Weathering the Storms for 125 Years' exhibition open to public

The exhibition "Hong Kong Observatory - Weathering the Storms for 125 Years" to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Hong Kong Observatory was officially launched today (July 22).

The exhibition is at the Main Lobby of the Hong Kong Museum of History and will be open to the public from tomorrow until September 22.

The Director of the Hong Kong Observatory, Mr Lam Chiu-ying; Assistant Director (Heritage & Museums) of the Leisure and Cultural Services, Dr Ng Chi-wa; and Chief Curator of the Hong Kong Museum of History, Ms Leung Kit-ling; officiated at the opening ceremony.

Mr Lam said, "Starting with only a couple of staff and a handful of simple instruments when founded in 1883, the Observatory has evolved to cope with societal changes and has established itself as one of the leading meteorological and geophysical centres in the world. This path has been peppered with countless storms. The achievements we now enjoy are the collective results of hard work by our predecessors. We shall follow this fine tradition and continue to serve the public through science."

Dr Ng said, "Through the various historical records and artifacts, the exhibition tells stories of the Observatory striving through the storms with Hong Kong people in the past century. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department is proud to sponsor this exhibition."

Ms Leung said, "The work of the Observatory is closely linked to our daily lives. The exhibition not only introduces the Observatory's history, it also unveils the changes of Hong Kong in the past century. People who want to know more about the history of Hong Kong should not miss this exhibition."

The exhibition tells stories of the Observatory's evolution through words, pictures, early weather charts and artifacts such as old instruments and typhoon signals. It also brings back memories of storms that devastated Hong Kong. The exhibits include a century-old weather map, weather records scribbled by imprisoned Observatory staff during World War II, the earliest literature on the climate of the South China Sea, a seismometer used in the 1950s, and the minutes of meeting in the 1970s between the Observatory and the Peking Weather Centre on the establishment of a dedicated Hong Kong - Beijing meteorological communication line.

In conjunction with the exhibition, Mr Lam will give a talk titled "Weathering the Storms - Evolution of the Hong Kong Observatory" at the Lecture Hall of the Hong Kong Museum of History on Saturday, August 23. Admissions to the exhibition and talk are free. Interested people may call 2724 9042 for details.