The Museum of Hong Kong Literature, a museum dedicated to showcasing the heritage of Hong Kong literature and enhancing communication between litterateurs and members of the public, opened on Monday.

Covering an area of about 2,000 square feet (185.8 sq meters), the museum is located at 7 Mallory Street in Wan Chai, a historic building cluster completed in the 1910s and renovated by the Urban Renewal Authority in 2013.

Addressing the opening ceremony via video link, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the Hong Kong government attaches great importance to spreading Chinese culture and developing Hong Kong into a hub of cultural and artistic exchanges between China and the rest of the world.

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The government has organized a number of cultural activities, said Lee, adding that both the local community and the new museum can make great contributions to promoting Hong Kong culture.

He said the museum can connect literary professionals, researchers and the general public within and outside the city and place Hong Kong literature on a broader stage.

Museum Director Poon Yiu-ming said the museum will spread Hong Kong culture through the medium of literature, so that more people can understand the city’s social evolution and historical experience.

Poon, also the president of Hong Kong Writers, said the museum will take on the crucial responsibilities of preserving the city’s literary heritage, promoting the exchange of literature and other forms of art, fostering cross-boundary literary exchanges, as well as enhancing the training of young aspiring writers.

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Martin Liao Cheung-kong, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club — a major funder of the museum — said, “We hope that the establishment of the museum can showcase the rich face and cultural heritage of Hong Kong literature to the public and visitors, and enable the continuous development of Chinese culture.”

Guests attending the opening ceremony included Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR Lu Xinning; Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung and Vice-chairman of the Chinese Writers Association Li Jingze.

For the opening day, the museum scheduled a botanical exhibition and a series of speeches on culture to promote the unique charm and value of Hong Kong literature to the public.

Contact the writer at stephyzhang@chinadailyhk.com