Gold jacket, purple trousers: Hong Kong celebrates Leslie Cheung’s 70th birthday

The Hong Kong Heritage Museum is reviving its tribute to late singer-actor Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing three years on, marking the Cantopop icon’s 70th birthday with rare private collections, stage costumes and a recreated room from his former residence.

Presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the “Miss You Much. Leslie 70th Birthday. Exhibition” runs from September 9 to May 10, 2027 at the museum in Sha Tin, with free admission.

Cheung, affectionately known to fans as “Gor Gor” – “big brother” in Cantonese – rose to stardom during Cantopop’s golden era from the 1980s to the 1990s.

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Leslie Cheung: legendary star still remembered 22 years after his death

Returning on a “much grander scale” than the 2023 showcase, the exhibition presents more than 300 artefacts, including vinyl records, film posters and popular-culture items.

Beyond the museum’s own holdings, it draws on loans from Cheung’s closest friends, including Florence Chan and Daffy Tong, as well as from the fan group Les FANmily and independent artists – many items never before shown to the public.

Highlights include 11 stage costumes from his live shows, notably the legendary cloak worn for “For Your Heart Only” at Final Encounter of the Legend in 1989, and the gold jacket, sequin top and purple striped trousers from Live in Concert 97.

For the first time, the museum has recreated the interior of Cheung’s former residence in collaboration with his original interior designer, alongside a photo of friends taken there after his death. Six of his films will also be screened during the run.