After five years of renovation, the Hong Kong History Museum chose April 1, April Fool’s Day, for the grand reopening of its permanent exhibition hall, “The Story of Hong Kong.” The reopened exhibition provides a more comprehensive narrative of Hong Kong’s history.
According to reports, the “Story of Hong Kong” exhibition’s redesign reduced the original eight sections to four major themes: “Shared Life,” “China Connection,” “National Crises,” and “International City,” with 10 sub-sections illustrating Hong Kong’s development from prehistoric times to the modern era.
The exhibition emphasizes reinterpretation of historical events. For example, photos of the old exhibits from October 2020 showed how issues such as British colonial rule, the 1967 unrest, and the 1989 events in Beijing were previously presented.
In the historical narrative, previous exhibits used terms like “ceded Hong Kong” and “leased territories” to describe British acquisition of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon north of Boundary Street and the New Territories south of the Shenzhen River. Post-WWII British occupation was called “reoccupation,” while the 1967 riots were described as the “Leftist riots,” and sometimes as “large-scale unrest” or “anti-British riots.”
Regarding the 1989 Beijing protests, the old exhibits mentioned a “mass demonstration” of one million people in Hong Kong, showing photos from April 15 to June 4, describing how commemorations of former CCP General Secretary Hu Yaobang turned into large-scale demonstrations demanding economic and political reforms. The old exhibits avoided using the term “Tiananmen” and instead described the event as “the political turmoil of the summer of 1989,” linking it to Hong Kong’s return negotiations.
Success
You are now signed up for our newsletter
Success
Check your email to complete sign up
On the day before the old “Story of Hong Kong” closed, nearly 9,800 visitors came. Many Hongkongers waited in line to enter the museum, pausing in front of old photos, seemingly saying farewell to the exhibition, aware that the renovated version would present a different historical narrative.
READ MORE:
- Access to Online Museum Commemorating Tiananmen Square Massacre Blocked in Hong Kong
- Expansion of Hong Kong Security Law Raises Stakes for Convicted Figures Like Jimmy Lai
- Hong Kong Revises National Security Law Rules, Expands Police Powers
‘What existed is disappearing’
The museum director, Ho Wai-yee, said that Hong Kong’s history is long, and while visitors can see “what existed,” historical interpretations inevitably change. She emphasized that a small committee was convened to ensure a “balanced perspective.”
Historian Chan Chi-wah commented that the previous exhibition’s use of the neutral term “ceded” reflected an objective approach, while “occupied” suggested the exhibition highlighted British “injustice.” Regarding the 1967 unrest, “Leftist riots” reflected the British political perspective, while “anti-British riots” reflected the mainland perspective, portraying some injustices and labor exploitation under British rule.
On the 1989 events, Chan said that calling it “the political turmoil of the summer” might indicate a lack of historical context, and the museum should provide more explanatory materials.
This exhibition arrives at a time of political change in Hong Kong, making debates over historical interpretation particularly prominent. Experts note that museums are not just sites for preserving artifacts—they shape collective memory and historical understanding.
The five-year renovation, costing hundreds of millions, removes explicit mentions of “occupation” in some sections, replaces them with immersive displays like “Walking with the Nation,” and reinterprets Hong Kong’s story. Hong Kong’s story remains, but it is no longer the story as previously told.
