To mark the 25th anniversary of the promulgation of the Basic Law, the Museum of History is hosting an exhibition featuring valuable pieces and photographs from an important time in Hong Kong’s past.
Jointly presented by the Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee, Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Bureau and the Leisure & Cultural Services Department, “The Exhibition of the 25th Anniversary of the Promulgation of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China” aims to deepen people’s knowledge about the city’s mini-constitution from its drafting and promulgation to its successful implementation.
The document
The Basic Law was enacted by the National People's Congress in accordance with the Constitution of the People's Republic of China. It enshrines in the form of law, the important concepts of "one country, two systems", "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy.
The Basic Law was adopted and promulgated by the NPC on April 4, 1990. It came into effect on July 1, 1997 - the day when the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region was established.
Exhibit highlights include wax figures of Deng Xiaoping and Margaret Thatcher meeting for the negotiation of Hong Kong's future in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People in 1982. The figures were produced by the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts to commemorate the first anniversary of the handover.
Interactive history
Visitors also get the chance to touch a piece of history in the form of two lecterns that were used by Mainland and British officials during the handover ceremony held on the night of June 30, 1997, at the new wing of the Convention & Exhibition Centre.
The expo not only looks back at the history of the Basic Law but also key moments in Hong Kong's past. On display are replicas of the 1842 Treaty of Nanking which ceded Hong Kong Island to the British, and the 1860 Convention of Peking in which Britain acquired Kowloon Peninsula.
Other valuable exhibits include the Consultative Committee for the Basic Law commemorative medal, the Basic Law public consultation paper issued in 1988 and the ballot envelope used by the Election Committee in the first Hong Kong Chief Executive election in 1996.
Enriching knowledge
People of all ages are invited to play interactive games, read historical e-documents, use the photo-taking area and enjoy family activities in the parent-child zone.
Principal Assistant Secretary for Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Daisy Lo hopes the exhibition will attract a young crowd too.
“We would like to draw our youngsters’ attention so that they can learn more about the Basic Law, and arouse public interest in reading this constitutional document, which is the most important document in Hong Kong.”
The exhibition will run until May 25.
