Four events in store at buzzing Palace Museum

Eunice Lam

Locals and tourists will soon enjoy exhibits from Yuanmingyuan at the Hong Kong Palace Museum.

Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: "Yuanmingyuan - Art and Culture of an Imperial Garden-Palace" in Gallery 8 will open on March 20 and will last until August 12.

It is one of four events at the Palace Museum.

The exhibition - jointly organized by the Hong Kong Palace Museum, Beijing's Palace Museum and the Yuanmingyuan administration office in Beijing, the exhibition will feature over 190 paintings, architectural models and other works associated with Yuanmingyuan, the once-magnificent Qing dynasty imperial garden palace where five emperors lived.

Gallery 8 will also hold a special exhibition in September about the origins of Chinese civilization to mark the 75th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. It will focus on new archaeological discoveries in the mainland.

Following the current Special Exhibition "Botticelli to Van Gogh: Page 2 of 6 Masterpieces from The National Gallery, London" in Gallery 9, which will end on April 11, the museum will present two major special exhibitions in collaboration with two French cultural institutions, celebrating the 60th anniversary of Sino-French relations.

One will be opening in June on fashion in France from late 18th to early 20th century, showcasing over 200 pieces of men's and women's costumes, jewelry and accessories.

Another exhibition, set for December, will focus on the significant cultural and artistic exchanges between China and France in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Museum director Louis Ng Chi-wah said the museum has seen over 2.1 million visitors since opening in July 2022.

"This year will see HKPM continue to collaborate with the world's leading arts and cultural institutions to curate world-class exhibitions and manifest our founding vision to promote Chinese traditional culture while advancing dialogue among civilizations," he said.

Ticket sales for the Yuanmingyuan special exhibition open today, priced at HK$150 for adults and HK$75 for children aged seven to 11, full-time students, seniors aged 60 and above and people with disabilities. The tickets also grant access to thematic exhibitions in Galleries 1 to 7.

eunice.lam@singtaonewscorp.com