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The Hong Kong Heritage Museum was officially opened today (December 16) by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Mr Tung Chee Hwa, marking a completion of this millennium project which also represents a milestone showcasing the rich cultural heritage of Hong Kong with dynamics and creativity. The Museum will be opened to the public from tomorrow (December 17) onwards.

Also officiating at today's ceremony were the Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, Mr Jiang Enzhu; the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the HKSAR, Mr Ma Yuzhen; the Director-General of National Administration for Cultural Heritage of the People's Republic of China, Mr Zhang Wenbin; the Chairman of the Culture and Heritage Commission, Professor Chang Hsin-kang; the Chairman of the Heung Yee Kuk, New Territories, Mr Lau Wong-fat; the Chairman of the Tsui Art Foundation, Dr T T Tsui; the Chairman of the Antiquities Advisory Board, Professor David Lung; the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lam Woon-kwong; the Director of Architectural Services, Mr Pau Shiu-hung; and the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mr Paul Leung Sai-wah.

The museum project was given final approval in February 1995. The construction of the building took four years and was completed in 1999. Exhibit fabrication then started in the same year. Occupying a gross floor area of 28,500 square meters, the Museum is the largest of the 13 museums managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.

The Chief Curator of the Museum Mr Yim Shui-yuen noted that the Museum, which provided different exhibitions and activities in history, culture and arts, was one of the major cultural institutions in Hong Kong.

Mr Yim said: " The Museum is tasked to conserve and study our cultural heritage. Beside, it has an important function of achieving better social cohesion and establishing more shared values, with a view to improving the quality of life as well as to fostering cultural, social and economic development.

"The Museum is also a cultural resource centre - a place for holding exhibitions and activities, complementing classroom learning as well as providing lifelong learning opportunities for the public," Mr Yim said.

The Museum has acquired a collection of around 70,000 items, more than half of which are donated by enthusiastic groups and individuals. A fine selection of the collection is displayed in the 12 exhibition galleries of the Museum for public viewing.

Of the 12 galleries, six are permanent exhibition galleries, namely, Orientation Theatre, New Territories Heritage Hall, Cantonese Opera Heritage Hall, Children's Discovery Gallery, T.T. Tsui Gallery of Chinese Art and Chao Shao-an Gallery. The other six galleries are thematic galleries which regularly feature temporary exhibitions on local and overseas culture.

Each permanent gallery of the Museum has special features of its own. The New Territories Heritage Hall chronicles the social changes of the New Territories over the past 6,000 years, illustrating the process of the transformation of rural villages into modern new towns. The Cantonese Opera Heritage Hall introduces the cultural gems of South China, which is surely a favourite rendezvous for local Cantonese opera fans, overseas Chinese and visitors. The T.T. Tsui Gallery of Chinese Art displays the artefacts throughout the 6000-year history of China, which offers the visitors a good chance to appreciate and learn more about Hong Kong's great cultural heritage. The Children's Discovery Gallery provides young children aged between four and 10 with a wide range of interesting learning activities as a complement to classroom learning.

Apart from the permanent exhibitions, six thematic exhibitions are staged to mark the opening of the Museum.

"Hong Kong Comic World" exhibition focuses on the development of Hong Kong people's favourite comics which have been the constant companions of Hong Kong people as they grow up. Featuring about 100 selected artworks, the exhibition presents the well-known comics such as "Children's Paradise", "Old Master Q, Mr Chun AND Sweet Potato", "Little Rogue" and "Dumb Dora". The street-side barbershop is also reconstructed inside the gallery allowing visitors to recall the memories and fun of the street-side comic world. The exhibition will run until August 31, 2001.

The "home" is the theme of the "Hong Kong Home: Multi-stories" exhibition which aims to review the development of and innovation and changes within interior design and housing of Hong Kong. The displays provide vivid presentations of squatter areas, "Tang Lau", interior designs in the 60s to 70s' movie studio settings, the resettlement estates, private housing estates as well as modern household product and interior designs. Visitors will also have a chance to design their ideal home with interactive computer game at the end of the exhibition. The exhibition will end on June 30, 2001.

Today, digital technology is almost omnipresent. How to use this new technology creatively is a major agenda in the new millennium. "Art +01 - A Digital Exploration" exhibition has invited 10 local artists from different areas to illustrate the variety of dimensions and opportunities offered by the new technology. Visitors will have the opportunity to share with the artists the possibilities that are being explored in the realm of art. The exhibition will run till February 28, 2001.

"The Art of Living in the Future" exhibition displays a series of works created by artists and designers in a joint project with teachers and students. Six local artists and six professional designers went to 12 secondary and primary schools to team up with teachers and students in this joint endeavor on the theme of "Human Relationships" and "Daily Life in the Future". The works on display reveal the students' envision of their lifestyles in the 21st century and beyond. The exhibition will end on February 28, 2001.

Printing and printmaking were invented in China. "The Art of Chinese Traditional Woodblock Printing" exhibition introduces the three main traditional woodblock printing processes - "Tracing", "Carving" and "Printing". Over 100 exhibits on display illustrate the historical and artistic significance of this traditional printing method. The exhibition will end on August 31, 2001.

"Happy Birthday, Emperor Qianlong" exhibition, jointly presented with the Palace Museum in Beijing, features more than 100 cultural relics of historical and artistic value form the Qing palace collection. They are arranged in accordance with the sequence of ceremonies at Emperor Qianlong's 80th birthday. These relics capture the atmosphere of the occasion, when a sense of joyousness was felt throughout the nation and dependencies in distant lands demonstrated their allegiance by participating in the ceremonies. The exhibition will run till March 15, 2001.

Located at 1 Man Lam Road in Sha Tin, the Museum is a mere 15-minute walk from Shatin or Tai Wai KCR station. Public transportation accessible includes bus numbers A41, E42, 72A, 80M, 86,89, N271, 280P and 282. Besides, there are free shuttle-bus services available for transportation between Shatin KCR station and the Museum from 10 am to 6.30 pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

Admission fee is $10, with half-price concession for senior citizens, people with disabilities and full-time students. Admission on Wednesdays is free. The Museum opens from 10 am to 6 pm from Tuesday through Sunday (except Friday) and on public holidays. It opens from 10 am to 9 pm on Fridays and closes on Mondays (except December 25, 2000 and January 1, 2001) as well as the first two days of the Chinese New Year.

For further details, please visit the Museum's website at www.heritagemuseum.gov.hk or call 2180 8188.

End/Saturday, December 16, 2000

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