ENG-2003 — Page 485

RECREATION, SPORT AND THE ARTS

Heritage: Discovering Hong Kong's Culture and Tradition, 75 Years of Broadcasting in Hong Kong, We Shall Overcome: Plagues in Hong Kong, and Sun Yat-sen: from Cuiheng to Hong Kong. These exhibitions presented in detail the different facets of the history and heritage of Hong Kong. Moreover, four major thematic exhibitions were jointly presented with museums and cultural institutions from the Mainland and overseas. They were War and Peace: Treasures of the Qin and Han Dynasties; Napoleon Bonaparte: Emperor and Man; National Flag, Emblem and Anthem of the People's Republic of China; and Boundless Learning: Foreign-educated Students of Modern China. The joint presentations broadened the public's cultural horizons, and also facilitated the academic and cultural interflow' between Hong Kong, the Mainland and foreign countries. The museum attracted 973 231 visitors during the year.

To foster public interest in local history and cultural heritage, the museum organised diversified educational activities and extension services, like guided tours, audio- guides, lectures, workshops, demonstrations, performances, field trips, in-house video programmes, 'School Culture Day' programmes, loan of educational resources, travelling exhibitions, briefing sessions, an international symposium, seminars, a quiz competition, and an Inter-school Competition of Study Projects on Hong Kong's History and Culture. The museum and the Hong Kong Institute of Education jointly conducted the 2nd Junior Curator Training Course, which was successfully concluded with a small display assembled by the student-participants at the museum in November.

Apart from the Museum of Coastal Defence, the Museum of History also manages two other branch museums - the Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum in Sham Shui Po and the Law Uk Folk Museum in Chai Wan. They attracted 37 065 and 30 977 visitors, respectively.

Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence

Converted from the old Lei Yue Mun Fort in Shau Kei Wan, the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence comprises three main areas: Reception Building, Redoubt and Historical Trail. The permanent exhibition galleries are located in the Redoubt, and feature the standing exhibition 600 Years of Coastal Defence in Hong Kong that depicts Hong Kong's history of coastal defence from the Ming and Qing period, the British period and the Japanese invasion to the period after Hong Kong's reunification with the Mainland. Visitors may also explore the historical military relics in the Redoubt and on the Historical Trail, such as the gun batteries, the torpedo station, caponiers and magazines.

Cultural Relics

The museum presented three thematic exhibitions during the year of the Zhongshan Gun Boat, Cultural Relics of the Fireboat Alexander Grantham (jointly organised with the Fire Services Department) and Archery Traditions of Asia. To arouse public interest in the history of Hong Kong's coastal defence, the museum organised a variety of educational activities, such as guided tours to the galleries and the Historical Trail, lectures on specific topics, family workshops, demonstrations and field trips. The museum's exhibitions and activities attracted 213 895 visitors during the year.

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