(Policy Address 2023) New offices and museums to step up game in patriotic education

Hong Kong will establish a working group on patriotic education to coordinate the work of government departments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in taking forward national education and dovetailing with China’s Patriotic Education Law, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said. 

The committee will be established by the Constitution and Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Lee noted. 

He added that the goal is to enhance education on the country's history, culture and current affairs on different fronts, thereby promoting patriotism and ensuring its continuity from generation to generation. 

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will also establish a Chinese Culture Promotion Office. 

Sources said the new Chinese Culture Promotion Office will be established on April 1 next year and will consist around 10 officials.

The office will be plan and implement programs to promote Chinese culture and history, including an annual Chinese Culture Festival starting next year.

The festival is expected to attract around 55,000 visitors per year, sources said.

In addition, the government will set up a museum to showcase the development and achievements of China, covering areas such as its history, politics, economic development and culture. 

The existing Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence will be converted into the Hong Kong Museum of the War of Resistance and Coastal Defence in 2024. 

It will focus on the history of the War of Resistance to cultivate a stronger sense of national esteem and patriotism, Lee noted. 

The government will also collaborate with the Shenzhen Municipal Cultural Relics Bureau to organize exhibitions introducing the joint efforts by Hong Kong and Shenzhen during the War of Resistance.