133-581: The Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum is a museum in Central , Hong Kong . It is located in Kom Tong Hall ( Cantonese Yale : Gāmtòhngdaih ), at 7 Castle Road, Central . After preparatory work undertaken by the Hong Kong Museum of History , the museum opened to the public on 12 December 2006 to commemorate the 140th birthday of the influential Chinese statesman Sun Yat-sen . Sun Yat-sen
266-471: A budget of HK$ 91.3 million. On 12 December 2006, the converted museum was officially opened to the public. As a sign of appreciation from the government to the Church, Secretary for Home Affairs Patrick Ho Chi-ping arranged for the baptismal font to be preserved as a reminder to museum visitors of the Church's 44-year part in the building's history. In addition, a plaque on the front of the building displays
399-453: A contractor when necessary. The cultural property stored in museums is threatened in many countries by natural disaster , war , terrorist attacks or other emergencies. To this end, an internationally important aspect is a strong bundling of existing resources and the networking of existing specialist competencies in order to prevent any loss or damage to cultural property or to keep damage as low as possible. International partner for museums
532-471: A culture. As historian Steven Conn writes, "To see the thing itself, with one's own eyes and in a public place, surrounded by other people having some version of the same experience, can be enchanting." Museum purposes vary from institution to institution. Some favor education over conservation, or vice versa. For example, in the 1970s, the Canada Science and Technology Museum favored education over
665-592: A direct link by road. Prior to the tunnel's opening in 1972, local drivers and pedestrians depended solely upon the Star Ferry services to cross the Victoria Harbour . Linking the main financial districts on both sides of Victoria Harbour, the tunnel carries 123,000 vehicles daily. On the other hand, the thoroughfare Queen's Road East , an extension from Queen's Road West at Kennedy Town, through Queen's Road Central at Central, Queensway at Admiralty, takes
798-718: A full-time director to whom authority is delegated for day-to-day operations; Have the financial resources sufficient to operate effectively; Demonstrate that it meets the Core Standards for Museums; Successfully complete the Core Documents Verification Program". Additionally, there is a legal definition of museum in United States legislation authorizing the establishment of the Institute of Museum and Library Services : "Museum means
931-467: A lunar month. The Wan Chai Khalsa Diwan Sikh Temple is the biggest Sikh temple in Hong Kong. The Asia Area Office of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , along with chapels where multiple congregations meet throughout the week, is on Gloucester Road . Wan Chai offers historical conservation sites including Old Wan Chai Post Office , Hung Shing Temple and Pak Tai Temple . Many of
1064-469: A much larger new 14-story building on Gloucester Road in Wan Chai , Hong Kong. The Church no longer had need for the building and was looking to sell the property. It soon became apparent that a vacant lot would yield a far higher amount than if the property were sold intact, and the Church considered demolishing the building. In October 2002, the Church submitted an application for a demolition permit to
1197-427: A much wider range of objects than a library , and usually focus on a specific theme, such as the arts , science , natural history or local history . Public museums that host exhibitions and interactive demonstrations are often tourist attractions , and many attract large numbers of visitors from outside their host country, with the most visited museums in the world attracting millions of visitors annually. Since
1330-459: A museum and on display, they not only got to show their fantastic finds but also used the museum as a way to sort and "manage the empirical explosion of materials that wider dissemination of ancient texts, increased travel, voyages of discovery, and more systematic forms of communication and exchange had produced". One of these naturalists and collectors was Ulisse Aldrovandi , whose collection policy of gathering as many objects and facts about them
1463-554: A museum is successful, as happened in Bilbao, others continue especially if a museum struggles to attract visitors. The Taubman Museum of Art is an example of an expensive museum (eventually $ 66 million) that attained little success and continues to have a low endowment for its size. Some museum activists see this method of museum use as a deeply flawed model for such institutions. Steven Conn, one such museum proponent, believes that "to ask museums to solve our political and economic problems
SECTION 10
#17327919073551596-402: A museum's collection typically determines the museum's size, whereas its collection reflects the type of museum it is. Many museums normally display a "permanent collection" of important selected objects in its area of specialization, and may periodically display "special collections" on a temporary basis. The following is a list to give an idea of the major museum types. While comprehensive, it
1729-509: A notable person, or a given period of time. Museums also can be based on the main source of funding: central or federal government, provinces, regions, universities; towns and communities; other subsidised; nonsubsidised and private. It may sometimes be useful to distinguish between diachronic museums which interpret the way its subject matter has developed and evolved through time (e.g., Lower East Side Tenement Museum and Diachronic Museum of Larissa ), and synchronic museums which interpret
1862-508: A palace of Henry VIII , in England opened the council room to the general public to create an interactive environment for visitors. Rather than allowing visitors to handle 500-year-old objects, however, the museum created replicas, as well as replica costumes. The daily activities, historic clothing, and even temperature changes immerse the visitor in an impression of what Tudor life may have been. Major professional organizations from around
1995-407: A public, tribal, or private nonprofit institution which is organized on a permanent basis for essentially educational, cultural heritage, or aesthetic purposes and which, using a professional staff: Owns or uses tangible objects, either animate or inanimate; Cares for these objects; and Exhibits them to the general public on a regular basis" (Museum Services Act 1976). One of the oldest museums known
2128-903: A series of standards and best practices that help guide the management of museums. Various positions within the museum carry out the policies established by the Board and the Director. All museum employees should work together toward the museum's institutional goal. Here is a list of positions commonly found at museums: Other positions commonly found at museums include: building operator, public programming staff, photographer , librarian , archivist , groundskeeper , volunteer coordinator, preparator, security staff, development officer, membership officer, business officer, gift shop manager, public relations staff, and graphic designer . At smaller museums, staff members often fulfill multiple roles. Some of these positions are excluded entirely or may be carried out by
2261-536: A southerly route to provide an alternative east–west road link. Due to Wan Chai's early involvement in the British colonial administration, road names were often taken from previous Governors , such as Hennessy Road , and notable people (Gloucester Road, Jaffe Road, Lockhart Road, Johnston Road, Fleming Road, Luard Road, O'Brien Road, Marsh Road, Stewart Road, McGregor Street, etc.). Thoroughfares, Roads and Streets: The MTR Island line runs beneath Hennessy Road ,
2394-491: A steel frame with concealed built-in electrical wiring. The Hall has four storeys and occupies a total floor area of about 2,560 m (27,600 sq ft). The facade of the Hall is surrounded by Greek-style granite columns. The Hall features red brick walls, granite dressings around the windows and doors, and ornate ironwork on the balconies. Internally, the Hall is richly decorated with classical architectural features in
2527-512: A thoroughfare of the district running from west to east. This church building became the landmark of the district. In 1998, this building was demolished and replaced by a 23-storey building. During the Japanese occupation in the early 1940s, many bombardments took place in Wan Chai. There were abundant incidences of cannibalism , starvation , torture and abuses of the local population by
2660-504: A thoroughfare, in the locality. Due to the large size of Wan Chai, more than 50 entry/exit gates and 8 entrances/exits are set up. An extension project was carried out in the early 2000s; it created two additional entrances/exits, one of which connects to the footbridge network from the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre to the station. Then this footbridge is also interconnected with covered corridor of buildings along
2793-639: A very deep veranda , which is a typical colonial building design used to regulate the climate in all seasons. The stained-glass windows, veranda, wall tiles, and staircase railings are all preserved intact. Inside the Hall are two flights of staircases, one at the front for use by the Ho family, and one at the back for use by mui tsai (maids). This feature reflects the idea of social stratification in Chinese societies. Relics and artifacts on display include Kwan King-leung 's marriage certificate, bearing Sun's name as
SECTION 20
#17327919073552926-461: A witness, and a seal of "Long Live the Republic of China". Other important relics include accessories from Sun's early years, an announcement of the election results of his provisional presidency, the imperial edict of Emperor Xuantong 's abdication, and Sun's inscription to Huang Xing. Several items are being showcased for the first time in years, such as Sun's answer sheet for an examination in
3059-565: Is Ennigaldi-Nanna's museum , built by Princess Ennigaldi in modern Iraq at the end of the Neo-Babylonian Empire . The site dates from c. 530 BC , and contained artifacts from earlier Mesopotamian civilizations . Notably, a clay drum label—written in three languages—was found at the site, referencing the history and discovery of a museum item. Ancient Greeks and Romans collected and displayed art and objects but perceived museums differently from modern-day views. In
3192-773: Is UNESCO and Blue Shield International in accordance with the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property from 1954 and its 2nd Protocol from 1999. For legal reasons, there are many international collaborations between museums, and the local Blue Shield organizations. Blue Shield has conducted extensive missions to protect museums and cultural assets in armed conflict, such as 2011 in Egypt and Libya, 2013 in Syria and 2014 in Mali and Iraq. During these operations,
3325-466: Is a higher education institution that trains musicians, performers, actors and dancers, as well as a public venue for drama, concerts, dance, and musicals productions. Every year the academy produces a number of Broadway musicals , including Singin' in the Rain , Saturday Night Fever , and Annie . The Arts Centre, just opposite to the academy, houses a studio theatre, art galleries, rehearsal rooms,
3458-502: Is a typically Taoist temple. Inside, there are Buddhist Kwun Yum chapels next to the main altar. People coming to worship Hung Shing Ye could also burn joss sticks to Kwun Yum as well. Villain hitting is another blended ceremony, combining in different proportions Confucianism , Taoism , and folk religion . Some old female "psychics" perform this ancient ceremony under the Canal Road Flyover in particular days of
3591-542: Is accessible within walking distance South from Sheung Wan station of the MTR . 22°16′55″N 114°09′04″E / 22.282°N 114.151°E / 22.282; 114.151 Museum A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying and/or preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private collections that are used by researchers and specialists. Museums host
3724-415: Is also well known for its famous night life which has evolved over decades. As one of the first areas developed in Hong Kong, the locale is densely populated yet with noticeable residential zones facing urban decay . Arousing considerable public concern, the government has undertaken several urban renewal projects in recent years. There are various landmarks and skyscrapers within the area, most notably
3857-554: Is believed to be one of the earliest museums in the world. While it connected to the Library of Alexandria it is not clear if the museum was in a different building from the library or was part of the library complex. While little was known about the museum it was an inspiration for museums during the early Renaissance period. The royal palaces also functioned as a kind of museum outfitted with art and objects from conquered territories and gifts from ambassadors from other kingdoms allowing
3990-788: Is located at the Wan Chai Police District Headquarters, 1 Arsenal Street. within the Hong Kong Police Headquarters Compound. Maggie Farley of the Los Angeles Times said in 1996, referring to the then Wan Chai Police Station , that the police headquarters was "a stolid, whitewashed building with square pillars and breezy verandas". Esquel Group has its head office in Harbour Centre [ zh ] (海港中心), Wan Chai. Jademan (now Culturecom )
4123-448: Is no longer a main purpose of most museums. While there is an ongoing debate about the purposes of interpretation of a museum's collection, there has been a consistent mission to protect and preserve cultural artifacts for future generations. Much care, expertise, and expense is invested in preservation efforts to retard decomposition in ageing documents, artifacts, artworks, and buildings. All museums display objects that are important to
Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum - Misplaced Pages Continue
4256-404: Is not a definitive list. Private museums are organized by individuals and managed by a board and museum officers, but public museums are created and managed by federal, state, or local governments. A government can charter a museum through legislative action but the museum can still be private as it is not part of the government. The distinction regulates the ownership and legal accountability for
4389-438: Is not necessarily a negative development; Dorothy Canfield Fisher observed that the reduction in objects has pushed museums to grow from institutions that artlessly showcased their many artifacts (in the style of early cabinets of curiosity) to instead "thinning out" the objects presented "for a general view of any given subject or period, and to put the rest away in archive-storage-rooms, where they could be consulted by students,
4522-551: Is now more diverse with bars, pubs, restaurants and discos . A number of the raunchier bars still remain, however, their doorways festooned with women from Thailand and the Philippines . The famous novel and film The World of Suzie Wong sets many scenes in this area. The bar district has been popular with visiting sailors and navies, when Fenwick Pier, west of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre ,
4655-634: Is particularly true in the case of postindustrial cities. Examples of museums fulfilling these economic roles exist around the world. For example, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao was built in Bilbao, Spain in a move by the Basque regional government to revitalize the dilapidated old port area of that city. The Basque government agreed to pay $ 100 million for the construction of the museum, a price tag that caused many Bilbaoans to protest against
4788-650: Is situated adjacent to the Dr Sun Yat-sen Historical Trail , with various attractions of the trail in the vicinity. The Hall was also completed in 1914, close in time to the 1911 Revolution. Sun also had close relations with the original owner of the Hall, Ho Kom-tong . These factors also contributed to the selection of the Hall as the Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum. Kom Tong Hall is a historic building in Mid-Levels , Central . It
4921-678: Is the sole ferry operator in the area. Frequent services cross the Victoria Harbour from HKCEC , Wan Chai to the Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui . In light of more convenient and competitive cross-harbour public transportation, the Star Ferry continues to provide an inexpensive option to local commuters. Numerous shipping companies, such as the Anglo-Eastern Group , also have their headquarters in Wan Chai. Wan Chai's Gloucester Road , an east–west trunk route along
5054-417: Is to set them up for inevitable failure and to set us (the visitor) up for inevitable disappointment." Museums are facing funding shortages. Funding for museums comes from four major categories, and as of 2009 the breakdown for the United States is as follows: Government support (at all levels) 24.4%, private (charitable) giving 36.5%, earned income 27.6%, and investment income 11.5%. Government funding from
5187-644: The Guinness Book of World Records . The sticker pictures on 50 poles of the bridge have been colloquially called the "50 landscapes of Wan Chai" ( 灣仔五十景 ). Lovers' Rock reclines on the hillside of Bowen Road near Shiu Fai Terrace , mid-levels Wan Chai. The rock received its name since it resembles a small, thin column sticking out of the rock base. This special-looking rock is said to have granted happy marriages to its devoted worshippers. Many people are attracted by its reputation. Throughout Wan Chai's history, construction styles have changed according to
5320-519: The 1950s , the pro-Communist underground cell network Hailiushe (海流社) established their headquarters at the rooftop of a multi-story house on Spring Garden Lane . This group was successfully raided by the Hong Kong police . Prostitution had been one of the oldest occupations in Wan Chai. There are numerous historical accounts of women trading sexual services for western merchandise, especially with sailors from trading ships visiting this area. In
5453-664: The 1960s , Wan Chai became legendary for its exotic night life , especially for the US servicemen resting there during the War in Vietnam . Despite rapid changes of Wan Chai's demography due to reclamation and redevelopment, the presence of sex workers operating among ordinary residential areas has continued to be a distinctive feature. Some of the lifestyle was illustrated in past movies such as The World of Suzie Wong . Wan Chai's HKCEC has been home to major political and economic events. It
Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum - Misplaced Pages Continue
5586-518: The Age of Enlightenment saw their ideas of the museum as superior and based their natural history museums on "organization and taxonomy" rather than displaying everything in any order after the style of Aldrovandi. The first "public" museums were often accessible only for the middle and upper classes. It could be difficult to gain entrance. When the British Museum opened to the public in 1759, it
5719-466: The American Alliance of Museums does not have such a definition, their list of accreditation criteria to participate in their Accreditation Program states a museum must: "Be a legally organized nonprofit institution or part of a nonprofit organization or government entity; Be essentially educational in nature; Have a formally stated and approved mission; Use and interpret objects or a site for
5852-657: The Ancient Greek Μουσεῖον ( mouseion ), which denotes a place or temple dedicated to the muses (the patron divinities in Greek mythology of the arts), and hence was a building set apart for study and the arts, especially the Musaeum (institute) for philosophy and research at Alexandria , built under Ptolemy I Soter about 280 BC. The purpose of modern museums is to collect, preserve, interpret, and display objects of artistic, cultural, or scientific significance for
5985-671: The Baroque and Rococo styles: a grand staircase with carved wooden railings and ornamental balustrading runs from the basement to the second floor, the ceilings of the main rooms are ornately adorned with moulded plaster panels highlighted in gold leaf, while colourful stained-glass windows presenting Art Nouveau patterns of the period can be found along the main staircase and in other prominent locations. The Hall also features crystal chandeliers and wall lamps, hardwood wainscoting panels , fireplaces , patterned floor tiles, glazed wall tiles, and wooden louvre windows . The Hall also has
6118-469: The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), Central Plaza and Hopewell Centre . Wan Chai originally began as Ha Wan ( 下環 ), literally meaning "a bottom ring" or "lower circuit". As one of the earliest developed areas in Hong Kong along the Victoria Harbour , Central ("centre ring" in Chinese), Sheung Wan ("upper ring"), Sai Wan ("western ring") and Wan Chai are collectively known as
6251-518: The Japanese invasion of Hong Kong in 1941, the Hall was used by the British Air Raid Precaution Association as an emergency station. The Japanese had attempted to occupy the building, but did not succeed. Ho Kom-tong lived in the Hall until his death in 1950. The Hall remained the residence of Ho's descendants until 1959, when a rich merchant surnamed Cheng (or Chang) purchased the building. Cheng (or Chang) sold
6384-625: The Legislative Council of Hong Kong . The next reclamation project in Wan Chai was the Praya East Reclamation Scheme . The coastline was extended to today's Gloucester Road. The reclamation after World War II from 1965 to 1972 pushed the coastline further out to the areas around Convention Avenue and the Wan Chai Pier . The 1990s Wan Chai Development project added additional land, on which
6517-538: The National Endowment for the Arts , the largest museum funder in the United States, decreased by 19.586 million between 2011 and 2015, adjusted for inflation. The average spent per visitor in an art museum in 2016 was $ 8 between admissions, store and restaurant, where the average expense per visitor was $ 55. Corporations , which fall into the private giving category, can be a good source of funding to make up
6650-617: The Newark Museum in a series of books in the early 20th century so that other museum founders could plan their museums. Dana suggested that potential founders of museums should form a committee first, and reach out to the community for input as to what the museum should supply or do for the community. According to Dana, museums should be planned according to community's needs: "The new museum ... does not build on an educational superstition. It examines its community's life first, and then straightway bends its energies to supplying some
6783-482: The Smithsonian Institution stated that he wanted to establish an institution "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". In the late 19th century, museums of natural history exemplified the scientific drive for classifying life and interpreting the world. Their purpose was to gather examples from each field of knowledge for research and display. Concurrently, as American colleges expanded during
SECTION 50
#17327919073556916-629: The Titanic Belfast , built on disused shipyards in Belfast , Northern Ireland , incidentally for the same price as the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and by the same architect, Frank Gehry , in time for the 100th anniversary of Titanic 's maiden voyage in 2012. Initially expecting modest visitor numbers of 425,000 annually, first year visitor numbers reached over 800,000, with almost 60% coming from outside Northern Ireland. In
7049-675: The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. uses many artifacts in their memorable exhibitions. Museums are laid out in a specific way for a specific reason and each person who enters the doors of a museum will see its collection completely differently to the person behind them- this is what makes museums fascinating because they are represented differently to each individual. In recent years, some cities have turned to museums as an avenue for economic development or rejuvenation. This
7182-853: The Urban Renewal Authority can compensate enough to put them in a new space of equal size. Other concerns involve the loss of building character that make up part of that Hong Kong cultural identity . After the completion of the Central and Wan Chai Reclamation Feasibility Study in 1989, the Land Development Policy Committee endorsed the idea of an ongoing series of reclamation. The reclamation comprises three discrete development areas to be aligned by public parks, namely, Central, Tamar and Exhibition. The urban development of each cell would be further divided into five subsequent phases. As of 2014, reclamation for
7315-464: The four rings ( 四環 ) by the locals. Wan Chai literally means "a cove" in Cantonese from the shape of its coastal line, however, due to drastic city development and continual land reclamation , the area is no longer a cove. Wan Chai was the first home to many Chinese villagers living along the undisturbed coastlines in proximity to Hung Shing Temple . Most of them were fishermen, who worked around
7448-834: The interpretive plan for an exhibit, determining the most effective, engaging and appropriate methods of communicating a message or telling a story. The process will often mirror the architectural process or schedule, moving from conceptual plan, through schematic design, design development, contract document, fabrication, and installation. Museums of all sizes may also contract the outside services of exhibit fabrication businesses. Some museum scholars have even begun to question whether museums truly need artifacts at all. Historian Steven Conn provocatively asks this question, suggesting that there are fewer objects in all museums now, as they have been progressively replaced by interactive technology. As educational programming has grown in museums, mass collections of objects have receded in importance. This
7581-499: The 1860s. The British Museum was described by one of their delegates as a 'hakubutsukan', a 'house of extensive things' – this would eventually become accepted as the equivalent word for 'museum' in Japan and China. American museums eventually joined European museums as the world's leading centers for the production of new knowledge in their fields of interest. A period of intense museum building, in both an intellectual and physical sense
7714-520: The 19th century, they also developed their own natural history collections to support the education of their students. By the last quarter of the 19th century, scientific research in universities was shifting toward biological research on a cellular level, and cutting-edge research moved from museums to university laboratories. While many large museums, such as the Smithsonian Institution, are still respected as research centers, research
7847-665: The British Museum for its possession of rare antiquities from Egypt, Greece, and the Middle East. The roles associated with the management of a museum largely depend on the size of the institution. Together, the Board and the Director establish a system of governance that is guided by policies that set standards for the institution. Documents that set these standards include an institutional or strategic plan, institutional code of ethics, bylaws, and collections policy. The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) has also formulated
7980-595: The Building Authority. However, after hearing concerns raised by friends in the community, and a series of negotiations with the Hong Kong Government , Church officials reached a consensus in selling the property intact and preserving the building. In February 2004, the government acquired the Hall for HK$ 53 million, and announced its plan to restore the building and convert it to a museum honouring Chinese revolutionary figure Sun Yat-sen , with
8113-693: The Central area has been completed: the area is largely taken by the new government offices and the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (its old building in the heart of Central has been reverted to its original use as the Supreme Court). The Hong Kong Immigration Department has its headquarters at the Immigration Tower in Wan Chai. The Hong Kong Police Force operates from the Wan Chai District; their headquarters
SECTION 60
#17327919073558246-465: The Edwardian colonial period in Hong Kong, and is among the very few surviving structures in Hong Kong with a history of 90 years (as of 2005). Despite its Edwardian facade, it was probably the pioneer of high-rise buildings in Hong Kong. The Hall was among the earliest residential buildings in Hong Kong built with a reinforced concrete structure, and one of the first structures in Hong Kong built with
8379-487: The Goethe-Institut and a restaurant overlooking the Victoria Harbour . The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), a HK$ 4.8 billion convention centre with an extension completed in 1997, covers over 16 acres (65,000 m ) of newly reclaimed land that added an extra 38,000 m of functional space to the existing convention centre. It remains a venue for international trade fairs, some of which are among
8512-566: The Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese, a dinner menu from the college's graduation ceremony, and a reply to Sun from the banished Hong Kong Colonial Secretary Stewart Lockhart. The museum has an exhibition and lecture hall, reading room, video rooms, interactive study rooms and an activity room. It also provides audio guides, school lectures, educational DVDs and travelling exhibition panels. The museum offers electronic guides in Cantonese , Mandarin and English . The museum
8645-509: The Japanese soldiers, including the illegal use of child labour. Senior residents could recall vividly how they survived the hardships: this oral history became an important, first-hand source of the harsh living conditions in Hong Kong under the Japanese period. The Dunmei school was closed during the Japanese occupation period. After the war, the school continued to provide Chinese education for children from families of higher income. During
8778-545: The Metropark Hotel in Wan Chai were quarantined, suspected of being infected or in contact with the H1N1 virus during the global outbreak of swine flu . A 25-year-old Mexican man who had stayed at the hotel was later found to have caught the viral infection. He had traveled to Hong Kong from Mexico via Shanghai. Wan Chai's coastline has been extended outwards after a series of land reclamation schemes. Early in 1841,
8911-697: The United States, several Native American tribes and advocacy groups have lobbied extensively for the repatriation of sacred objects and the reburial of human remains. In 1990, Congress passed the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), which required federal agencies and federally funded institutions to repatriate Native American "cultural items" to culturally affiliate tribes and groups. Similarly, many European museum collections often contain objects and cultural artifacts acquired through imperialism and colonization . Some historians and scholars have criticized
9044-543: The United States, similar projects include the 81,000 square foot Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, Virginia and The Broad in Los Angeles . Museums being used as a cultural economic driver by city and local governments has proven to be controversial among museum activists and local populations alike. Public protests have occurred in numerous cities which have tried to employ museums in this way. While most subside if
9177-589: The Victoria Harbour, and ends up at Wan Chai Pier. The East Rail line was extended from Hung Hom to Admiralty in 2022 as part of the Shatin to Central Link project, with a newly built station near the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre. Its exits connect to the footbridge network in Wan Chai North which also leads back to Wan Chai station. Tram services run between Shau Kei Wan on
9310-431: The architectural movement at the time. In the 1950s and 1960s , an increasing number of girlie bars and nightclubs were opened in the red-light district by Jaffe and Lockhart Road . The establishments entertained visiting sailors landing at Fenwick Pier . Beyond Gloucester Road is the commercial area developed in the late 1970s and 1980s, a time at which Hong Kong underwent economic development at full speed. At
9443-417: The area near Hung Shing Temple overlooking the entire harbour. Hung Shing Ye , the God of the Sea, was one of the deities worshiped by the locals. With the growth of the British Hong Kong administration, centred in old Victoria (modern Central), Wan Chai attracted those on the fringes of society, such as "coolie" workers, who came to live on Queen's Road East . A focal point of development at that time
9576-536: The biggest in the world: the annual Hong Kong Book Fair in July, food fair and festival, technology exhibitions, and cosplay competitions. The area towards the western end of Lockhart Road , including a small part of the parallel Jaffe Road , is one of Hong Kong island's two main bar districts (the other being the more upmarket Lan Kwai Fong in Central). Once considered primarily as a red light district , this area
9709-413: The building to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the next year in 1960. The Church used the Hall for worship services and other local Church activities as well as for administration of its Asia-area humanitarian, building and other programs. As a result of Church growth, locally and throughout Asia over the last four decades, the Church's headquarters were moved out of Kom Tong Hall and into
9842-581: The care of the collections. Wan Chai Wan Chai is located in the western part of Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island , Hong Kong . It is bounded by Canal Road to the east, Arsenal Street to the west, and Bowen Road to the south. The area north of Gloucester Road is often called Wan Chai North. Wan Chai is one of the busiest commercial areas in Hong Kong with offices of many small and medium-sized companies. Wan Chai North features office towers, parks, hotels and an international conference and exhibition centre. Wan Chai
9975-431: The chosen artifacts. These elements of planning have their roots with John Cotton Dana, who was perturbed at the historical placement of museums outside of cities, and in areas that were not easily accessed by the public, in gloomy European style buildings. Questions of accessibility continue to the present day. Many museums strive to make their buildings, programming, ideas, and collections more publicly accessible than in
10108-501: The city as an important revolutionary base. As Sun's activities in Hong Kong were mainly focused in the Central and Western District , Kom Tong Hall, being centrally located in the district, was considered most suitable for the setting up of a museum commemorating Sun. His spheres of activities fell within the vicinity of the Hall. This included the Preaching Home of American Congregational Mission on 2 Bridges Street where he
10241-404: The classical period, the museums were the temples and their precincts which housed collections of votive offerings. Paintings and sculptures were displayed in gardens, forums, theaters, and bathhouses. In the ancient past there was little differentiation between libraries and museums with both occupying the building and were frequently connected to a temple or royal palace. The Museum of Alexandria
10374-538: The coastline was located at Queen's Road East (the area of Spring Gardens and Ship Street). The first reclamation took place and new land was sold to Minister of Foreign Affairs of the British Colony. The project was privately funded and the government did not take part. Soon after, in 1858, the Minister and his salesmen sold the land back to the Chinese after Sir Robert Brown Black was named President of
10507-665: The current HKCEC stands today. Wan Chai is a major hub of foreign and Chinese cultural institutions in Hong Kong. It is home to the French Alliance Francaise , German Goethe-Institut and the British Council (until 2001). Near the waterfront, there are the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and Hong Kong Arts Centre , two of the most popular venues for theatrical and cultural performances in Hong Kong. The Academy for Performing Arts
10640-539: The development of more modern 19th-century museums was part of new strategies by Western governments to produce a citizenry that, rather than be directed by coercive or external forces, monitored and regulated its own conduct. To incorporate the masses in this strategy, the private space of museums that previously had been restricted and socially exclusive were made public. As such, objects and artifacts, particularly those related to high culture, became instruments for these "new tasks of social management". Universities became
10773-400: The entire playground is used for carnival fairs, three-player drill basketball contests and hip hop dance competitions. Wan Chai's places of worship represent Buddhism , Taoism , Catholicism , Protestantism , Christianity, Mormonism , Sikhism , and Islam . Despite the wide variety, many religious structures are located in close proximity to each other. Hung Shing Temple , for example,
10906-413: The establishment of the earliest known museum in ancient times , museums have been associated with academia and the preservation of rare items. Museums originated as private collections of interesting items, and not until much later did the emphasis on educating the public take root. The English word museum comes from Latin , and is pluralized as museums (or rarely, musea ). It is originally from
11039-627: The firm. However, Jardine Matheson was still very much a symbol of British commercial penetration into China in an era of high imperial ambition. For instance, Jardine's involvement in the Kowloon-Canton Railway , a project designed to bring Canton into Britain's sphere of influence, was very much at cross purposes with the nationalist ideals of Sun, who very much wanted to maintain the territorial integrity of China. When Sun left Shanghai for Guangzhou via Hong Kong, he called at Ho Tung's house on 18 February 1923. Two days later, Sun
11172-733: The first waterfront hospitals was the Seaman's Hospital , built in 1843, which was funded by the British merchant group Jardine's. It was then sold to the British Royal Navy in 1873 and subsequently redeveloped into the Royal Naval Hospital . After the Second World War , the hospital was revitalised as the Ruttonjee Hospital and became one of the main public hospitals in Hong Kong. The district
11305-590: The following: The retrofitted Hall has been made compatible with the Dr Sun Yat-sen Historical Trail in its vicinity and lets the general public reminisce the activities of Sun and his revolutionary comrades in their heyday. Sun had never set foot at Kom Tong Hall, but he was related to the original owner of the premises, Ho Kom-tong , in other ways. Both Sun and Ho were born in 1866 and graduated from The Government Central School in 1886. Ho's elder brother, Sir Robert Ho Tung , also rendered support to Sun's revolutionary activities. Ironically though, Ho Kom-tong
11438-409: The former use and status of an object. Religious or holy objects, for instance, are handled according to cultural rules. Jewish objects that contain the name of God may not be discarded, but need to be buried. Although most museums do not allow physical contact with the associated artifacts, there are some that are interactive and encourage a more hands-on approach. In 2009, Hampton Court Palace ,
11571-697: The funding gap. The amount corporations currently give to museums accounts for just 5% of total funding. Corporate giving to the arts, however, was set to increase by 3.3% in 2017. Most mid-size and large museums employ exhibit design staff for graphic and environmental design projects, including exhibitions. In addition to traditional 2-D and 3-D designers and architects, these staff departments may include audio-visual specialists, software designers, audience research, evaluation specialists, writers, editors, and preparators or art handlers. These staff specialists may also be charged with supervising contract design or production services. The exhibit design process builds on
11704-422: The looting of the collection is to be prevented in particular. The design of museums has evolved throughout history. However, museum planning involves planning the actual mission of the museum along with planning the space that the collection of the museum will be housed in. Intentional museum planning has its beginnings with the museum founder and librarian John Cotton Dana . Dana detailed the process of founding
11837-407: The material which that community needs, and to making that material's presence widely known, and to presenting it in such a way as to secure it for the maximum of use and the maximum efficiency of that use." The way that museums are planned and designed vary according to what collections they house, but overall, they adhere to planning a space that is easily accessed by the public and easily displays
11970-423: The medium-sized shopping centres are named in numerals, such as Oriental 188, 328, and 298 Computer Centre. These numbers might have come from the earlier days when all prostitution houses were numbered, as they were referred to as "big numbers" ( 大冧巴 , dai lum bah ). There are many commercial complexes and office skyscrapers in Wan Chai. The HK$ 4.4 billion 78-storey skyscraper Central Plaza currently stands as
12103-409: The museum landscape has become so varied, that it may not be sufficient to use traditional categories to comprehend fully the vast variety existing throughout the world. However, it may be useful to categorize museums in different ways under multiple perspectives. Museums can vary based on size, from large institutions, to very small institutions focusing on specific subjects, such as a specific location,
12236-617: The museum planning process. Some museum experiences have very few or no artifacts and do not necessarily call themselves museums, and their mission reflects this; the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles and the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia , being notable examples where there are few artifacts, but strong, memorable stories are told or information is interpreted. In contrast,
12369-493: The network's extreme south. More recent tourist attractions include the Golden Bauhinia Square , the site of a daily flag-rising ceremony. This ceremony is enhanced on 1 July ( Handover of Hong Kong ) and 1 October ( National Day of China ). A 3-storey pergola exhibition is built opposite to Li Chit Garden . Tai Fat Hau footbridge also holds an art display of the fingerprints of 30,000 citizens slated for
12502-564: The northeastern part of the island and Kennedy Town on the west, with a circular branch serving Happy Valley and the Happy Valley Racecourse. The tram route runs across Johnston Road and Hennessy Road . Most buses travel in Wan Chai from Admiralty to Causeway Bay via Hennessy Road or, in the opposite direction, Johnston Road and Gloucester Road. Red taxi (urban) services are available to hire in Wan Chai. These can be pre-booked by telephone; however, hailing on
12635-594: The northern coast, is connected to Cross-Harbour Tunnel , the first undersea tunnel in Hong Kong. This tunnel is connected to the south by a direct viaduct from its landing point on Hong Kong Island to the Aberdeen Tunnel towards the southern coast. Connecting Hong Kong Island at Kellett Island (the site of the Royal Navy Club) to a reclaimed site at Hung Hom Bay in Kowloon , this tunnel provides
12768-525: The only people who really needed to see them". This phenomenon of disappearing objects is especially present in science museums like the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago , which have a high visitorship of school-aged children who may benefit more from hands-on interactive technology than reading a label beside an artifact. There is no definitive standard as to the set types of museums. Additionally,
12901-415: The past. Not every museum is participating in this trend, but that seems to be the trajectory of museums in the twenty-first century with its emphasis on inclusiveness. One pioneering way museums are attempting to make their collections more accessible is with open storage. Most of a museum's collection is typically locked away in a secure location to be preserved, but the result is most people never get to see
13034-570: The personal collection of Elias Ashmole , was set up in the University of Oxford to be open to the public and is considered by some to be the first modern public museum. The collection included that of Elias Ashmole which he had collected himself, including objects he had acquired from the gardeners, travellers and collectors John Tradescant the elder and his son of the same name . The collection included antique coins, books, engravings, geological specimens, and zoological specimens—one of which
13167-685: The preservation of their objects. They displayed objects as well as their functions. One exhibit featured a historical printing press that a staff member used for visitors to create museum memorabilia. Some museums seek to reach a wide audience, such as a national or state museum, while others have specific audiences, like the LDS Church History Museum or local history organizations. Generally speaking, museums collect objects of significance that comply with their mission statement for conservation and display. Apart from questions of provenance and conservation, museums take into consideration
13300-422: The primary centers for innovative research in the United States well before the start of World War II . Nevertheless, museums to this day contribute new knowledge to their fields and continue to build collections that are useful for both research and display. The late twentieth century witnessed intense debate concerning the repatriation of religious, ethnic, and cultural artifacts housed in museum collections. In
13433-442: The private collections of wealthy individuals, families or institutions of art and rare or curious natural objects and artifacts . These were often displayed in so-called "wonder rooms" or cabinets of curiosities . These contemporary museums first emerged in western Europe, then spread into other parts of the world. Public access to these museums was often possible for the "respectable", especially to private art collections, but at
13566-400: The project. Nonetheless, over 1.1 million people visited the museum in 2015, indicating it appeared to have paid off for the local government despite local backlash; key to this is the large demographic of foreign visitors to the museum, with 63% of the visitors residing outside of Spain and thus feeding foreign investment straight into Bilbao. A similar project to that undertaken in Bilbao was
13699-484: The public presentation of regularly scheduled programs and exhibits; Have a formal and appropriate program of documentation, care, and use of collections or objects; Carry out the above functions primarily at a physical facility or site; Have been open to the public for at least two years; Be open to the public at least 1,000 hours a year; Have accessioned 80 percent of its permanent collection; Have at least one paid professional staff with museum knowledge and experience; Have
13832-407: The public, accessible and inclusive, museums foster diversity and sustainability. They operate and communicate ethically, professionally and with the participation of communities, offering varied experiences for education, enjoyment, reflection and knowledge sharing." The Canadian Museums Association 's definition: "A museum is a non-profit, permanent establishment, that does not exist primarily for
13965-708: The purpose of conducting temporary exhibitions and that is open to the public during regular hours and administered in the public interest for the purpose of conserving, preserving, studying, interpreting, assembling and exhibiting to the public for the instruction and enjoyment of the public, objects and specimens or educational and cultural value including artistic, scientific, historical and technological material." The United Kingdom's Museums Association 's definition: "Museums enable people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment. They are institutions that collect, safeguard and make accessible artifacts and specimens, which they hold in trust for society." While
14098-578: The ruler to display the amassed collections to guests and to visiting dignitaries. Also in Alexandria from the time of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (r. 285–246 BCE), was the first zoological park. At first used by Philadelphus in an attempt to domesticate African elephants for use in war, the elephants were also used for show along with a menagerie of other animals specimens including hartebeests , ostriches , zebras , leopards , giraffes , rhinoceros , and pythons . Early museums began as
14231-448: The same time, buildings like the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts , HKCEC , and Central Plaza were constructed on the newly reclaimed land. Skyscrapers in Wan Chai include: Many of Wan Chai's older buildings now face a serious problem of urban decay . To tackle the problem, the government has launched a series of urban renewal projects to bring new life into the area. Many local residents have relocation worries such as whether
14364-700: The street is a more common way of getting a taxicab. Vehicles that carry a green plate at the front of their cars are able to carry passengers across the Victoria Harbour to Kowloon. There are, however, areas with restricted kerbs and designated pick-up and drop-off points in the area. There are two types of minibuses in Wan Chai, the green minibus and the red minibus. In general, green minibuses operate on scheduled service with fixed routes and published fares. Red minibuses run with government licence but on non-scheduled services, casually connecting regular travellers and commuters to specific urban areas across Hong Kong Island . Drivers of red minibuses will display fares in
14497-461: The study and education of the public. To city leaders, an active museum community can be seen as a gauge of the cultural or economic health of a city, and a way to increase the sophistication of its inhabitants. To museum professionals, a museum might be seen as a way to educate the public about the museum's mission, such as civil rights or environmentalism . Museums are, above all, storehouses of knowledge. In 1829, James Smithson's bequest funding
14630-451: The subject matter which now include content in the form of images, audio and visual effects, and interactive exhibits. Museum creation begins with a museum plan, created through a museum planning process. The process involves identifying the museum's vision and the resources, organization and experiences needed to realize this vision. A feasibility study, analysis of comparable facilities, and an interpretive plan are all developed as part of
14763-437: The third tallest building in Hong Kong. Small but free art exhibitions used to be held on the second floor all year round, whereas the first floor connects Wan Chai's footbridge network: the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre at the network's extreme north, Wan Chai Pier , China Building, Harbour Centre, Central Plaza, Immigration Department Tower, Wan Chai Court, Wan Chai MTR station and Johnston Road (the tram line) at
14896-494: The type of collections they display, to include: fine arts , applied arts , craft , archaeology , anthropology and ethnology , biography , history , cultural history , science , technology , children's museums , natural history , botanical and zoological gardens . Within these categories, many museums specialize further, e.g., museums of modern art , folk art , local history , military history , aviation history , philately , agriculture , or geology . The size of
15029-471: The vast majority of collections. The Brooklyn Museum's Luce Center for American Art practices this open storage where the public can view items not on display, albeit with minimal interpretation. The practice of open storage is all part of an ongoing debate in the museum field of the role objects play and how accessible they should be. In terms of modern museums, interpretive museums, as opposed to art museums, have missions reflecting curatorial guidance through
15162-766: The way its subject matter existed at a certain point in time (e.g., the Anne Frank House and Colonial Williamsburg ). According to University of Florida Professor Eric Kilgerman, "While a museum in which a particular narrative unfolds within its halls is diachronic, those museums that limit their space to a single experience are called synchronic." In her book Civilizing the Museum , author Elaine Heumann Gurian proposes that there are five categories of museums based on intention and not content: object centered, narrative, client centered, community centered, and national. Museums can also be categorized into major groups by
15295-428: The whim of the owner and his staff. One way that elite men during this time period gained a higher social status in the world of elites was by becoming a collector of these curious objects and displaying them. Many of the items in these collections were new discoveries and these collectors or naturalists, since many of these people held interest in natural sciences, were eager to obtain them. By putting their collections in
15428-475: The world offer some definitions as to what constitutes a museum, and their purpose. Common themes in all the definitions are public good and the care, preservation, and interpretation of collections. The International Council of Museums ' current definition of a museum (adopted in 2022): "A museum is a not-for-profit, permanent institution in the service of society that researches, collects, conserves, interprets and exhibits tangible and intangible heritage. Open to
15561-502: Was Spring Gardens , a red-light zone . By the 1850s, the area was already becoming a Chinese residential area. There were dockyards on Ship Street and McGregor Street for building and repairing ships. The edge of Sun Street , Moon Street and Star Street was the original site of the first power station in Hong Kong, operated by the Hongkong Electric Company , which began supplying power in 1890. One of
15694-540: Was "encyclopedic" in nature, reminiscent of that of Pliny, the Roman philosopher and naturalist. The idea was to consume and collect as much knowledge as possible, to put everything they collected and everything they knew in these displays. In time, however, museum philosophy would change and the encyclopedic nature of information that was so enjoyed by Aldrovandi and his cohorts would be dismissed as well as "the museums that contained this knowledge". The 18th-century scholars of
15827-628: Was a Chinese revolutionary statesman who had an instrumental role in the overthrowing of the Qing dynasty during the 1911 Revolution and the founding of the Republic of China . Sun had a close relationship with Hong Kong, where he received his secondary and university education, nurtured revolutionary ideas, and organised revolutionary attempts. He established the headquarters of the Revive China Society in Hong Kong in 1894, and regarded
15960-435: Was a concern that large crowds could damage the artifacts. Prospective visitors to the British Museum had to apply in writing for admission, and small groups were allowed into the galleries each day. The British Museum became increasingly popular during the 19th century, amongst all age groups and social classes who visited the British Museum, especially on public holidays. The Ashmolean Museum , however, founded in 1677 from
16093-474: Was accompanied by Ho Tung to Loke Yew Hall at the University of Hong Kong , where he was warmly received by the representatives of the university, including Ho Sai-kim , son of Ho Tung and chairman of the university's student union . Ho Sai-kim even sat beside Sun during the taking of a group photograph after the function. Kom Tong Hall is built in the Composite Classical style popular during
16226-493: Was accorded a Grade I historic building status on 18 Dec 2009 and has been a declared monument since 12 November 2010. The Hall was named after its first owner, Ho Kom-tong , who built the Hall in 1914 as a residence of his family. Ho was a younger brother of prominent philanthropist Sir Robert Ho Tung . The Ho family was the first Chinese family permitted to live in the Mid-Levels in the early colonial period. During
16359-690: Was baptised, The Government Central School on 44 Gough Street where he received his secondary education, the To Tsai Church on 59 Hollywood Road where he frequently met with his comrades, the College of Medicine for Chinese at 81 Hollywood Road where he received his medical education, as well as the Qian Heng Hang at 13 Staunton Street where he set up the headquarters of the Revive China Society. Moreover, Kom Tong Hall
16492-496: Was charged with organizing the Louvre as a national public museum and the centerpiece of a planned national museum system. As Napoléon I conquered the great cities of Europe, confiscating art objects as he went, the collections grew and the organizational task became more and more complicated. After Napoleon was defeated in 1815, many of the treasures he had amassed were gradually returned to their owners (and many were not). His plan
16625-553: Was formerly headquartered in Harbour Centre. Geographically, Wan Chai is the crossing point between the Central and Western District ( West Point / Central ), and the Eastern ( Causeway Bay / North Point ) district. Its thoroughfares connect the main developed areas along the northern coast of Hong Kong Island . The transport infrastructure is efficient, convenient and highly accessible. The Star Ferry at Wan Chai Pier
16758-529: Was home to several well-known schools. One of these schools was established by the famous traditional teacher, Mo Dunmei ( 莫敦梅 ). Started as a shushu ( 書塾 ) in 1919, the school was renamed Dunmei School ( 敦梅學校 ) in 1934 after him. It taught classical Chinese writings and Confucian ethics. In 1936, the Chinese Methodist Church ( 香港基督教循道衛理教會 ) moved its building from Caine Road, Mid-levels Central, to Hennessy Road ( 軒尼詩道 ), Wanchai,
16891-536: Was in fact, like his elder brother Sir Robert Ho Tung before him, a compradore of Jardine Matheson . The firm had once dominated the opium trade and its director, William Jardine , had been instrumental in the British Parliament launching the Opium War against China . The firm had given up opium in the 1860s due to its declining profitability, which was well before Ho Kom Tong became involved with
17024-710: Was in use as a military pier. Southorn Playground on Johnston Road (the tram line) is a meeting place for the locals in Wan Chai, particularly the senior residents. During the prime years of the British colonial administration, coolie workers would convene at the playground in the morning to await employment opportunities. In the evening, the playground became an open-air pitch where people sold food, performed magic and kung fu . Some of those trademark activities still exist through today: senior citizens socialise and play Chinese chess , young people at school play football and basketball , ad-hoc street basketball games that attract flocks of spectators and players. Occasionally,
17157-764: Was never fully realized, but his concept of a museum as an agent of nationalistic fervor had a profound influence throughout Europe. Chinese and Japanese visitors to Europe were fascinated by the museums they saw there, but had cultural difficulties in grasping their purpose and finding an equivalent Chinese or Japanese term for them. Chinese visitors in the early 19th century named these museums based on what they contained, so defined them as "bone amassing buildings" or "courtyards of treasures" or "painting pavilions" or "curio stores" or "halls of military feats" or "gardens of everything". Japan first encountered Western museum institutions when it participated in Europe's World's Fairs in
17290-649: Was realized in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (this is often called "The Museum Period" or "The Museum Age"). While many American museums, both natural history museums and art museums alike, were founded with the intention of focusing on the scientific discoveries and artistic developments in North America, many moved to emulate their European counterparts in certain ways (including the development of Classical collections from ancient Egypt , Greece , Mesopotamia , and Rome ). Drawing on Michel Foucault 's concept of liberal government, Tony Bennett has suggested
17423-807: Was the Louvre in Paris , opened in 1793 during the French Revolution , which enabled for the first time free access to the former French royal collections for people of all stations and status. The fabulous art treasures collected by the French monarchy over centuries were accessible to the public three days each " décade " (the 10-day unit which had replaced the week in the French Republican Calendar ). The Conservatoire du muséum national des Arts (National Museum of Arts's Conservatory)
17556-399: Was the site of the Hong Kong handover ceremony in 1997, in which the last governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten , formally concluded the British chapter and transferred Hong Kong to China . The WTO Ministerial Conference in 2005 was also one of the largest international events hosted in Hong Kong, with delegates from 148 countries participating. In May 2009, 300 guests and staff members at
17689-480: Was the stuffed body of the last dodo ever seen in Europe; but by 1755 the stuffed dodo was so moth-eaten that it was destroyed, except for its head and one claw. The museum opened on 24 May 1683, with naturalist Robert Plot as the first keeper. The first building, which became known as the Old Ashmolean , is sometimes attributed to Sir Christopher Wren or Thomas Wood. In France, the first public museum
#354645