The Hong
Kong Heritage Discovery Centre opened its doors to visitors back in
October of 2005, but its history goes way, way back when Hong Kong was still a
British Colony. Built around 1910, blocks S61 and S62 of the Whitfield Barracks
was used to accommodate the British soldiers up until 1967, the year it was
handed over to the government for public use. Today, the Centre occupies the
two blocks and it houses magnificent permanent and thematic exhibition
galleries, educational activity rooms, a lecture hall, and a reference library.
Guided tours of the Centre are also available in English and Cantonese.
Let me just
say that this is simply perfect for someone born with nerdy sensibilities. Like
this silly solo traveller here, who first found the Centre a welcome respite
from walking under all that heat. The lovely courtyard even earned only a
slight glance as I came in. But it is when I reached the second floor that my
sensibilities went haywire, I literally had to stop myself from giggling like a
schoolgirl. I was that excited even if I was just by the exhibit's entrance,
all because I saw the blurb "Explore Our Heritage". And so just like
the little red hen who baked bread from scratch all by herself, I did! Explore
Hong Kong's heritage, that is!
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| Simply amazing. |
I wasn't
able to catch the guided tour in English so I went on my merry lonesome way
inside the exhibit. It is so amazing to discover that Hong Kong is a treasure
trove of archaeological sites. Most dated back from the prehistoric period, and
a lot of artifacts from China's dynasties were also on display. There is an architectural exhibit as well which showcases
the different architectural designs throughout history that could be found in
Hong Kong.
I must say
that I am awed at how the people of Hong Kong was able to preserve their
historical and cultural heritage. The displays themselves speak volumes on how much
they value them. Modern technology meets the traditional way in putting up the
exhibit and everywhere I looked was a "Wow!" moment. There were times
when I could not contain myself from marvelling aloud. I even jumped in
excitement when I saw the Ming Dynasty display. And why wouldn't I, I haven't
seen a museum yet in recent history that thought of putting up a display within the floor. The tourists there
might have thought me crazy, all giggly and jumpy and excited and talking to
myself. Haha!
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| The LED screen on the left is blank... until you place your hand on the handprint. :) |
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| Pottery shards with different patterns |
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| Audio guide to the artifacts display. The lighted button in the middle (green) is in English. The top and bottom buttons (blue and red, respectively) are for Chinese dialects, I don't remember which is which. |
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| "Self portrait" on the Ming Dynasty display. I can't believe I'm standing on a museum display! |
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| Well-preserved dishes from the Ming Dynasty |
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| This Look and Turn display is within the architectural exhibit. As the name implies, people look in the small windows (there are three) to view the model of the featured historical building. And to see the model in all angles, one should turn the wheel at the base. This one is for the Tai Fu Tai Mansion. |
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| And for the life of me, I cannot remember the name of this building is, only that it is a school. This view is from the bottom window of the Look and Turn. |
After satisfying
my nerdy cravings, I proceeded to the exit when I passed by an activity room where
a workshop was ongoing at that time. The lovely lady at the doorway invited me in
and I almost refused even if admission was free. I'm so glad I changed my mind
in that nanosecond.
There were
two college age-looking guys who were in charge of the workshop. One of them spoke
to me in Chinese and he must have seen the confused look on my face so he
switched to English. It was a DIY workshop in pen holder making, with emphasis
on Hong Kong's archaeological past.
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| My map just made a cameo. Bwahahaha |
The procedure
was very easy: just colour the drawings on the sticker paper using markers, cut
them out then stick them on the coloured paper. Don't mind the blue cardboard
anymore; just put a strip of the double-sided tape on one end of the coloured
paper and attach the other end to it, making sure that it will fit the base and
the top ring once attached. And voila! Now I have a pen holder! (Not to mention
a free souvenir!)
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| My very own pen holder! ^_^ |
I know I
should feel awkward when I am the only adult among the throng of children making
a pen holder, but I didn't. Not even when all the other adults in the room were
helping their kids make their own pen holders as well as taking their pictures
with the finished product. Making the pen holder was such a fun experience for
me, it took me back to the time when I was a kid myself and enjoyed arts and crafts. I'm so proud of that pen holder that it has its own special spot in the
house. :)
Visiting the
Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre is definitely a must when one is in Hong
Kong. On my next trip there, when I am not so crazy as to go on a day tour,
I'll be sure to spend more time in the Centre. In fact, it showed me how Hong
Kong is more than just a shopping destination; it is a city very rich in
culture and history worth learning.
The Hong Kong
Heritage Discovery Centre is in Kowloon Park along Haiphong Road, Tsim Sha
Tsui, Hong Kong. Admission is free.
Get lost with me on my Hong Kong adventures :)
up next: photo essay, maybe epilogue. i dunno, we'll see. lol
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