Lecturer

Reynold K. W. Tsang

BA, MPhil HKU; DPhil Oxon (Expected in 2024)

reynoldt@hku.hk

Reynold Tsang is a historian specialising in museum history and British imperial history in Asia. He currently lectures on Hong Kong history and heritage, as well as Chinese history, at the University of Hong Kong’s Department of History and City University of Hong Kong’s Department of Chinese and History. Reynold is also a public historian committed to enhancing historical awareness in the local community. He organised and participated in various public talks, guided tours, podcasts, and other activities.

RESEARCH

Reynold’s doctoral research studies the origin and development of museums in British East and Southeast Asia during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It examines the political, social, and cultural dynamics of the early museums in Hong Kong, the Straits Settlements, and the Federated Malay States amid British imperial expansion in Asia. Reynold also researches the development of arts and culture in Hong Kong and the politics of history-themed social media pages.

Research Interests

  • Museums
  • Arts and Culture
  • British Imperialism
  • Modern Hong Kong
  • Modern China
  • Colonial Southeast Asia

PUBLICATIONS

Selected Articles and Book Chapters

Tsang, Reynold K. W., “Arts and Recreation.” In A New Documentary History of Hong Kong, c. 1945-1997, edited by Florence Mok and Charles Fung. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2025.

Tsang, Reynold K. W. “The ‘Death’ and ‘Rebirth’ of Museums in Colonial Hong Kong: Three Decades of Community Endeavours to Restore Reputation and Culture, 1933-1962.” Museum History Journal.  (In Revision)

Selected Conference Papers

Tsang, Reynold K. W. “‘Oh, You Will Not Let Us See Her!’: The Chinese Visitors’ Search for a Cannibal at the Hong Kong City Hall Museum.” Paper presented at Journeys, Hong Kong History Centre and Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences Conference 2024, the University of Hong Kong, 21 June 2024.

Tsang, Reynold K. W. “Posting the Unofficial Past: The Emergence and Endurance of Social Media Pages on Hong Kong History.” Paper presented at Resilience and Recovery, Society for Hong Kong Studies Annual Conference 2024, the University of Hong Kong, 15 June 2024.

Tsang, Reynold. “Curating Anthropology in Hong Kong’s Museums: A Historical Review and Present Perspective.” Paper presented at East Asian Anthropology in a Roiling World, East Asian Anthropological Association Annual Meeting, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 7 October 2023.

Tsang, Reynold K. W. “Redefining Colonial Museums: The Asian Visitors in British East and Southeast Asia in Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries.” Paper presented at International History of East Asia Seminar, University of Oxford China Centre, University of Oxford, 31 May 2023. 

TEACHING AND COURSES TAUGHT

  • HIST1017 Modern Hong Kong