HK urged to develop intellectual property with local culture and AI

Deputy director Wang Yuegong of the Palace Museum in Beijing encouraged Hong Kong's creative industry to integrate culture and technology, such as artificial intelligence, in developing its own cultural intellectual property.

His remarks come as the Beijing institution and Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) unveil a special exhibition on Chinese food culture, showcasing over 110 exquisite artifacts, including eight first-grade national treasures from the mainland.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Wang recognized Hong Kong’s advantage as a hub for international cultural exchange, saying the city could utilize technology in creating cultural IPs to “open up new horizons.”

“For instance, AI, from earlier tools like ChatGPT to the popular domestic application DeepSeek, these innovations are being utilized in cultural creativity, particularly in promoting traditional culture,” Wang said.

However, Wang stressed that developing cultural creative products are not about making money, saying that fully uncovering the value of local culture should be creators’ fundamentals.

He added that, while Hong Kong has its value, with each era offering different interpretations, it may require fresh perspectives and deeper insights as the SAR’s standing in the international scene changes.

The exhibition, themed “A Movable Feast: The Culture of Food and Drink in China”, goes on show starting Wednesday, taking visitors on a journey exploring 5,000 years of Chinese culinary history.

In addition to treasures on loan from Beijing’s Palace Museum, the exhibition also features precious objects from foreign institutes including the British Museum, the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.

In a section introducing how ancient China and Central-West Asia embraced each other’s culture along the Silk Routes, visitors can catch a glimpse of artifacts of foreign origin, including an ewer from the Sasanian Empire, present-day Iran.

The exhibits also showcase how ancient Chinese people enjoyed dining on boats during the Ming and Qing dynasties, reminiscent of the traditional boat noodles in Hong Kong's Aberdeen.

HKPM museum director Louis Ng Chi-wa said the loan with mainland and foreign museums “signifies the positioning of the HKPM as an international museum to promote cultural exchange through the planning and curating these exhibitions.”

The HKPM expects the exhibition, a highlight event of Art March Hong Kong 2025, to draw around 100,000 visitors during the three-month display, which will last until June 18.

(Jamie Liu)