Overseas visitors can get a glimpse of 400 million years of Hong Kong’s history with the opening of a permanent exhibition at the Hong Kong Museum of History .

The Hong Kong Story showcases the natural environment, people, folk culture and historical development of Hong Kong between the Devonian Period 400 million years ago, and the return of sovereignty of Hong Kong to the Chinese mainland in 1997.

Chief curator of the museum Dr Joseph Ting said that with a rich mixture of ecological settings, panoramic screens, interactive programmes and artifacts, the exhibition outlined the natural environment, cultural heritage and historical development of Hong Kong in a lifelike manner.

“The exhibition is both entertaining and educational. We sincerely invite people to this 400 million years of journey and introspection on the historical and cultural heritage of Hong Kong,” Dr Ting said.

Canadian firm JJ Andre Associates Ltd was brought in as the exhibit designer to make the HK$200 million (US$ 25.7 million) exhibition informative and interactive. Through the display of over 3,700 exhibits, and using 750 graphic panels and 53 interactive programmes, the exhibition promises visitors an amazing cultural and historical journey of Hong Kong in the past 400 million years.

Occupying 7,000 square metres, The Hong Kong Story comprises eight galleries namely – The Natural Environment; Prehistoric Hong Kong; The Dynasties:From Han to the Qing; Folk Culture; The Opium Wars and the Cession of Hong Kong; Birth and Early Growth of the City; The Japanese Occupation and Modern Metropolis and the Return to China.