Government announces selected organisation to operate Haw Par Mansion for arts and culture use
The Government announced today (August 15) that the proposal from the Foundation for Art and Culture Limited (FAC) has been accepted to operate, manage, conserve and revitalise Haw Par Mansion situated at 15A Tai Hang Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong for arts and culture use.
The FAC will sign a Service Agreement with the Government for a term of three years and will operate Haw Par Mansion on a non-profit making and self-financing basis for arts and culture use, so as to complement the arts and culture as well as the heritage conservation policies of the Government, to develop Haw Par Mansion as a unique icon of international arts and cultural exchange in Hong Kong, and to contribute to the realisation of Hong Kong as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.
The FAC will revitalise Haw Par Mansion and introduce diversified arts and cultural programmes, including exhibitions, film screenings, performances, workshops as well as artist residency programmes in collaboration with local, Mainland and international artists and organisations, and it is expected to commence operation in the second half of 2026.
As a local charitable institution, the FAC is dedicated to promoting arts and culture in Asia and fostering cultural exchange between East and West.
The Government announced in September 2024 that it would conduct an Invitation for Proposal exerciseto identify the most suitable non-profit-making operator for Haw Par Mansion. A total of five proposals were received by the deadline of January 27, 2025. An assessment panel was formed to assess and consider the proposals received based on pre-determined assessment criteria.
Haw Par Mansion is currently open to the public for free through docent tours arranged by the Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO) of the Development Bureau. The booking of docent tours is expected to last until the end of November 2025 tentatively. Please refer to the website of the AMO for details. The FAC will continue to provide free docent service to the public after the commencement of its operation of Haw Par Mansion.
Companies Registry releases statistics for 2025
According to the statistics released by the Companies Registry today (January 16), a total of 195,343 local companies and re-domiciled companies were newly registered in 2025. By the end of 2025, the total number of local companies and re-domiciled companies registered under the Companies Ordinance increased by 96,609 compared to 2024, reaching 1,557,103, which was an all-time high figure.
In 2025, 1,532 non-Hong Kong companies that had newly established a place of business in Hong Kong were registered under the Companies Ordinance. By the end of 2025, the total number of registered non-Hong Kong companies was 15,586, up 3 per cent compared to 2024.
The company re-domiciliation regime, implemented since May 23, 2025, has received a positive market response. By the end of 2025, the Registry had received over 420 enquiries and 30 applications. Among these, six non-Hong Kong corporations incorporated in Luxembourg, the Cayman Islands or Bermuda, including an insurance company, have been successfully re-domiciled to Hong Kong. The regime provides a simple and cost-effective pathway for non-Hong Kong incorporated companies to re-domicile to Hong Kong by eliminating the need for complicated and costly judicial procedures while preserving a company's legal identity. It ensures seamless business continuity and strengthens the competitiveness of Hong Kong as a global business and financial hub.
In 2025, the number of charges on properties of companies received for registration was 12,912, which was 6.4 per cent up from 12,137 in 2024. The number of notifications of payments and releases received for registration increased by 14.2 per cent, from 18,201 in 2024 to 20,789 in 2025.
In 2025, a total of 180 prospectuses were registered while the figure recorded in 2024 was 157.
In 2025, the total number of documents delivered for registration increased by 7 per cent to 3,360,723, compared to 3,139,906 in 2024.
In 2025, a total of 5,229,202 searches of document image records were conducted using the Registry's electronic search services, an increase of 0.7 per cent from 5,194,865 in 2024.
On the registration of limited partnership funds (LPFs), a total of 389 LPFs were newly registered in 2025. By the end of 2025, the total number of LPFs increased by 35.1 per cent compared to the end of 2024, to 1,347.
For open-ended fund companies (OFCs), 210 OFCs were newly incorporated in 2025. By the end of 2025, the total number of OFCs increased by 43.2 per cent compared to the end of 2024, to 676.
As regards the licensing of trust or company service providers under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance, a total of 760 new licences were granted by the Registry in 2025. By the end of 2025, the total number of licensees was 7,220.
Turning to the licensing of money lenders, 155 new licences were granted by the Licensing Court in 2025. By the end of 2025, the total number of licensed money lenders was 2,015.
For details of the statistics, please visit the "Statistics" section of the Registry's website (www.cr.gov.hk).
Source: AI-found images
