Varsity's Choice

Popular entertainment shows HK history

by Hedy Wong

When a big old-fashioned radio is juxtaposed with a tiny MP3 player, they show not only the dramatic development of technology, but also the changes in the forms of entertainment over the past century.

The Hong Kong Heritage Museum is holding an exhibition titled “ Hong Kong ’s Popular Entertainment” that displays more than 300 items on 10 different themes. They cover traditional festival celebration, street entertainment, amusement parks, toys and games, football, and theatre.

Many of the pieces are drawn from the collection of public organisations and private hands. Playful articles such as marbles, rocking horses and elastic bands remind visitors of the old days of Hong Kong as well as their childhood memories. A scene in the theatre and cinema section, which depicts a local theatre in the 1960s, shows classic movies. Toys and photos of games such as origami and marbles in another section are popular with visitors. The visitors can also play small nostalgic games in the exhibition.

Lam Kwok-fai, a curator of the Heritage Museum , said entertainments in the past involved more people’s interaction, whereas pastimes nowadays were much more individualised.

“The exhibition is actually collective memories of the citizens. From that we hope visitors will understand the technology and economic development, and how they have changed our lives,” Lam said.

The exhibition is jointly organised by the Hong Kong Baptist University ’s history department and will run until February 26, 2007 . The museum is located at 1 Man Lam Road , Sha Tin.

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