and the environment using unconventional materials—including pet fur and ancient looms. One of the most striking installations features felted fur collected from daily brushing sessions with his cat, Whisky, transformed into delicate, planet-like constellations.
The exhibition also includes a sound installation replicating a cat’s purring at 33.8 Hz—a frequency close to the Earth’s natural resonance. In a dimly lit room, visitors recline on lounge chairs, watching a slow, rhythmic projection of cat fur that resembles a lunar eclipse. The experience is immersive, meditative, and strangely hypnotic—turning something as simple as a pet’s presence into a conceptual reflection on connection and cycles of life.
By merging textile heritage with sensory art, Ng’s work expands the conversation around textiles—proving that fabric is more than just material; it’s an evolving narrative that connects past, present, and future.
Exhibition details
- Listen to the Sound of the Earth Spinning by Kingsley Ng
- On view at CHAT until November 10, 2024
- For more information, visit: CHAT’s official website
All images are shot by author, courtesy of CHAT.
