| The Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence, the territory's most formidable fortifications when they were built more than 100 years ago, preserves and presents Hong Kong's 600-year history of coastal defence. |
Museums
The seven major museums managed by the Department are the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Hong Kong Museum of History, the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence, the Hong Kong Science Museum, the Hong Kong Space Museum, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum and the Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum. In the interests of study, education, and enjoyment, these museums acquire, conserve, research, exhibit, and interpret Hong Kong's tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
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The Department also manages the Hong Kong Film Archive, the Art Promotion Office, the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre, the Ping Shan Tang Clan Gallery cum Heritage Trail Visitors Centre and seven smaller museums, including the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware, the Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum, the Law Uk Folk Museum, the Sheung Yiu Folk Museum, the Sam Tung Uk Museum, the Hong Kong Railway Museum and the Fireboat Alexander Grantham Exhibition Gallery.
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Future Development of Museum Services
The Committee on Museums, which was established in November 2004 to advise the Secretary for Home Affairs on the provision of public museum services, submitted a Recommendation Report to the Government in May 2007. This Report sets out long-term plans for the development of public museum facilities and services, and its recommendations cover the following areas: (a) a development strategy for public museum services; (b) performance enhancement and the promotion of patronage; (c) community involvement and partnership; (d) public museum funding; (e) public museum governance; and (f) public museum staff development. The Government has studied these recommendations and decided that the LCSD should continue to manage Hong Kong's 14 public museums. The Government committed to further improve the museum services.
Hong Kong Museum of Art
The mission of the Hong Kong Museum of Art is to bring to Hong Kong a multicultural vision of world art and culture through exhibition programmes with an international perspective. One of the major exhibitions organised in 2009-10 was a collaboration with the art foundation of international fashion brand Louis Vuitton, LOUIS VUITTON: A PASSION FOR CREATION, which gave the Museum a fresh new image and attracted a new audience. The Prosperous Cities: A Selection of Paintings from the Liaoning Provincial Museum featured representative works of Chinese paintings in history, some of which were once the prized possessions of the Qing emperor Qianlong. Lofty Integrity: Donation of Works by Wu Guanzhong was staged to honour the generous donation of works by Wu Guanzhong, an internationally acclaimed master of painting and an important figure in 20th Century Chinese art history. The exhibition reviewed this late master's artistic development and reflected his most recent artistic pursuits.
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The Hong Kong Art: Open Dialogue Exhibition Series IV, which was curated by guest curators, explored new curatorship directions in Hong Kong and featured the works of local artists. Other thematic exhibitions held during the year included The Ultimate South China Travel Guide ----- Canton, Glittering Beauty: Chinese Accessories from the Hong Kong Museum of Art, New Literati Painting and Homage to Ha Bik-chuen: Art of an Eternal Spring.
The Hong Kong Contemporary Art Biennial Awards 2009 competition received a very encouraging response from local artists. More than 2 200 entries in different media were submitted to the competition, with 14 artworks selected for awards. The Museum also organised a wide range of educational activities, some of which were co-organised with art groups and cultural organisations. They included 'New Teens Online' to coincide with the new Senior Secondary School Curriculum, the Summer Art Cadets 2009 Discovery Trip, the School Culture Day Scheme and a number of in-house educational activities. The Hong Kong Museum of Art attracted 338 067 visitors during the year.
To foster cultural exchange, the Museum collaborated with the Guangzhou Museum of Art to stage the A Retrospective Exhibition of Ding Yanyong's Art as a programme of the Greater Pearl River Delta Cultural Co-operation.
Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware
Situated in Hong Kong Park, the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware is a branch of the Hong Kong Museum of Art that is devoted to the study and promotion of tea culture.
A thematic exhibition entitled The Artistry of Yixing Pottery: The K.S. Lo Collection of the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware was held in 2009-10, during which more than 110 artefacts of refined Yixing ware from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to the late 20th Century were on display. The Museum attracted more than
163 460 visitors during the year.
To enhance creativity in the art of pottery tea ware, the 2010 Tea Ware by
Hong Kong Potters competition was held in 2009, and the Museum received a record number of entries and entrants.
To foster cultural exchange, the Museum of Tea Ware had staged a thematic exhibition Tea Through the Ages: An Art of Living featuring the museum's collections at the Royal Museum of Mariemont, Belgium as a programme of the international arts festival Europalia, China.
Hong Kong Museum of History
The Hong Kong Museum of History makes a concerted effort to collect, preserve and display cultural objects that are closely related to the history of Hong Kong and the South China area. Its mission is to enrich cultural life, strengthen social cohesion and nurture a national identity.
In addition to its permanent exhibition, The Hong Kong Story, the Museum presents various thematic exhibitions in conjunction with other museums and cultural organisations in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and cities throughout the world. Three major exhibitions were organised during the year, namely, Modern Metropolis: Material Culture of Shanghai and Hong Kong, A Century of China and Legends of Luxury and Elegance: Lifestyles of the Han Nobility. The former two programmes were staged to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China. The Museum also collaborated with various government departments and local institutions to present exhibitions on Hong Kong, including Traditional Festivals in Hong Kong, Pioneer Archaeologist in South China: Father Maglioni's Collection of Archaeological Finds and In memory of The King of Radio Broadcasting ----- Exhibition of Mr. Chung Wai-ming's Collection.
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To foster public interest in local history and cultural heritage, the Museum organised a rich variety of educational and extension activities throughout the year. A major highlight was the International Academic Conference on the History of the State Making of the PRC, which was jointly organised in June 2009 with The Chinese University of Hong Kong and East China Normal University to mark the 60th anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China. The Conference gathered more than 40 world-renowned historians, who presented their latest research findings on the early years (1949-1958) of the PRC. The Hong Kong Museum of History attracted 627 138 visitors during the year.
The Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence, which is a branch of the Hong Kong Museum of History, was converted from the old Lei Yue Mun Fort in Shau Kei Wan. In addition to its permanent exhibition, 600 Years of Coastal Defence in Hong Kong, the Museum staged two thematic exhibitions, People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison and Escape from Hong Kong: The Road to Waichow, during the year. A total of 125 940 visitors patronised the Museum in 2009-10.
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The Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum is housed in a historic residence called Kom Tong Hall. Its two permanent exhibitions on Dr Sun and thematic exhibitions entitled A Sketch of Soong Ching Ling and Her Artefacts and Icon of an Era ----- the Dr Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum 1929.6.1 attracted 109 453 visitors during the year.
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The Hong Kong Museum of History also manages three small branch museums, namely, the Fireboat Alexander Grantham Exhibition Gallery at Quarry Bay Park, the Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum in Sham Shui Po and the Law Uk Folk Museum in Chai Wan, which attracted 102 926, 33 290 and 14 638 visitors, respectively, during the year.
Hong Kong Science Museum
The mission of the Hong Kong Science Museum is to promote public interest in science and technology through international-calibre services and facilities. The Museum also strives to continually add to its impressive collection of science-and technology-related artefacts for research, education and appreciation by the general public.
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China, the Museum presented Biodiversity in China ----- An Exhibition on China's Wildlife Specimens, which enhanced visitors' understanding of the rich biodiversity of China and the importance of natural habitat conservation. The Candy Unwrapped exhibition, which revealed the surprising biology, chemistry, physiology and psychology underlying the world of candy, was presented during the summer holidays.
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In collaboration with the China Satellite Maritime Tracking and Control Department, the Museum also organised a number of public activities surrounding the Visit of the Yuanwang-6 Space Tracking Ship to Hong Kong from April 30 to May 3, 2009. These activities included guided tours of the ship's facilities and an exhibition that introduced its missions and technology. The ship's resident experts and crew also gave a public lecture at the Museum. These activities attracted 13 600 visitors. Other special exhibitions held during the year included Exploration of Time, Polar Crisis ----- Climate Change and the display of a 91-year-old vintage car called Beastie.
The Science Museum organised the Secondary School Science Quiz Competition 2009, attracting the participation of 78 schools. The Science News Corner also staged three thematic exhibitions, namely, the Science of Human Locomotion, Bio-hydrogen Production from Wastewater and Transgenic Fish for Rapid Monitoring of Estrogenic Pollution, during the year. These exhibitions were jointly developed by local universities and the Museum to showcase the latest research achievements and technological breakthroughs in Hong Kong.
Jointly presented by the Department of Earth Sciences and Stephen Hui Geological Museum of The University of Hong Kong, the Geotechnical Engineering Office of Civil Engineering and Development Department, the Geological Society of Hong Kong and the Museum, Hong Kong Geology 360 enhanced the public's understanding of the local geological environment and the need to preserve our geological heritage through a series of lectures, field visits and a special exhibition on local geology. The programme began in May 2009 and ran until late October.
The Distinguished Chinese Scientists Lecture Series 2009 invited outstanding scientists from the Mainland and Hong Kong to deliver five public lectures in November on the topics of public health, lunar exploration, aviation technology, innovative global positioning systems and applications of mathematics. It was jointly organised with the China Association for Science and Technology, the Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Centre and the China Association (Hong Kong) for Science and Society.
To commemorate Prof. Charles Kao's 2009 Nobel Prize for Physics, awarded for his groundbreaking achievements in fibre optics communication, the Museum and The Chinese University of Hong Kong jointly presented an exhibition entitled A Tribute to Prof. Charles Kao ----- Father of Fibre Optics from December 8, 2009 to March 10, 2010. The exhibition introduced details of his academic life and highlighted his achievements over the past 40 years. A concurrent Stamp Sheetlet Design Competition in November 2009 received 389 entries from Open, Secondary and Primary groups.
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Science Alive 2009, which was sponsored by the Croucher Foundation and jointly presented with the British Council and the Education Bureau, featured a variety of educational and extension activities, including a science communication contest, workshops, school tours, science walkabout shows, interactive science lectures and science demonstrations on the theme of 'Beautiful Science'.
The Hong Kong Science Museum attracted 1 003 227 visitors during the year.
Hong Kong Space Museum
Officially opened in 1980, the Hong Kong Space Museum is the major local institution dedicated to popularising astronomy and space science. Its main facilities include the Stanley Ho Space Theatre and two exhibition halls, the Hall of Space Science and the Hall of Astronomy. The exhibition halls feature 59 predominantly interactive exhibits, whilst the 23-metre hemispherical dome of the Space Theatre wows audiences with the stunning visual impact of OMNIMAX films and provides educational planetarium programmes.
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Funding for the renovation of the two exhibition halls has been secured, and new exhibits will be designed and installed in an immersive environment to simulate the experience of space travel. The Museum's website (http://hk.space.museum), with its wealth of information and educational resources on astronomy and space science, remains as popular as ever.
The Space Theatre was closed from November 17, 2008 to June 30, 2009 for the installation of a state-of-the-art star projection system. Between July 1, 2009 and March 31, 2010, the Museum presented three Sky Shows, four OMNIMAX Shows and two School Shows, attracting a total of 282 421 viewers. In addition, the Space Museum and the China Astronaut Research and Training Centre jointly offered a Young Astronaut Training Camp from August 8-14, 2009 with the sponsorship of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce. Thirty local secondary school students were selected to study basic space science and experience astronaut training in Beijing and Xichang, China.
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A special exhibition entitled Beyond Time was jointly presented by the Hong Kong Space Museum and OMEGA in June 2009 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first lunar landing. It featured instruments, flight plans, cameras, watches and other exhibits, most of which had never before been seen in Hong Kong. To celebrate the International Year of Astronomy 2009 and to arouse interest in astronomy amongst the general public, the Museum held The World at Night exhibition, which showcased a stunning photo collection of the world's most beautiful and historic sites against a nighttime backdrop of celestial bodies.
The Astropark, Hong Kong's first stargazing theme park, was opened to the public at the Chong Hing Water Sports Centre in Sai Kung in January 2010. The park, which was designed and is managed by the Space Museum, features specially designed stargazing benches, free binoculars and telescope piers to facilitate casual stargazing for members of the public, as well as astronomical observations by serious amateur astronomers. Replicas of a wide range of ancient Chinese astronomical instruments, including a life-size model of the armillary sphere, are on display to testify to the crowning achievements of ancient Chinese astronomy.
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During the year, 657 621 members of the public visited the Hall of Space Science, the Hall of Astronomy, the Space Theatre and the 15 temporary special exhibitions, whilst 21 164 people participated in 188 extension activities during the year.
Hong Kong Heritage Museum
The Hong Kong Heritage Museum (HKHM) offers a diverse range of exhibitions and educational activities throughout the year.
To coincide with Le French May 2009 and the theme of this year's HKHM programme series, A Salute to the Masters, the Museum organised The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957. Drawn mainly from the Victoria and Albert Museum's renowned collection of French and British fashion and photography, this special exhibition focused on post-war couture during the decade described by Christian Dior as the 'Golden Age' of fashion. Also part of the A Salute to the Masters programme series were the Splendour of Cantonese Opera: Masters Tong Tik Sang and Yam Kim Fai, which showcased Tong and Yam's achievements in and contributions to the art of Cantonese opera, and The Enchanting Brush: Selected Works of Chinese Painting and Calligraphy by Chao Shao-an, which featured representative works by the Lingnan master from the HKHM's collection. A generous donation from Lydia Sum's family made possible an exhibition entitled Our Beloved 'Happy Fruit' Lydia Sum, which revisited eight of Lydia's iconic images and considered their relationship with the broader historical and cultural context of Hong Kong since the 1960s.
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Throughout the year, a wide variety of guided tours, thematic talks, interactive workshops, demonstrations, outreach activities and Cantonese opera performances, amongst other educational and extension programmes, were held in association with the HKHM's thematic exhibitions. The Museum was also the host organiser of International Museum Day 2009, Hong Kong. The highlight of this event was a car parade entitled 'Museums On the Go', which toured the territory's sightseeing attractions and shopping areas to introduce the local community and overseas visitors to the wide range of services offered by Hong Kong's museums.
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Following the implementation of UNESCO's Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in April 2006, the LCSD commissioned the South China Research Centre of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in late August 2009 to conduct a territory-wide survey of Hong Kong's intangible cultural heritage (ICH) with a view to compiling an ICH inventory. To enhance the visibility of local ICH, in September 2009, the HKSAR Government submitted four applications to the Ministry of Culture for the inclusion of the Jiao Festival of Cheung Chau, the dragon boat water parade of Tai O, the fire dragon dance of Tai Hang and the Yu Lan Ghost Festival of the Hong Kong Chiu Chow Community in the third national list of ICH. Also in September, the application to include Cantonese opera on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity was accepted, making it Hong Kong's first item of world ICH. Amongst the public programmes organised during the year to promote ICH was a three-day international conference in December, which provided an opportunity for an exchange of experiences in the preservation of ICH on the Mainland, Hong Kong and the East Asian region.
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The HKHM, which attracted 478 578 visitors during the year, also manages three branch museums, the Sam Tung Uk Museum, the Hong Kong Railway Museum and the Sheung Yiu Folk Museum. These three branch museums attracted 112 265, 214 293 and 54 458 visitors, respectively.
Art Promotion Office
To heighten appreciation of the art of sculpture, advocate visual arts education, and foster cultural and arts exchanges in the community, the Office teamed up with the Hong Kong Sculpture Society to present the Oasis‧Mirage: Hong Kong International Sculpture Symposium in 2009 at the West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade. The Symposium involved a variety of exciting programmes and attracted more than 80 000 visitors. The Artists in the Neighbourhood Scheme IV is the Office's major community arts programme. Under the auspices of the Scheme in 2009, four solo shows for two arts groups and two artists toured various districts. The Visual Arts Thematic Exhibition was co-presented with the Hong Kong Arts Development Council. Following an open invitation for proposals, two thematic exhibitions on Chinese painting and Western art were held from January to February and August to September, 2009, respectively, to showcase the latest works of local artists. In support of equal opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in cultural activities and to promote art to the wider community, the Office collaborated with The Spastics Association of Hong Kong, The Salvation Army, and the Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden Corporation to organise a series of hand-weaving workshops and an exhibition for rehabilitated groups. The Art Promotion Office is also actively involved in the arts of ceramics and printmaking via partnership projects with different arts organisations. In the past year, two exhibitions, namely, the Legend of Hong Kong Ceramics in partnership with the Hong Kong Ceramics Society and Youth Impressions in partnership with the Hong Kong Open Printshop, have been held. These exhibitions expanded the opportunities available for art teachers and scholars to exchange views on ceramics and print art education.
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Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre
The Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre, which comprises nine art studios, a lecture theatre, an exhibition hall, and a multi-purpose room, focuses on visual arts training and promotion and offers facilities for hire to professionals. A graduation exhibition for the Art Specialist Course was held at the Centre in January 2010. To promote the development of Hong Kong art, the Centre has also organised a series of New Media Art workshops and video screenings.
In partnership with the Hong Kong Graphics Society, Printmakers in Residence 2009 was held at the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre last year. Six printmakers from Mainland China, Taiwan, Macao and Hong Kong conducted public activities at the printmaking studios to promote the art of printmaking and to facilitate exchange and communications amongst artists and visitors.
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