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Recommended: Most important role of museums

Introduction
Hong Kong Museum of History (HKMH) was established by the Urban Council in July 1975. It exhibits objects related to the archaeology, history, ethnography and natural histories of Hong Kong and South China. This essay focuses on the permanent exhibition “The Hong Kong Story”. This essay covers HKMH’s emphasis on Hong Kong history, visitors, and its role in Hong Kong society.
Background
One may find hard to define museum as it has acquired so many different connotations. In general, a museum is an institution that conserves a collection of artefacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance, which are made available for public viewing through exhibits. Museums play important roles in the society. Joseph Veach Noble, a distinguished president of the American Association of Museums briefly described five basic responsibilities of every museum: to collect, to conserve, to study, to interpret, and to exhibit.
There are different areas of study of history, e.g. geographical, military, social, cultural, diplomatic, economic, environmental history and so on. In Hong Kong, there are museums that focus on certain aspect, e.g. Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence which talks about military history, it is sensible that more emphasis should be put on diplomacy history for HKMH.
Emphasis on Hong Kong history
Occupying an area of 7,000m², “The Hong Kong Story” is a permanent exhibition which comprises eight galleries located on two floors. . “Hong Kong Story” outlines the natural environment, folk culture and historical development of Hong Kong through over 4,000 exhibits with the use of 750 graphic panels, dioramas and multi-media programmes, with the aim of outlining the “natural environment, fo...

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The result of this study suggests that Hong Kong Museum of History’s The Hong Kong Story puts forward a general but shallow view of Hong Kong history. It is the most popular during thematic exhibitions and the main visitors are school children. Content analysis is performed, with limited coverage of wartime history. The inconsistencies of the narrative create fluid identity.
Thematic exhibition may be an ideal way to boost attendance, but in the long run, more in-depth analysis should be included in order to succeed in its role in education and an in-depth view of Hong Kong history should be provided. The current investigation was limited by the lack of studies about HKMH. Further case studies of HKMH could therefore investigate how identity is established by the narrative in the galleries, which would be an intriguing one in further research.
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