A museum exhibition on Hong Kong’s history was found to have removed mentions of the city’s colonial past, raising questions about potential government censorship.

The exhibition at the Hong Kong Museum of History did not show any photos of colonial governors and said that the British “occupied” the city at the end of the Opium Wars. The exhibition previously described the event as China “ceding” Hong Kong to the British.

The museum showcase was meant as a temporary replacement for the “Hong Kong Story” exhibition, which closed in October as part of a two-year renovation plan. The interim version, titled “Recreating a Classic: The Best Features of the Hong Kong Story,” included around 460 sets of selected exhibits and 210 photos.

The slimmed-down presentation described the 1997 transfer of sovereignty as a “return to the motherland,” in contrast to the previous exhibition, which called it the “return of Hong Kong to China.”

Meanwhile, the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre was only featured for three seconds in an introductory video and consisted mainly of shots of Hong Kong’s annual candlelight vigil at Victoria Park.

Multiple exhibits were dedicated to explaining “one country, two systems,” the principle underlying Hong Kong’s constitutional order.

One exhibit label said the Basic Law of Hong Kong “brings together elements of protecting national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity” and also “empowers the Hong Kong special administrative region in exercising a high degree of autonomy.”

Apple Daily has contacted the Leisure and Cultural Services Department for comment.

A museum visitor surnamed Liu said the new exhibition “cut a lot of details” and focused on livelihood issues instead of politics. It seemed to downplay elements of political resistance and removed mentions of the 1967 riots, he added.

Gigi, a first-year university student, said the exhibition removed content about Hong Kong’s early history but said some changes were to be expected as a result of the renovation.

The original “Hong Kong Story” permanent exhibition first opened in 2001. Its closure last year drew crowds to the Museum of History.

Click here for Chinese version

---------------------------------

Apple Daily’s all-new English Edition is now available on the mobile app: bit.ly/2yMMfQE

To download the latest version,

iOS: bit.ly/AD_iOS

Android: bit.ly/AD_android

Or search Appledaily in App Store or Google Play