ENG-2015 — Page 389

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Recreation, Sport, Culture and the Arts

The Hong Kong Museum of Art was closed on 3 August 2015 to prepare for three years of renovation works that began in end-2015. The renovated museum will be reopened in the second quarter of 2019.

Hong Kong Museum of History

Eight exhibitions were staged at the Hong Kong Museum of History in 2015: 'Every Object Tells a Story, 'The Exhibition of the 25th Anniversary of the Promulgation of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, '50th Anniversary of Dongjiang Water Supply to Hong Kong: 'The Centenary of the Hong Kong Chinese Christian. Churches Union, 'Pictorial exhibition on China's War of Resistance against Japan, Journey For Active Minds: Jockey Club Museum Programme For The Elderly', 'The Rise of the Celestial Empire: Consolidation and Cultural Exchange during the Han Dynasty', and 'The Radiant Ming 1368-1644 through the Min Chiu Society Collection. More than 749,700 people visited during the year.

The museum organised programmes for different communities, including those with disabilities, the elderly, new immigrants, teenagers, students, teachers and ethnic minorities, A pilot project, 'Journey for Active Minds: Jockey Club Museum Programme for the Elderly, was launched in March 2014 to provide special guided tours and workshops on the museum's exhibitions to help the elderly and Alzheimer's patients share their memories and experience, interact with others, and foster interest in Hong Kong's history, art and cultural heritage. An exhibition was staged in November 2015 to conclude the project and to showcase the participants' artworks.

The museum maintained close collaboration with The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, CUHK, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) and Chu Hai College of Higher Education to organise public seminars and lecture series on the history and culture of Hong Kong. To mark the museum's 40th anniversary in 2015, it organised new programmes including the 'Every Object Tells a Story' exhibition, a series of reminiscence talks, iPad tours on 'The Hong Kong Story' permanent exhibition, special workshops and an ensemble by secondary students at the museum's City Cafe.

As for schools, the museum continued to organise teacher seminars, school competitions and the Future Curator Training Course to enhance understanding of Hong Kong's history and culture. It collaborated with the Academy for Performing Arts to run six interactive drama performances at 'The Hong Kong Story' gallery to arouse secondary students' interest in learning local history from different perspectives.

The Museum of History manages five branch museums: the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence, Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum, Fireboat Alexander Grantham Exhibition Gallery, Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum and Law Uk Folk Museum.

The Museum of Coastal Defence, converted from the old Lei Yue Mun Fort in Shau Kei Wan, attracted more than 119,700 visitors in 2015. In addition to its permanent exhibition, '600 Years of Hong Kong's Coastal Defence, the museum staged two exhibitions entitled 'Fighting as One: Reminders of the Eight Years' War of Resistance in Guangdong and Hong Kong' and 'Great

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