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Following is a the speech by the Secretary for Works, Mr Kwong Hon-sang, at the opening ceremony of the "Defending the Seaboard" Exhibition Preview of the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence this (Tuesday) afternoon:

Mr Mok, Professor Lung, Ms Chung, Mr Pau, ladies and gentlemen,

I am very pleased to officiate at today's opening ceremony of the Preview of the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence. The theme of this exhibition is "Defending the Seaboard" which shows the new museum and the history of Hong Kong's coastal defence. This is a very meaningful history education activity.

The new museum is located at the ruins of the Lei Yue Mun Fort, which was a defence work built by the British army in the 19th century. The SAR Government has preserved and maintained the historical relics, and has rebuilt it into a museum for the benefit of the public, so that they may have a better understanding of Hong Kong's coastal defence. It is undoubtedly another cultural contribution to our community. Hong Kong has a rich heritage of coastal defence and had been a strategic outpost since the Ming dynasty. There are lots of invaluable historical materials which have undergone centuries of changes for us to treasure. The Government will continue its efforts to provide Hong Kong people with more opportunities to know more about the past of this modern city. The establishment of this museum will surely contribute towards this purpose.

Besides its meaningfulness in history education, the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence will become a new scenic spot for tourists. It is an easily-accessible place where tourists can learn more about Hong Kong while enjoying its scenic environment. I am sure this new attraction will help enhance our tourism.

We must point out that the preparation and construction of this museum has been no simple task. While it is necessary to preserve the invaluable historical relics, it is also essential to make appropriate alterations and provide additional facilities to meet modern architectural standards. Without the precious efforts of Mr Pau and his professional staff, this would not have been so successfully achieved. On the other hand, the experts of the Provisional Urban Council have made great contributions in studying Hong Kong's history and preserving invaluable historical relics. Through the joint efforts of these professionals and experts, the ruins of the fort will soon be displaying a totally new appearance.

I wish to congratulate all those involved in making the exhibition such a success. Thank you.

End/Tuesday, May 12, 1998

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