The National Security Exhibition Gallery, located at the Museum of History in Tsim Sha Tsui, opened today.

Chief Executive John Lee said he hoped that through arranging visits to the gallery, various sectors of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region can promote national security education, and strengthen the public’s sense of and commitment to safeguarding national security.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr Lee said safeguarding national security is a continuous endeavour that has no end point.

“Faced with ever-changing international situations, frequent regional conflicts, and external forces’ containment and suppression, we must stay alert to potential risks and adopt extreme-scenario thinking. We must co-ordinate development and security. With the new security architecture, we will be able to better safeguard China’s new pattern of development.

“By fully and accurately implementing the principle of ‘One Country, Two Systems’, and deeply integrating into China’s overall development, we can contribute to the comprehensive construction of a strong, modernised China and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.”

Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong SAR Director and Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong SAR National Security Advisor Zheng Yanxiong also officiated at the ceremony, in addition to Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong SAR Head Dong Jingwei, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Hong Kong SAR Commissioner Cui Jianchun.

Mr Lee thanked the various ministries and commissions of the central authorities and offices of the Central People’s Government in Hong Kong for their unwavering support.

The gallery, with an area of more than 1,100 sq m, will be open to the public free of charge starting from tomorrow.

It is divided into six zones, including a theatre showing a short video that allows viewers to better understand the modern history of China and the importance of national security.

It explains the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the design of national symbols and signs, the 20 aspects of “a Holistic Approach to National Security”, “One Country, Two Systems”, and the laws on safeguarding national security in Hong Kong.

The gallery also features a three-dimensional theatre, various interactive games, and animations.

Exhibit highlights include precious lunar soil on loan from the China National Space Administration; a national flag, presented by the People's Government of Beijing Municipality, that flew in Tiananmen Square on June 30, 2020, the day the Hong Kong National Security Law was promulgated and took effect; and a 1:1 scale replica of the oil painting “the Founding Ceremony of the People’s Republic of China”, gifted by the National Museum of China and exhibited for the first time outside of the Mainland.

The exhibition also features the first renminbi banknotes issued by the People’s Bank of China, and a 6-metre-tall, 1:9 model of the Long March 5B carrier rocket that is on display in Hong Kong for the first time.