Big crowds flock to opening of national security gallery

Adelyn Lau

Hundreds of citizens, tourists, and students visited the National Security Education Gallery at the Hong Kong Museum of History in Tsim Sha Tsui, which opened to the public yesterday.

The gallery attracted a diverse audience, including local residents, visitors from mainland China, and a few travelers from overseas, such as France and Italy. Many visitors came in groups and with their families.

The gallery, spanning over 1,100 square meters, was prepared over 10 months as part of Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu's policy address announced last October.

Upon entering the museum, visitors must undergo a security check.

On the second floor, near the entrance, there is a theater with around 40 seats showcasing a 5-minute video that introduces the establishment of the People's Republic of China.

A visitor in her 40s, Chan, said: "The video brought back memories from my history classes and I believe it can encourage younger generations to learn more about the country's history."

The exhibition also covers various aspects of national security, including the design of national and regional emblems, 20 areas of national security - such as food security, financial security, and cyber security - Hong Kong's national security laws, as well as the government's support for the city.

Toward the end of the exhibition, many families explored the 3D theater and participated in interactive quiz kiosks.

A 27-year-old woman from Foshan, Au, visited the gallery with her mother and found the section explaining different perspectives of national security to be particularly enriching."I learned that food and outer space security can also contribute to national security," she said.

However, an Italian tourist in his 40s, Homel, who came with his wife and two children, found the exhibition to be overly patriotic and not particularly interesting.

The exhibition also features several notable exhibits, including a replica of the oil painting "The Founding Ceremony of the People's Republic of China," which is being displayed outside the mainland for the first time, as well as lunar soil collected by the Chang'e 5 spacecraft and a six-meter-tall, 1:9 scale model of the Long March 5B carrier rocket.

adelyn.lau@singtaonewscorp.com