The Hong Kong Museum of the War of Resistance and Coastal Defence will open to the public on Sep 4, with its inaugural thematic exhibition narrating the tactics of Hong Kong fighters.

The new admission-free museum will shed more light on the Hong Kong Independent Battalion of The Dong Jiang Column — a guerrilla force tasked by the Communist Party of China to undertake anti-Japanese campaigns during World War II — to help visitors understand its contribution and carry forward the spirt of patriotism, the Hong Kong government said.

The museum will be officially established on Sep 3, the Victory Day of Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, on the site of the existing Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence in Shau Kei Wan, and will open to visitors on the following day.

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At a preview ceremony on Tuesday, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung told reporters that “the War of Resistance” in the museum’s name reflects its theme of commemorating the history of the war of resistance and inheriting the patriotic spirit, while also containing the highest respect for heroes during wartime, and warning future generations to cherish peace.

The first thematic exhibition of the new museum, which will open on Sep 4, will be jointly organized by Hong Kong and Shenzhen’s tourism authorities, highlighting the stories of the Hong Kong battalion.

The exhibition, slated to run until July of 2025, will narrate Shenzhen and Hong Kong people’s heroic fighting against Japanese invaders with rich content and exhibits, including oral history and interview clips with veterans, said Yeung.

At the event, 89-year-old Lam Chun, a former member of the battalion and president of the Society of Veterans of the Original Hong Kong Independent Battalion of the Dongjiang Column, lent a medal commemorating the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression to the exhibition.

The new museum will also enhance the display of the commendation certificates for the battalion and the list of martyrs, as well as playing movies about the War of Resistance directed by Hong Kong filmmakers.

The four exhibition halls reflecting the history of War of Resistance at the coastal defense museum will be grouped into one after the conversion.

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All content related to coastal defense in the current museum will be kept in the new museum.

Cheung Yui-sum, museum director of the Hong Kong Museum of History, said that the new museum will launch a string of activities in the future, including seminars and historical site visits. It will also host curatorial training course for middle school students to learn history and unleash their creativity in designing souvenirs and planning events.

Cheung hopes the new museum could become an important place to promote patriotic sentiment and patriotic education, and enhance the younger generation’s knowledge of the history of the War of Resistance.

Contact the writer at atlasshao@chinadailyhk.com