Friday, September 01, 2000, updated at 10:13(GMT+8)
China
Museum of Coastal Defense Opens in Hong Kong
The Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defense opened to the public here Thursday, marking a new era of Hong Kong's museum services.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Secretary for Home Affairs Lam Woon-kwong said the museum was an important cultural institution of a community and the development of museum services could mirror the quality of the cultural life of that community.
The Museum is developed from the old fort which was built in 1887 to defend the eastern approaches to the Victoria harbor. As the fort was the most sophisticated coastal fortifications at that time, it became an important battlefield when Japan invaded Hong Kong in 1941.
The new museum is made up of three main areas, namely the reception area, the redoubt and the historical trail.