Maritime Forum

The inaugural Forum for Asia-Pacific Maritime Culture, co-hosted by the Hong Kong Maritime Museum and the China Maritime Museum, in association with the International Congress of Maritime Museums Regional Meeting, concluded successfully on Tuesday, the 23^rd of September 2025. Despite the impact of Super Typhoon Ragasa, which required the originally planned two-day forum to be adjusted to a single day, the museum quickly adapted by expanding the venue from one to three locations running simultaneously. This ensured that all nine sessions – comprising a total of 28 presentations – were successfully completed before the storm arrived.

Maritime museums worldwide: bridging history and the future

In the keynote speeches, Kristen Greenaway, president of the International Congress of Maritime Museums and president & CEO of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (USA), pointed out that maritime museums' roles as heritage preservers extended far and wide.

She believes that one role of maritime museums is to foster cultural collaborations. Maritime heritage preservation can be complicated, often involving artifacts from many cultures and jurisdictions, like a shipwreck in international waters. Because of this complexity, maritime museums can step in to encourage cultural collaborations like cross-regional research.

Additionally, Greenaway believes that maritime museums have a role as advocates for ocean conservation. By showcasing ancient wind power transportation techniques, traditional ecological knowledge from indigenous maritime communities, and historical examples of maritime disasters, museums offer lessons for current climate adaptation strategies. Maritime museums are key platforms for raising public environmental awareness.

She also stated that maritime museums can alleviate political tensions, building a platform for international co-operation with mutual understanding. Through co-organised exhibitions, academic collaborations and exchanges, maritime museums become a "neutral ground" for cultural diplomacy, a special space that governments alone cannot provide.

Greenaway concluded by emphasizing that maritime museums have a responsibility to navigate the world towards a more sustainable and interconnected future. "Maritime museums are uniquely positioned to foster this co-operation by helping people understand their connection to the sea and their shared responsibility for its protection is our shared responsibility. Our success will be measured not just by our visitor numbers or the size of our collections or the length of our vessels but by our contribution to creating a more connected, understanding and environmentally conscious global community."

The multiple values of maritime cultural heritage An Lai Shun, who is chairman of the Asia Pacific Alliance of International Councils of Museums, vice president of the China Museums Association and a professor at the Shanghai University (China), delivered a keynote speech. He pointed out that maritime cultural heritage has multiple values and plays a special role.

An stated that maritime cultural heritage carries multiple values, from historical records to artistic aesthetics, from scientific research to spiritual beliefs. These almost forgotten legacies are now being given new meaning.

He further explained that maritime cultural heritage is not just a carrier of history, but also crucial for developing one's self-identity, promoting the heritage tourism economy, and fostering community cohesion. "Maritime cultural heritage can foster more of what we call 'cultural radiation power'. For example, the institutional framework of urban infrastructure, or the attractiveness of a place for talent and capital – these might not be directly brought by maritime cultural heritage, but it certainly has a radiating effect." 

Maritime cultural heritage has multiple values; it is not only an echo of the past but also an important fuel for the future.

An continued, pointing out that maritime cultural heritage is playing a special cultural role within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals . Maritime museums, as guardians of heritage, are actively participating in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Through research, education, and international cooperation, they bring marine culture into the global spotlight.

The UN's 'Ocean Decade' initiative emphasizes the intertwining of humanity and nature, hoping to cultivate a new generation that understands the value of the ocean, and maritime heritage is an accelerant of this concept. "Nothing is sustainable without the consideration of culture," An explained. "If we look at maritime cultural heritage and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, statistics show that, out of 17 goals, maritime museums can contribute to 16 of them. You can tell that the relationship between the two is very close."