The HKMA's summer exhibition

The HKMA's second summer exhibition, Money in Hong Kong 2001, opens this weekend.

We in the HKMA see it as an important part of our responsibilities to explain our work as clearly as possible to the general public. During most of the year we do this through our extensive media contacts, through our briefings to the people's representatives on the Legislative Council, and through our publications and website. In addition, we organise special campaigns and events - like our annual education programme for secondary school students, and like the "travelling" summer exhibition we conducted in various districts last year.

Last year's travelling summer exhibition attracted around 75,000 visitors. Encouraged by the excellent response, we have planned another one this year. The exhibition will take place on three successive Friday-to-Sunday weekends in three successive venues. It will begin this Friday 20 July 2001 in New Town Plaza in Sha Tin. It will then move to Pacific Place in Hong Kong the next weekend (27-29 July), concluding at Plaza Hollywood in Kowloon the following weekend (3-5 August). As with last year, there will be student ambassadors recruited form the universities on hand to assist visitors. The exhibition this year focuses on five themes: Money and Security, Banking and Competition, the Linked Exchange Rate, the Exchange Fund, and Payment Systems. There will be computer quizzes and interactive games for those wishing to test their knowledge on money and banking in Hong Kong, and gifts for those who are successful.

Part of the exhibition explains core elements of our work: how the Linked Exchange Rate system works and why it is good for Hong Kong; how we manage Hong Kong's foreign currency reserves. Another part deals with current issues, such as competition in the banking sector. But we expect that the part that will draw most attention is the material on banknotes and coins. These have an intrinsic and perennial aesthetic and historical interest, and we are pleased to be able to display a substantial collection of historic notes and coins. They will be of interest for their own sake. But there is also an educational element: we want to draw attention to the security features that have progressively been applied to coins and banknotes over the decades, and to focus interest in particular on the latest features, applied over the course of the last year to the $1,000 note. In this connection, we will be showing examples of counterfeit notes and coins, which have never been shown to the general public before. There will also be demonstrations by representatives of the Commercial Crime Bureau on the three Saturdays and Sundays, from 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm at the three exhibition venues. These demonstrations were very popular last year and we are grateful that the Commercial Crime Bureau has once again agreed to assist in the exhibition this year. Confidence in our currency includes confidence in the integrity of the coins and notes that we all use everyday, as well as confidence in the machinery - the Currency Board system - that maintains its value. We hope that the material on display will help develop our ability as a community to distinguish good money from bad.

As with last year, the exhibition will take place in large shopping centres. By their very nature, shopping centres are places that attract people of all ages and walks of life. We have taken this into account in designing the exhibits and in providing a range of quizzes and games for the whole family to take part in. We hope you will spare some time to drop in and see what we have on display.

Joseph Yam
19 July 2001

Related Information:

• "Money in Hong Kong" Exhibition (July 2001)
• Money in Hong Kong (Interactive Version) (October 2001)
• Money in Hong Kong: A Brief Introduction (November 2000)

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