Imagining Asia

From new museum construction to the re-purposing of colonial monuments, and from essentialized
narratives to spaces which encourage visitors to dream, this book explores the development and influence of national museums in three contemporary Asian societies – Singapore, Hong Kong, and Macau.

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Despite widespread recognition that we are living in an era of mass globalization, there has
been a startling resurgence of nationalism in many regions of the world. Alongside this
development, many new national museums are being built or refurbished, pointing to the
critical role the telling of history plays in processes of building national identity. From new
museum construction to the re-purposing of colonial monuments, and from essentialized
narratives to spaces which encourage visitors to dream, this book explores the
development and influence of national museums in three contemporary Asian societies –
Singapore, Hong Kong, and Macau.