CityUHK holds an exhibition on the history and culture of Canton–Hong Kong to strengthen community ties

City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) is dedicated to connecting with the community and fostering cooperation within the Greater Bay Area. To this end, the Department of Chinese and History of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences of CityUHK, the Guangdong Museum of Revolutionary History and Link Asset Management Limited are jointly hosting the “From the Bund to the Harbour: Canton and Hong Kong Reconnected” Exhibition.

The exhibition invites visitors on a captivating journey through history, exploring the vivid connections between the two vibrant cities in three exhibition zones.

Attending the opening ceremony of the exhibition on 20 September were Mr Victor Tai Sheung-shing, Under Secretary for Housing of the HKSAR Government; Mr Hu Jianguang, Deputy Division Director of the Division of Cultural Relics of the Guangzhou Municipal Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau; Mr Yi Xibing, Museum Director of Guangdong Museum of Revolutionary History; Professor Chan Chi-hou, Vice-President (Community Engagement) of CityUHK; and Mr Ronald Tham Seng-yum, Chief Corporate Development Officer of Link Asset Management Limited.

Professor Chan said that the exhibition shares some common visions with CityUHK’s commitment to strengthen community ties and cooperation. “CityUHK has actively collaborated with many different organisations to promote sustainable development, leveraging our technological innovations to benefit the community,” he said. “We also focus on partnering with secondary schools and youth groups to enhance and promote the value of a university education.”

Professor Ching May-bo, Exhibition Curator and Head of the Department of Chinese and History at CityUHK, said, “We hope that citizens, especially young people, will better understand the shared history of Guangzhou and Hong Kong, and gain a better appreciation of Hong Kong from a broader perspective through this exhibition. We also hope that many exhibition visitors will have an opportunity to reminisce about being born and raised in Guangzhou, inspiring them to share more stories about the two cities."

Professor Ching added, "The exhibition incorporates audio-visual experiences, allowing visitors to enjoy the enchanting scenery of the Bund as if they were sitting on a boat, appreciating the commercial landscape along the shore. Visitors will enjoy a unique audio-visual experience, as various sounds with historical elements, such as Tanka boats and Canton Customs, will permeate the entire exhibition."

The exhibition focuses on the development of the Bund in Guangzhou in the early 20th century. Visitors will explore the historical ties, architectural similarities, daily life and business development of Guangzhou and Hong Kong in the three sections of the exhibition. They can also enjoy a diverse array of precious historical images up close, including a panorama of the Bund in Guangzhou in the 1920s, and engage in interactive experiences through audio-visual presentations, outdoor photo installations, workshops and stamping activities to better understand the history of the development of the Bund and the rich historical, cultural and commercial ties between Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

The exhibition will be held from 20 September to 17 October 2024 in the UG2 Atrium, Zone B, Lok Fu Place. Admission is free. The exhibition is one of the celebratory events of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. It showcases the rich commercial and cultural connections between Guangzhou and Hong Kong, with the aim of deepening understanding of the essence of Chinese culture among the general public and especially helping to enhance the cultural confidence and sense of national identity of young people.

For more information, please visit: https://www.cah.cityu.edu.hk/events/exhibition_Canton_Hong_Kong_Reconnected_2024