“Pleasure and Leisure: A Glimpse of Children’s Pastimes in Hong Kong” exhibition opens (with photos)

     The Public Records Office (PRO) of the Government Records Service is holding the "Pleasure and Leisure: A Glimpse of Children's Pastimes in Hong Kong" exhibition at the Hong Kong Public Records Building from today (February 25) to showcase how children's pastimes in Hong Kong evolved from the 1950s to the 1980s through the display of a variety of the PRO's holdings. Apart from reliving joyful childhood moments, one can also learn more about the transformation of Hong Kong's society and livelihoods in those years.
 
     The historical photographs, audio-visual materials and government archival records on display in the exhibition document how children spent their leisure time in the old days, as well as how toys and games, recreational facilities and community activities catering for children evolved over the decades.
 
     The variety of the exhibits is enriched by the Hong Kong Museum of History and local toy collectors Mr Chong Hing-fai, Mr Ricky Lau and Mr Eddie Yuen, who generously allowed their precious toy collections to be displayed in turn during the exhibition period. While immersing in childhood joy, visitors will also be able to understand more about the different facets of Hong Kong's society and people's lives in those days.
 
     The PRO has for the first time combined an exhibition with two public engagement programmes, namely "Childlike Innocence on Camera" and "Share the Joy", inviting members of the public to contribute photographs taken from the 1950s to the 1980s that depict their childhood play times and contribute plastic or metallic toys popular at any time during the same period. Selected photographs and toys contributed by the public will be uploaded to the exhibition's dedicated webpage and displayed in the Exhibition Hall respectively, thereby completing the exhibition as a collage of fond memories of fun childhood times unique to each and every person.
 
     The dedicated webpage (www.grs.gov.hk/ws/online/pal/en/index.html) for the exhibition contains reference resources, details of the aforementioned public engagement programmes and information on the upcoming roving exhibitions and talks under the same theme which will be held from April to December at various Hong Kong Public Libraries of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Members of the public are welcome to view some 200 photographs from archival holdings which depict interesting moments of childhood play in the old days in the "Image Gallery" section of the webpage.
 
     The "Pleasure and Leisure: A Glimpse of Children's Pastimes in Hong Kong" exhibition is open from today at the Exhibition Hall, 2/F, Hong Kong Public Records Building, 13 Tsui Ping Road, Kwun Tong. Opening hours are from Monday to Friday from 9am to 5.45pm (closed on public holidays). Admission is free.
 
     For enquiries or group visit reservations, please contact the Public Records Office at 2195 7700 during office hours.