130th Anniversary of Hong Kong Observatory

To celebrate the 130th anniversary of the Hong Kong Observatory, the Observatory will stage a "Hong Kong Observatory - Under the Same Sky 130 Years" exhibition jointly with the Hong Kong Museum of History from 10 July to 2 September 2013. Members of the public are welcomed to the exhibition, which will be free of charge.

The joint exhibition aims at reviewing the developments of the weather monitoring since the opening of Hong Kong as a free trade port in 1841, in particular the wide-ranging services of the Hong Kong Observatory to cater to the ever-changing demands of the society after its establishment in 1883. It will highlight the natural disasters brought about by extreme weather such as typhoons, rainstorms, severe droughts and extreme temperatures, with the objective to enhance the public preparedness against such disastrous weather events under the trend of climate change. Historical materials will be shown in the exhibition, such as photographs, historical documents and books, early hand-drawn weather charts, videos as well as artifacts like typhoon signals and models like miniature of the time ball used in the past. In addition to the history of the Observatory, there will be exhibits showing the evolution of the Observatory’s services and the commitment and dedication of its staff, and looking into the future. Interactive multi-media areas will also be set up to arouse the interest of the public.

In conjunction with the exhibition, the Observatory will also invite experts to deliver public talks during the period. Details are as follows:

Lectures for "Hong Kong Observatory - Under the Same Sky 130 Years" Exhibition

Venue: Lecture Hall, G/F, Hong Kong Museum of History

Enrolment: 139 seats; first come, first served (Audience will be admitted 15 minutes before each lecture starts)

Language: Cantonese

Date	Time	Topic	Speaker
13 Jul (Sat)	11:30am - 1:00pm	Prepare for a Rainy Day: A Historical Review of Severe Weather Contingency Measures in Hong Kong and its Revelations	Professor Ho Pui Yin (Vice Chair, Department of History, The Chinese University of Hong Kong)
13 Jul (Sat)	3:00pm - 5:00pm	Climate Change and Non-sustainable Development	Mr Lam Chiu Ying (Former Director of Hong Kong Observatory)
24 Aug (Sat)	3:00pm - 5:00pm	When the Observatory's Director Meets Historians	Mr Shun Chi Ming (Director of Hong Kong Observatory)
31 Aug (Sat)	3:00pm - 5:00pm	The HKO and Major Natural Disasters in Hong Kong	Dr Joseph Ting (Museum Expert Adviser of Hong Kong Museum of History)

Besides, under the "Science in the Public Service" Campaign, a series of talks on popular science are organized from July to September 2013. Admission is free and on a first-come, first-served basis. For details of the talks, please refer to the following web page:
http://www.science.gov.hk/eng/info-talks.htm

1913	2013
The Observatory building now and then

Mr Ko Chi-Sum Clifton, a famous film director in Hong Kong, together with Ms Song Man-kuen, Senior Scientific Officer of the Observatory, in a TV show broadcasted on 3 August, reviewed the major natural disasters in Hong Kong since late 19th century and the wide-ranging services of the Observatory to cater to the ever-changing demands of the society. For details, please visit the following web page:
http://www.weather.gov.hk/hkonews/D4/news-20130812e.htm