60 Years of Cultural Dynamics

Unlike city halls or town halls elsewhere in the world, which are generally occupied by the municipal offices, Hong Kong’s City Hall has been an office for artists and scholars and a stage for them to show their talents and shine. With the opening of the Hong Kong City Hall in 1962, public library and museum services in Hong Kong sprouted and grew from there. The High and Low Blocks, together with the Memorial Garden in between, have grown up with many of us and left with us unforgettable memories.

The sixtieth anniversary of the City Hall marks the triumphant cultural dynamics attained by the government in the past six decades. A flourishing era of arts and culture has come to Hong Kong, first from limited cultural service in the two-block City Hall, then in 60 years to three divisions under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, namely Performing Arts, Heritage and Museums, and Library and Development. While tens of refined performing arts venues, museums and libraries have been developed in the city one after the other, Hong Kong City Hall remains a centre for cultural, arts and social activities. The City Hall is synonymous with the development of culture in Hong Kong.

Someone used to say that Hong Kong, with its great merchant houses, thriving industries, and life dependency on trade, was too busy to care for the aesthetic values of life. For 60 years, City Hall has accompanied Hong Kong people to watch the sunrise and sunset. Since its opening, how many artists have performed on its stage? Who are the superstars? Who are the first-timers? How many audiences have attended the performances? How many readers have used the Library? How many visitors have watched the exhibition in the Museum? How many lovers have exchanged their vows at the Marriage Registry?

As the late Mr Chow Fan-fu said in his book Where Modern Hong Kong Began: The City Hall and Its 50-Year Story, the answers themselves to these questions are likewise no longer critical. As the City Hall has witnessed and been an integral part of Hong Kong's transformation into an international cultural metropolis. With the change of time and circumstances, Hong Kong has transformed from a trading-based society to a knowledge-based society. In the future, the City Hall will continue to give impetus to Hong Kong as a vibrant cultural metropolis, and to seek progress, innovation and creativity in building Hong Kong as a creative city of the 21st century.

Hong Kong City Hall