Lai See | See the 'Barbarian Suppressing and Pacifying General'

There is a new attraction on the Central waterfront. No, it's not another shopping mall, bar or restaurant. We are referring to the Hong Kong Maritime Museum, which opened at its new location at Central's Pier 8 last month, after six years at Murray House in Stanley.

In a rare cultural departure, Lai See was recently shown round. This is clearly a different museum from its predecessor. It's much bigger and for anyone who has even a passing interest in Hong Kong it is a must-see. Indeed, it is probably Hong Kong's best museum. There's a lot to see, it's very accessible and is enhanced by modern technology. As the museum directory points out, "the museum's galleries use fine art, ceramics, ship models, interactive displays and 21st-century technologies to tell its story". The main aim of the museum is to "provide the people of Hong Kong with a first-class museum that reflects its rich maritime past and its future."

It also deals with the mainland's seafaring history, with details of China's first maritime modernisation under Li Hongzhang in the 19th century. The many artefacts include the impressive General Cannon, a Chinese cannon captured by British forces during one of the opening battles of the First Opium War. Research is also carried out at the museum and one project involves deciphering the markings on the cannon. Some have already been translated, including pingyi jingguan jiangjun, or "Barbarian Suppressing and Pacifying General", which is a type of Qing dynasty cannon.

Perhaps the most significant artifact is the Qing Scroll. This is 18 metres long and almost 200 years old and tells the story of how the pirates of the South China Sea were subdued. It has been cleverly digitised, enabling visitors to get a closer look at the detail of the scroll and the story it tells. Government-run museums - such as the Hong Kong Museum of History - should look and learn.