One of the best ways to learn about the social changes in Hong Kong during the 1950s to 1980s is to take a walk down the memory lane of the children's pastimes of those decades. Themed ''Pleasure and Leisure: A Glimpse of Children's Pastimes in Hong Kong'', the annual exhibition of the Government Records Service's Public Records Office (PRO) features a series of holdings related to children's toys and games in the past. Visitors can relive their fond memories of childhood.
Apart from displaying valuable items borrowed from the Hong Kong Museum of History within the exhibition period, the PRO for the first time invited members of the public to contribute their own toys popular during the old days as exhibits. The PRO is also proud to present in the exhibition the treasured toy collections contributed by three toy collectors in Hong Kong, namely Mr Chong Hing-fai, Mr Ricky Lau and Mr Eddie Yuen. Their collections, comprising items popular in the period from the 1950s to the 1980s, will be displayed in turns during the exhibition. With an unwavering enthusiasm in collecting vintage toys, the three collectors have written books and run antique toy shops. By keeping old and simple toys, they remind people of the beauty of simplicity in life when "abandoning the old for the new" has remained a popular pursuit.
To express gratitude to Mr Chong, Mr Lau and Mr Yuen for their assistance and generosity extended to this exhibition, the Director of Administration, Ms Kitty Choi, invited them to tour the exhibition today (March 26) at the Hong Kong Public Records Building and presented certificates of appreciation to them.
''On behalf of the Government, I would like to thank these toy collectors for their time and efforts in sorting and lending their collections for our exhibition. Their toys have greatly enhanced the exhibition content, and they can also enlighten visitors about the childhood pastimes and social changes in the past,'' Ms Choi said.
Two public engagement programmes, namely ''Childlike Innocence on Camera'' and ''Share the Joy'', are both ongoing. The PRO has appealed to members of the public to contribute photographs taken from the 1950s to the 1980s that depict their childhood play times and contribute toys popular during that period. Selected photographs and toys will be uploaded to the exhibition's dedicated webpage (www.grs.gov.hk/ws/online/pal/en/index.html) and displayed in the Exhibition Hall respectively. Photographs contributed for the programme "Childhood Innocence on Camera" by local historian and photograph collector Mr Ko Tim-keung have already been uploaded to the dedicated webpage.
The 10-month ''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. The opening hours are from Monday to Friday from 9am to 5.45pm (closed on public holidays). Admission is free. To facilitate visits by members of the public, the content of the exhibition will also be displayed in the Ping Shan Tin Shui Wai Public Library from April 2 to 29 as a roving exhibition.
For enquiries, please contact the PRO at 2195 7700 during office hours.
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