mcp-open-data-hk

mcp-open-data-hk is an MCP server that provides a programmable interface to DATA.GOV.HK, the Hong Kong government's open data portal. It exposes a set of tools such as list_datasets, get_dataset_details, list_categories, get_category_details, search_datasets, search_datasets_with_facets, get_datasets_by_format, and get_supported_formats. Once the server is running, you can connect your MCP-compatible client (for example Claude, Cursor, or Claude Desktop) and issue these tool actions as if you were querying a data catalog. The server translates your requests into API calls to DATA.GOV.HK and returns structured results, including dataset IDs, metadata, category details, and formatted search results. You can also refine searches with language options and pagination; some actions support facet results to help you narrow down datasets by tags, formats, or categories. The README includes example parameter schemas for each tool, showing how to supply dataset_id, language, limit, offset, and additional flags where applicable. Use the available tools to discover datasets, inspect specific datasets, filter by format or category, and perform advanced searches across the portal.

Prerequisites:

• Python 3.8+ installed on your system
• pip (usually comes with Python)

Install the MCP server package from PyPI:

pip install mcp-open-data-hk

Run the MCP server locally (package installed as a module):

python -m mcp_open_data_hk

Configure your MCP client by adding the server to your settings (examples shown in the README):

Installed package approach (module):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-open-data-hk": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "mcp_open_data_hk"]
    }
  }
}

Local development / file path approach (for testing):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-open-data-hk": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "src.mcp_open_data_hk"],
      "cwd": "/full/path/to/mcp-open-data-hk"
    }
  }
}

Optional: You can also use uvx (via uv) for running the server without a formal install, but the README primarily demonstrates the Python package approach for end users.

Tips and notes:

• If you plan to use uvx, you can run the server with a command like: uvx mcp-open-data-hk (as shown in the uvx example in the README).
• The server communicates with DATA.GOV.HK; respect rate limits of the upstream API and implement appropriate caching in your client if possible.
• Language and pagination parameters are supported by many tools; provide language codes (en, tc, sc) to get localized results when available.
• For development workflows, the file-path approach (cwd) is useful to test changes without installing the package, while the module approach is recommended for end users to simplify upgrades.
• If you encounter import or module path issues, ensure the package is installed in the active Python environment and that the module name matches mcp_open_data_hk.
• The README includes example queries to help you verify basic functionality after startup.