Hong Kong Museum of History Permanent Exhibition Visitor Survey 2016

Submitted to the Hong Kong Museum of History

Actrium Solutions (HK) Limited

7 March 2016

Contents

Executive summary 3 Research background 6 Research objectives 6 Areas of investigation 6 Methodology 6

Key findings 8 1) Views on the appropriateness of galleries for inclusion in the new permanent exhibition 2) Views on the contents of the new permanent exhibition 3) Views on the presentation methods used in the new permanent exhibition 4) Views on the interactive elements in the new permanent exhibition 5) Profile of respondents

Conclusion 29 Appendix 1 : Questionnaire Appendix 2 : Calculation of response rate

Executive summary

Research objectives

The Hong Kong Museum of History is currently conducting work in preparation for a full- scale renovation of the permanent exhibition. To obtain the valuable opinion of visitors as a source of reference for the preparatory work, the museum carried out a survey, lasting a full month, with the objective of: understanding the views of visitors on the permanent exhibition and their expectations of it; and establishing the demographic profile of visitors.

Research methods

The Hong Kong Museum of History appointed an independent research organisation, Actrium Solutions, to perform the research. Face-to-face interviews based on a questionnaire were conducted in January 2016, with the research adopting a quantitative survey method targeting visitors over 8 years of age. In total, 1,412 target respondents were surveyed, and a response rate of 80% was achieved. During the same period, the museum collected 226 completed questionnaires by e-mail, fax and post, thus producing in a total of 1,638 completed questionnaires.

Key findings

1. Views on the appropriateness of galleries for inclusion in the new permanent exhibition

1.1 Respondents were invited to rate the degree to which each existing gallery is appropriate for inclusion in the new permanent exhibition. The results indicate that respondents feel Gallery 6 (Birth and early growth of the city) is most appropriate for retention. In contrast, Galleries 1 and 2 (The natural environment and Prehistoric Hong Kong) are thought to be the most inappropriate.

2. Views on the contents of the new permanent exhibition

2.1 In total, 77.8% of respondents think that the development of Hong Kong after the handover to China in 1997 should be included in the new permanent exhibition, with 87.8% of overseas visitors, 82.8% of mainland visitors and 70.3% of local visitors holding this view. In terms of age groups, this view is supported most by 20 to 39 year olds (80.5%).

2.2 77.2% of respondents believe that, in addition to the permanent section, the new exhibition should also include a thematic section that changes on a regular basis. Only 12.0% of respondents disagree with this opinion, while 10.8% have no comment. 81.2% of local visitors agree with the idea of adding a thematic section that changes on a regular basis.

2.3 The thematic topics that would interest respondents the most include: The 18 districts in Hong Kong (52.2%); Hong Kong and overseas Chinese (41.2%); ethnic 3

minorities in Hong Kong (e.g. Jews) (39.5%); and Hong Kong and the Maritime Silk Route (39.3%).

2.4 A majority of respondents (78.3%) are of the opinion that the new permanent exhibition should retain the themes related to popular culture, while 72.3% respondents support the idea of retaining military history themes and a smaller proportion (53.5%) believe that natural history themes should be retained.

2.5 Respondents offered suggestions on themes that could be added to or enhanced in the new permanent exhibition. The most popular themes here include Hong Kong culture and local customs (especially art and media, food culture and ethnicity/religion/tradition/social customs), the history of Hong Kong (especially its recent history from the handover to the present) and the overall development of Hong Kong from multiple perspectives, especially in terms of its economic, political and housing development.

3. Views on the presentation methods used in the new permanent exhibition

3.1 Generally speaking, respondents are very fond of the 1:1 scale dioramas. With regard to these dioramas, 69.7% like the ‘street scenes in different eras’ and 57.1% like the ‘Boat dwellers’ fishing junk’, while the ‘Taiping Qingjiao ceremony in Cheung Chau’ and the ‘Ancestral hall’ are liked by 49.8% and 40.7% of respondents respectively. The ‘Beach showing life during the Neolithic period’ (14.1%), the ‘Exhibition of Hong Kong Products’ (15.9%), the ‘Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb’ (17.7%), the ‘Natural environment’ (17.7%) and the ‘Hoklo people’s salt field’ (18.3%) are less popular dioramas. These findings are quite consistent across visitors from different origins and age groups.

3.2 61.8% of respondents agree that there should be more multimedia installations in the new permanent exhibition, while 32.1% disagree and 6.1% have no comment. The highest proportion in favour of more multimedia installations is represented by mainland visitors (74.1%), while the proportion of local and overseas visitors who support this view is 62.0% and 55.6% respectively. Only 57.4% of the 8-19 age group are in favour of more multimedia installations, the least proportion among all the age groups.

4 Views on the interactive elements in the new permanent exhibition

4.1 Respondents are interested in a variety of interactive elements, such as interactive games, guided tours, theatre, films and mobile phone apps, which would be welcomed by more than 30% of respondents. Interactive learning is a less popular concept (26.1%). Visitors from different places and from different age groups have their own favourite interactive elements. The 8-39 age group prefers interactive games, while the over 40 age group likes interactive guided tours and films.

Interactive elements suggested by respondents include ‘touchable exhibits’, ‘workshops’ and ‘family activities’.

5. Profile of respondents

5.1 The sample size of the survey is 1,638. The male-to-female ratio is generally balanced. Of the respondents, over half are local visitors, over 30% are from overseas and the remaining 15.6% are from mainland China. Close to 80% of respondents have attended tertiary education or higher. Respondents come from a wide variety of occupations: 25.3% are full-time students, close to 40% are professionals and approximately 10% are clerical workers. The majority of respondents (about 70%) visit the museum less than once a year, but there are also frequent visitors (15.0%) who come several times a year.

Research background

In conjunction with the large public ‘Appreciate Hong Kong’ campaign, admission to the Hong Kong Museum of History was free of charge throughout the month of January 2016. With the museum currently preparing a full-scale renovation of the permanent exhibition, the period of free admission was used to conduct a questionnaire survey to collect opinions from visitors, which can then be used as an important reference for the preparatory work.

Research objectives

The objectives of the survey are to:

1. Understand the views of visitors on and their expectations of: 1) themes of the galleries 2) presentation methods 3) interaction with the visitors;

2. Establish the demographic profile of visitors.

Areas of investigation

1. Frequency of visits to the existing permanent exhibition 2. Views on the appropriateness of galleries for inclusion in the new permanent exhibition 3. Views on whether the development of Hong Kong after the handover in 1997 should be included in the new permanent exhibition 4. Views on the contents and presentation methods of the new permanent exhibition 5. Views on a thematic section that changes on a regular basis 6. Thematic topics that interest visitors 7. Other opinions 8. Visitor profile

Methodology

Face-to-face interviews

The research adopted a quantitative survey method.1 Interviewers conducted face-to-face interviews with visitors to the Hong Kong Museum of History using a pre-approved structured questionnaire.

1 Quantitative research is the systematic investigation of phenomena using statistical and mathematical techniques. This method requires a larger sample size, and the results are shown by frequency (%) or mean. 6

Target respondents

1. Aged 8 or above 2. Visitors to the Hong Kong Museum of History during the survey period 3. People who can speak Cantonese, Putonghua or English.

Sampling method and sample size

The face-to-face interview adopted a random sampling2 method to avoid selection bias and ensure a representative sample of the visitors to the Hong Kong Museum of History. In total, 1,412 target respondents were surveyed. The sampling error at a 95% confidence interval is +2.61%. A sampling error below + 5% is generally acceptable for quantitative surveys.

Data collection method

The survey period covered the whole month of January (except 5, 12, 19 and 26 January when the museum was closed). Interviewers were deployed at the exit of the permanent exhibition on Level 1. They sampled the respondents based on the pre-designed sampling method to conduct face-to-face interviews. In total, 1,412 target respondents were surveyed on-site with a response rate of 80% (please refer to Appendix 2 for the detailed calculation of the response rate). In the same period, the museum collected 226 completed questionnaires through various means, including e-mail, fax and post, resulting in a total of 1,638 completed questionnaires.

Notes to readers

1. Generally speaking, the total percentage for single-answer questions should add up to 100%. However, this may not always be the case as a result of rounding.

2. The total percentage for multiple-answer questions will not add up to 100%.

3. N in this report refers to the number of respondents who answered a particular question.

4. This report uses cross-tabulation analysis to compare the opinions of visitors from different origins and age groups.

2 Interviewers were deployed at the exit of the permanent exhibition. Every third visitor was invited to participate in the survey. 7

Key findings

1. Views on the appropriateness of galleries for inclusion in the new permanent exhibition

Respondents were invited to rate the degree to which each existing gallery is appropriate for inclusion in the new permanent exhibition on a four-point scale: 1 – Very inappropriate; 2 – Not really appropriate; 3 – Basically appropriate; 4 – Very appropriate.

The research found that the ratings for Galleries 3 to 8 range between 3.41 and 3.78, which indicates that the respondents feel that these six galleries are more appropriate for retention. The ratings for Galleries 1 and 2 are lower. (Please see Tables 1 and 2.)

Across visitors from different origins and age groups, respondents are of the view that Gallery 6 is most appropriate for inclusion in the new permanent exhibition, while Galleries 1 and 2 (Please see Tables 3 and 4) are least appropriate.

Table 1: Overall ratings

The following galleries are appropriate for inclusion in the new permanent exhibition 1 – Very inappropriate; 2 – Not really appropriate; 3 – Basically appropriate; 4 – Very appropriate 4.00 3.69 3.78 3.69 3.63 3.56 3.41 2.97 3.08 3.00

2.00

1.00

0.00

N = 1638

Table 2: Overall ratings Very Not really Basically Very [N=1,638] inappropriate appropriate appropriate appropriate Average Gallery 1: The Natural Environment 5.86% 22.22% 40.54% 31.38% 2.97

Gallery 2: Prehistoric Hong Kong 4.33% 19.90% 39.50% 36.26% 3.08

Gallery 3: The Dynasties: From the Han to the Qing 1.16% 8.73% 37.73% 52.38% 3.41

Gallery 4: Folk Culture in Hong Kong 0.49% 3.11% 23.75% 72.65% 3.69 Gallery 5: The Opium Wars and the Cession of Hong 0.24% 3.24% 23.26% 73.14% 3.69 Kong Gallery 6: Birth and Early Growth of the City 0.37% 1.53% 17.83% 80.28% 3.78

Gallery 7: The Japanese Occupation 1.04% 3.72% 26.31% 68.93% 3.63 Gallery 8: Modern Metropolis and the Return to 2.56% 6.04% 24.66% 66.73% 3.56 China

Table 3: Ratings by visitor origin [N=1,638] Local Mainland China Overseas Gallery 1: The Natural Environment 2.81 3.10 3.18 Gallery 2: Prehistoric Hong Kong 2.98 3.06 3.25 Gallery 3: The Dynasties: From the Han to the Qing 3.28 3.48 3.60 Gallery 4: Folk Culture in Hong Kong 3.60 3.81 3.77 Gallery 5: The Opium Wars and the Cession of Hong Kong 3.62 3.73 3.80 Gallery 6: Birth and Early Growth of the City 3.73 3.79 3.85 Gallery 7: The Japanese Occupation 3.58 3.59 3.74 Gallery 8: Modern Metropolis and the Return to China 3.40 3.69 3.74

Table 4: Ratings by age group [N=1,638] 8 - 19 20 - 39 40 or older Gallery 1: The Natural Environment 2.99 2.92 3.06

Gallery 2: Prehistoric Hong Kong 3.20 3.02 3.12

Gallery 3: The Dynasties: From the Han to the Qing 3.30 3.40 3.48

Gallery 4: Folk Culture in Hong Kong 3.51 3.72 3.70

Gallery 5: The Opium Wars and the Cession of Hong Kong 3.59 3.69 3.73

Gallery 6: Birth and Early Growth of the City 3.67 3.79 3.81

Gallery 7: The Japanese Occupation 3.46 3.63 3.70

Gallery 8: Modern Metropolis and the Return to China 3.43 3.55 3.62

2. Views on the content of the new permanent exhibition

1) Development of Hong Kong after the handover in 1997 for inclusion in the new permanent exhibition

77.8% of respondents are of the view that the development of Hong Kong after the handover in 1997 should be included in the new permanent exhibition. (Please see Table 5.)

The proportion of overseas visitors holding this view is as high as 87.8%, while the proportion of local and mainland visitors holding the same view are 82.8% and 70.3% respectively. The age group that expressed most interest in this theme is the 20-39 group (80.5%), followed by the 40 or above age group (76.5%); the 8-19 age group showed relatively the least interest (70.9%). (Please see Tables 6 and 7.)

Table 5

The development of Hong Kong after the handover in 1997 should be included in the new permanent exhibition 7.32%

Yes 14.90% No No comment

77.78% N = 1638

Table 6

Visitors' opinion on whether the development of Hong Kong after the handover in 1997 should be included in the new permanent exhibition (by origin)

Local 70.29% 19.88% 9.83% (N=865) Yes

Mainland China No (N=255) 82.75% 13.72% 3.53% No comment

Overseas 87.84% (N=518) 7.14% 5.02%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Table 7

Visitors' opinion on whether the development of Hong Kong after the handover in 1997 should be included in the new permanent exhibition (by age)

age 8 - 19 70.85% 11.66% (N=223) 17.49% Yes

age 20 - 39 No 80.47% 14.47% (N=850) 5.06% No Comment

age 40 or older 76.46% 16.81% (N=565) 6.73%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

2) Addition of a thematic section that changes on a regular basis

77.2% of respondents are of the view that, in addition to the permanent section, the new exhibition should also include a thematic section that changes on a regular basis. Only 12.0% of respondents disagree with this view, while 10.8% of respondents have no comment. (Please see Table 8.)

81.2% of local visitors agree with the idea of adding a thematic section that changes on a regular basis. The proportions of the mainland and overseas visitors who agree with this suggestion are 78.4% and 69.9% respectively. (Please see Table 9.) Some overseas visitors do not know whether they will come back to Hong Kong, and a thematic section that changes on a regular basis therefore does not have much appeal for them.

Based on age groups, close to 80% of respondents aged between 20 and 39 (79.5%) and aged above 40 (78.1%) agree with the suggestion. However, only 65.9% of respondents aged between 8 and 19 agree with this. (Please see Table 10.)

Table 8

In addition to the permanent section, the new exhibition should also include a thematic section that changes on a regular basis

10.80%

Agree

12.03% Disagree

No comment

77.17% N = 1638

Table 9

Visitors' opinion on whether, in addition to the permanent section, the new exhibition should also include a thematic section that changes on a regular basis (by origin)

Local 9.48% (N=865) 81.16% 9.36% Agree

Mainland China Disagree (N=255) 78.44% 11.76%9.80% No Comment

Overseas (N=518) 69.88% 16.60% 13.52%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Table 10

Visitors' opinion on whether, in addition to the permanent section, the new exhibition should also include a thematic section that changes on a regular basis (by age)

age 8 - 19 65.92% 10.76% 23.32% (N=223) Agree

age 20 - 39 Disagree 79.53% 12.00% 8.47% (N=850) No Comment

40 or older (N=565) 78.05% 12.57% 9.38%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

3) Thematic topics in which the respondents are interested

Generally speaking, the thematic topics that interest the respondents most are: 18 Districts in Hong Kong (52.2%), Hong Kong and overseas Chinese (41.2%), ethnic minorities in Hong Kong (e.g. Jews) (39.5%) as well as Hong Kong and the Maritime Silk Route (39.3%) (please see Table 11).

Hong Kong culture and local customs (especially local food culture, films, music and pop culture and old culture and customs of Hong Kong), as well as Hong Kong’s political and social development are also popular suggestions from respondents. (Please see Table 12.)

Table 11

Visitors found the following thematic topics interesting

18 Districts in Hong Kong 52.20%

Hong Kong and overseas 41.21% Chinese Ethnic minorities in Hong 39.50% Kong (e.g. Jews) Hong Kong and the Maritime 39.26% Silk Route Charity groups (e.g. Tung 16.67% Wah Hospital)

0% 20% 40% 60%

Remark: multiple choice N = 1638

Table 12

Suggested topics for thematic sections Suggestions No. Local food culture 45 Movie, music and pop culture 29 Hong Kong culture and Old culture and customs of Hong Kong 22 local customs Conservation of artefacts, architecture and heritages 10 Religions and ethnic languages 10 Sub-total 116 Hong Kong society 40 Political development of Hong Kong 28 Hong Kong’s political and Characteristics of Hong Kong 21 social development Relationship between Hong Kong and other places 18 Sub-total 107 Overall development of Hong Kong from multiple 101 perspectives Others Different stages of Hong Kong’s history 47 Major events in Hong Kong 8 Sub-total 156 TOTAL 379

4) Themes that are suitable for retention in the new permanent exhibition

It has been suggested that each museum of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department should have a clear identity. Respondents were asked whether it would be appropriate to retain the themes related to natural history, military history and popular culture in the new permanent exhibition or transfer them to other museums.

The results indicate that the majority of respondents (78.3%) are of the view that the themes related to popular culture should be retained, while 72.3% of respondents think that the themes related to military history should be retained. Relatively speaking, fewer respondents (only 53.5%) hold the view that themes related to natural history should be retained. (Please see Table 13.)

Table 13

The new permanent exhibition should retain the following themes or transfer them to other museums

Popular culture (e.g. films) 78.27% 15.38% 6.35% Retain

Transfer to other Military history 72.34% 22.47% 5.19% museums No comment

Natural history 53.48% 39.99% 6.53% N = 1638

0% 50% 100%

5) Themes that should be added or enhanced in the new permanent exhibition

Respondents offered suggestions on themes that could be added or enhanced in the new permanent exhibition. The most popular themes are Hong Kong culture and local customs (especially art and media, food culture and ethnicity/religion/tradition/social customs); the history of Hong Kong (especially from the handover to the present day) and the overall development of Hong Kong from multiple perspectives (especially its economic, political and housing development).

(Please see Table 14.)

Table 14

Themes to be added or enhanced in the new permanent exhibition Suggestions No. Art and media 101 Food culture 87 Ethnicity/religion/tradition/social customs 82 Hong Kong culture and local customs Livelihood of Hong Kong people 68 Relationship between Hong Kong and other 16 places Sub-total 354 History of Hong Kong from the handover to 129 the present day History of Hong Kong Different stages of Hong Kong’s history 117 Sub-total 246 Economic development of Hong Kong 68 Political development of Hong Kong 53 Overall development of Development of housing in Hong Kong 49 Hong Kong from multiple Development of education in Hong Kong 34 perspectives Development of medical care in Hong Kong 17 Sub-total 221 Review of major events in Major and special events in Hong Kong 26 Hong Kong Others Other topics 34 TOTAL 881

3. Views on the presentation methods used in the new permanent exhibition

1) 1:1 scale dioramas

Generally speaking, respondents are very fond of the 1:1 scale dioramas. 69.7% like the ‘Street scenes from different eras’ and 57.1% like the ‘Boat dwellers’ fishing junk’. The ‘Taiping Qingjiao ceremony in Cheung Chau’ and the ‘Ancestral hall’ obtained support rates of 49.8% and 40.7% respectively. The ‘Beach showing life during the Neolithic period’ (14.1%), the ‘Exhibition of Hong Kong Products’ (15.9%), the ‘Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb’ (17.7%), the ‘Natural environment’ (17.7%) and the ‘Hoklo people’s salt field’ (18.3%) featured among the less popular 1:1 scale dioramas. (Please see Table 15.)

These findings are relatively consistent across visitors of different origins and age groups. (Please see Tables 16 and 19.)

Table 15

Visitors' favourite 1:1 scale dioramas

Street scenes in different eras 69.72% Boat dwellers’ fishing junk 57.08% Taiping Qingjiao ceremony in Cheung Chau 49.82% Ancestral hall 40.72% Hakka house 35.90% Pier in the early colonial period 29.98% Hoklo people’s salt field 18.32% The natural environment 17.70% Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb 17.70% The Exhibition of Hong Kong Products 15.93% Beach showing life during the Neolithic period 14.10% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% Remark: multiple choice N = 1638

Table 16

Visitors' favourite 1:1 scale dioramas (by origin)

80% 74.51% 71.45% 64.48% 64.48% 55.72%

60% 55.61%

Street scenes in different Streetin different scenes eras Street scenes in different Streetin different scenes eras

47.06% Streetin different scenes eras 47.10%

Boat dwellers’ Boat dwellers’ fishing junk

ceremony in in ceremony Cheung Chau Boat dwellers’ fishing junk 42.35% in ceremonyCheung

40%

Taiping Taiping Qingjiao

Taiping Taiping Qingjiao Ancestral Ancestral hal

20%

Chau

0% Local N=865 Mainland China N=255 Overseas N=518

Remark: multiple choice

Table 17

Visitors' least favourite 1:1 scale dioramas (by origin)

20% 18.15% 16.88% 16.65% 15.38% 15.64% 16%

11.76% 13.13%

during during the period Neolithic during during the Neolithic period

12.16% Beach showing during life

The natural The environment natural

Lei ChengLei Tomb Han Uk

Lei ChengLei Han Uk The Exhibition The Exhibition of Hong

12% The Exhibition of Hong 9.02%

Hong Kong Kong Hong Products

the Neolithic the period Neolithic

Beach showing life

Beach showing Beachshowing life

The Exhibition The Exhibition of

Kong Kong Products

8% Kong Products

Tomb Tomb

0% Local N=865 Mainland China N=255 Overseas N=518

Remark: multiple choice

Table 18

Visitors' favourite 1:1 scale dioramas (by age)

Street scenes in different eras 64.13% age 8 - 19 Boat dwellers’ fishing junk 50.67% N=223 Taiping Qingjiao ceremony in Cheung Chau 43.05%

Street scenes in different eras 71.18% age 20 -39 Boat dwellers’ fishing junk 55.41% N=850 Taiping Qingjiao ceremony in Cheung Chau 49.29%

Street scenes in different eras 69.73% age 40 or older Taiping Qingjiao ceremony in Cheung Chau 62.12% N=565 Boat dwellers’ fishing junk 53.27%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Remark: multiple choice

Table 19

Visitors' least favourite 1:1 scale dioramas (by age)

Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb 21.97% age 8 - 19 Hoklo people’s salt field 17.04% N=223 The Exhibition of Hong Kong Products 15.25%

Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb 14.00% age 20 - 39 The Exhibition of Hong Kong Products 12.71% N=850 Beach showing life during the Neolithic period 9.41%

The Exhibition of Hong Kong Products 21.06% age 40 or older The natural environment 18.76% N=565 Beach showing life during the Neolithic period 14.51%

0% 10% 20% 30%

Remark: multiple choice

2) Multimedia

Overall, 61.8% of respondents support the idea of having more multimedia installations in the new permanent exhibition. 32.1% of respondents disagree and 6.1% of respondents have no comment. (Please see Table 20.)

The highest proportion in favour of more multimedia installations is represented by mainland visitors (74.1%); support rates among local and overseas visitors are 62.0% and 55.6% respectively. (Please see Table 21.)

The survey findings indicate that respondents aged above 40 are more interested in multimedia installations than younger respondents aged between 8 and 19. The support rates for multimedia installations among these two age groups are 66.0% and 57.4% respectively. (Please see Table 22.) This finding reflects the fact that, in today’s era of rapid media expansion, youth are exposed to a large amount of multimedia contents and this no longer has a feeling of novelty. Some young respondents indicated that touchable exhibits would be more attractive to them.

Table 20

There should be more multimedia installations in the new permanent exhibition

6.05%

Yes 32.11% No No Comment 61.84%

N = 1638

Table 21

Visitors' opinion on whether there should be more multimedia installations in the new permanent exhibition (by origin)

Local N=865 61.97% 30.17% 7.86%

Yes Mainland China 3.92% No N=255 74.12% 21.96% No comment

Overseas N=518 55.60% 40.35% 4.05%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Table 22

Visitors' opinion on whether there should be more multimedia installations in the new permanent exhibition (by age)

age 8 - 19 N=223 57.40% 26.01% 16.59%

Yes age 20- 39 N=850 60.24% 35.06% 4.70% No No comment age 40 or older N=565 66.02% 30.09% 3.89%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

4. Views on the interactive elements in the new permanent exhibition

Respondents are interested in a variety of interactive elements. In particular, interactive games, guided tours, theatre, films and mobile phone apps would be welcomed by more than 30% of respondents. Interactive learning is less popular (only 26.1%). (Please see Table 23.)

Visitors from different origins and from different age groups each have their own favourite interactive elements. Respondents aged below 19 like interactive games more than the 20- 39 age group. Respondents aged over 40 like interactive guided tours and interactive films. Interactive learning is the least popular suggestion across all age groups. (Please see Table 25.)

Most respondents said that they would like to have more ‘touchable exhibits’. Moreover, ‘workshops’ and ‘family activities’ are also popular. (Please see Table 26.)

Table 23

Interactive elements to be included in the new permanent exhibition

Interactive game 35.71%

Interactive guided tour 34.00%

Interactive theatre 32.97%

Interactive film 30.65%

Mobile phone apps 30.04%

Interactive learning 26.07%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% N = 1638 Remark: multiple choice

Table 24

Visitors' opinion on which interactive elements should be included in the new permanent exhibition (by origin) Interactive game 47.75% Interactive theatre 40.23% Local Interactive guided tour 38.03% N=865 Interactive film 32.95% Mobile phone apps 29.02% Interactive learning 26.71% Interactive film 31.37% Interactive theatre 30.98% Mainland China Interactive game 28.63% N=255 Mobile phone apps 25.49% Interactive learning 25.10% Interactive guided tour 22.35% Mobile phone apps 33.98% Interactive guided tour 33.01% Overseas Interactive film 26.45% N=518 Interactive learning 25.48% Interactive theatre 21.81% Interactive game 19.11%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Remark: multiple choice 24

Table 25

Visitors' opinions on which interactive elements should be included in the new permanent exhibition (by age) Interactive game 52.47% Interactive theatre 39.46% age 8 - 19 Interactive film 27.35% N=223 Mobile phone apps 27.35% Interactive guided tour 26.46% Interactive learning 22.87%

Interactive game 35.18% Interactive guided tour 33.76% age 20 - 39 Interactive theatre 33.41% N=850 Mobile phone apps 32.82% Interactive film 30.24% Interactive learning 25.76%

Interactive guided tour 37.35% Interactive film 32.57% age 40 or Interactive game older 29.91% Interactive theatre 29.73% N=565 Interactive learning 27.79% Mobile phone apps 26.90%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Remark: multiple choice Table 26 Other suggestions for interactive elements Suggestions No. Not necessary Interactive elements are not needed 142 Touchable exhibits 38 More light-visual technologies / anime 9 More interactive screens 6 More interactive stories 6 Exhibit-related More 3D models 4 Clear signage for exhibits 4 Others 8 Sub-total 75 More workshops 24 More family activities 22 Activities More children’s games 19 Others 6 Sub-total 71 More Putonghua-speaking guided tours 9 More scheduled guided tours 6 Guided tours Others 5 Sub-total 20 TOTAL 308

5. Profile of respondents

The sample size of this survey is 1,638. The male-to-female ratio is generally balanced. Of the respondents, over half are local visitors, over 30% are from overseas and the remaining 15.6% are from mainland China.

Close to 80% of respondents attended tertiary education or above. The proportions of respondents who have received primary and secondary education are 5.5% and 15.2% respectively. 25.3% of respondents are full-time students, nearly 40% are professionals and around 10% are clerical workers.

The majority of respondents (about 70%) visit the museum less that once a year, but there are also frequent visitors who come several times a year (15.0%).

Table 27

Gender

Male 49.39% Female 50.61%

N = 1638

Table 28

Place of residence / origin

31.62% Hong Kong Mainland China

52.81% Overseas

15.57% N = 1638

Table 29

Education level 5.50% 0.73%

Tertiary or above 15.20% Secondary

Primary

Prefer not to say

78.57% N = 1638

Table 30

Occupation

2.56% 1.83% 1.16% Professional 4.15% Fulltime student 5.13% Clerk 4.70% Retired non-working people 38.46% Executive 6.84% Self-employed Sales 9.83% Worker Prefer not to say 25.34% N = 1638

Table 31 Frequency of visits to the Hong Kong Museum of History

15.02%

Several times a year

15.26% Once a year

Seldom 69.72%

N = 1638

Conclusions

1. Expectations of the new permanent exhibition

The research findings indicate that respondents are fond of most of the existing galleries in the permanent exhibition, each of which has their own special characteristics and reflect the development of Hong Kong's history and folk customs in different eras. As a result, respondents expect most of the existing galleries to be retained in the new permanent exhibition apart from Galleries 1 and 2 (The Natural Environment and Prehistoric Hong Kong), which received relatively low ratings. These findings are consistent across different origins of visitors and different age groups.

Furthermore, the proportion of respondents who agree with retaining themes related to natural history is less than those who agree with retaining themes related to military history and popular culture. Close to 40% of respondents are of the view that the natural history themes should be transferred to other museums. These results are consistent with the above viewpoint.

In addition, the existing permanent exhibition ends at the handover of Hong Kong. There have been discussions about whether the development of Hong Kong after the handover in 1997 should be included in the new permanent exhibition, and the research found that approximately 90% of overseas visitors, over 80% of mainland visitors and over 70% of local visitors hold the view that the new permanent exhibition should include this subject. The highest proportion holding this view is from the 20-39 age group. The expectation of visitors on this issue is quite consistent.

2. Addition of a thematic section that changes on a regular basis

The research found that nearly 70% of respondents visit the museum less than once a year. In view of this, the museum can consider adding a thematic section that changes on a regular basis in addition to the permanent section as a way to attract repeat visits. The research gathered visitors’ opinions on this idea, and it was found that the majority of respondents agree with this proposal. Over 80% of local respondents would welcome this addition, while those who disagree with it number less than 10%.

3. Views on presentation methods

The exhibition methods should also keep up to date with the latest developments following the emergence of many new display techniques. The 1:1 scale dioramas in the existing permanent exhibition leave a positive impression on visitors. Individual exhibits such as the fishing junk and Hong Kong street scenes may occupy a large space, but they successfully present a historical atmosphere and have become icons of the exhibition. However, some individual scenes have a relatively low degree of recognition and are not suitable for indoor display. Noteworthy examples here include the ‘Beach showing life during the Neolithic period’, the ‘Exhibition of Hong Kong Products’, the ‘Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb’, the ‘Hoklo people’s salt field’ as well as the ‘natural environment’.

Over 70% of mainland visitors are of the view that the new permanent exhibition should employ more multimedia techniques, while over 60% of local visitors and 55% of overseas visitors share this view. Compared with older respondents, younger respondents appear less supportive of multimedia installations and would welcome more touchable exhibits.

4. Views on interactive elements

Respondents are interested in a variety of interactive elements. Interactive games, guided tours, theatre, films and mobile phone apps would be welcomed by more than 30% of respondents. Only interactive learning is a less attractive option.

Visitors from different origins and age groups each have their own favourite interactive elements. Respondents below 39 years old are more interested in interactive games, while respondents aged 40 or above prefer interactive guided tours and films.

Appendix 1: Questionnaire

Appendix 2: Calculation of response rate

The response rate was calculated using the following formula: Unknown (U)* Respondent declined Ineligible (I) Language problem Aged below 8 Other disqualification Eligible (E) Respondent declined Qualified respondent drop-out Completed interviews (C)

Eligibility rate: ER = (C + E)/(C + E + I)

Response rate = C/[(ER x U) + C + E]