Rare national treasures on show at Palace Museum

People are able to get a rare look of 81 historical Chinese figure paintings being displayed outside Beijing for the first time at Hong Kong Palace Museum from today until November 30 in a new exhibition sponsored by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Many of these paintings are being displayed outside Beijing's Palace Museum for the first time, including rare and iconic works by three of the "Four Masters of the Ming Dynasty" - Tang Yin, Wen Zhengming and Qiu Ying.

To protect these precious cultural gems, 14 of which are grade-one national treasures, the 81 paintings will be displayed in four rotations of around three months each, each featuring 20 sets of paintings.

"Due to the influence of light and humidity, the exhibition hall is dimly lit and the temperature is low to protect the cultural relics," said curator Jiang Fangting.

"The exhibition is the first large-scale Ming Dynasty figure painting exhibition in Hong Kong," said Daisy Wang Yiyou, deputy museum director. "The exhibited works are divided into early, middle and late Ming Dynasty."

First grade relics including Emperor Taizu Calling on by Liu Jun-song, On a Snowy Night by Zhao Pu, Confucius, Laozi, and Buddhist Arhat' by Ding Yunpeng, and other figure paintings will be displayed during the rotations starting this month, March, June and September.

"The exhibition reflects the history of the Ming Dynasty, its culture and its way of life, and deepens understanding of traditional Chinese culture," said museum director Louis Ng Chi-wa.

"It is a great honor to receive assistance from the Palace Museum in acquiring national treasures, allowing us to establish a unique and distinctive collection and become the world's top museum," Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki said.