STORY: Hong Kong's new literature museum honors a century of literary greats
SHOOTING DATE: June 2, 2024
DATELINE: June 3, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:23
LOCATION: HONG KONG, China
CATEGORY: SOCIETY/CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Museum of Hong Kong Literature
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): POON YIU-MING, Curator of the Museum of Hong Kong Literature
3. various of the Museum of Hong Kong Literature
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): POON YIU-MING, Curator of the Museum of Hong Kong Literature
5. various of the Museum of Hong Kong Literature
6. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): POON YIU-MING, Curator of the Museum of Hong Kong Literature

STORYLINE:

The highly anticipated Museum of Hong Kong Literature has opened to the public recently at a century-old building in Wan Chai, China's Hong Kong.

The establishment of the museum has been a 20-year endeavor. In 2004, Poon Yiu-ming, together with more than 30 other Hong Kong literary and academic luminaries, began working on establishing the museum. After two decades of tireless advocacy, Poon's long-held dream has been realized.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): POON YIU-MING, Curator of the Museum of Hong Kong Literature
"Literature is the soul and pillar of art and culture. If the tree of culture lacks the nourishment of literature, it will feel barren. This is why we never gave up on establishing the museum."

The development of Hong Kong literature is deeply intertwined with the influx of writers from the Chinese mainland in the 1930s and 1940s. 

These literary figures either created works in Hong Kong or participated in the city's vibrant literary activities, enriching the local cultural landscape with the rich traditions of Chinese literary culture.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): POON YIU-MING, Curator of the Museum of Hong Kong Literature
"Chinese culture has a long history and is outstanding. The writing techniques and mature literary experiences of these mainland writers, as well as their profound cultural roots, had a profound impact on Hong Kong."

In the modest three-gallery space of the Museum of Hong Kong Literature, one gallery is dedicated to engaging young audience. 

Through immersive holographic projections and other interactive means, the museum aims to spark young people's interest in Hong Kong's rich literary heritage.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): POON YIU-MING, Curator of the Museum of Hong Kong Literature
"We hope to cultivate the younger generation's interest in literature. So we employ diverse approaches, such as our mobile literature van that travels to communities and schools, as well as multimedia installations that bring literary works to life in dynamic ways."

Looking ahead, the Museum of Hong Kong Literature plans to strengthen exchanges with its counterparts in the Chinese mainland while also exploring collaborations with overseas literary institutions. The goal is to facilitate mutual appreciation and cross-pollination between Hong Kong's literary culture and the broader world of global literature.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Hong Kong, China.
(XHTV)