Museum Revamp Sparks Fears of Censorship

People went to see the Hong Kong exhibit before it closed

 

Today was the last day people could go see "The Hong Kong Story" at the Museum of History in Tsim Sha Tsui before it closes for a revamp. 

Many fear parts of the history recorded there would be changed so hundreds lined up today to record it in pictures and video. Others brought their children to teach them about the city's history, that it included being a British colony, which made Hong Kong a modern metropolis until 1997.

They worry the British history part will be gone

The exhibition charts the story of the island from 400 million years ago to Hong Kong's reunification with China 23 years ago. Since the show opened in 2001, "The Hong Kong Story" has had 10 million visits.

However, officials from the Leisure and Cultural Services Department said it's time for an "extensive revamp", which is expected to take two years, and some of the content will be amended.

As a result, many people came to take one last look, taking lots of pictures of the artefacts and how the city's history was described as a record because they worry the updated exhibition will censor some of the material. 

Some worried England's part in Hong Kong's development will be cut.

"I want her [my daughter] to remember the history of Hong Kong, especially the part related to England. I think the content will be changed and mainly focused on China, maybe will cut the part of England," a mother told RTHK.

Will these governors' portraits still be around?

A university student hoped the parts about British rule of Hong Kong would be retained.

"I hope the history museum will not be a museum that recorded altered history," he said.

This is how sensitive people are about defending the city. They are worried even a museum exhibition will be altered, but their fears are justified after seeing Hong Kong's institutions changing rapidly within months.

At one point the museum goers began singing "Glory to Hong Kong" and then shouted "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our time!" 

It was a rare moment for people to protest albeit very briefly without the police pouncing on them.

Jiang and his modified calligraphy message

In the exhibition there is a picture of then president Jiang Zemin holding calligraphy he wrote that says: "Hong Kong tomorrow will be better". But someone stood next to the picture with Chinese words for "liberate" on his smartphone to make it read: "Liberate Hong Kong tomorrow will be better".

Hope springs eternal.

 

 

Picture of the Day: Toad-ily Similar...

Do you see the resemblance with the glasses superimposed on the toad?

How amusing, but censors are madly trying to delete pictures of an inflatable toad in cyberspace because it bears a resemblance to former leader Jiang Zemin.

After Hong Kong's giant inflatable yellow duck last year, other mainland cities have been competing amongst themselves to have other cute animals.

The 22-metre-high toad sat on a giant lily pad in a park in Beijing, but then it was mocked by social media users who said it bore an uncanny resemblance to the former Communist Party chief.

Toads (really frogs) are seen as a symbol of good fortune, but in this case, making fun of Jiang was too much.

Last year censors worked overtime to delete all references to the lovable inflatable yellow duck after images of it appeared in a re-worked image of "Tank Man", where a protester blocks a line of yellow ducks instead of tanks.

But the toad really does look like Jiang!