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Athlete Li Zhenqiang, who represents China in the Olympic equestrian events hosted in Hong Kong, today (August 20) visited the "Heavenly Horse - The Horse in Chinese Art and Culture" exhibition currently being held at the Hong Kong Museum of History.
Born in Dongguan in Guangdong Province, Li is one of the six riders representing China for the first time at the Olympic equestrian events. Having completed the competition, Li took the opportunity to visit the exhibition before leaving for the Mainland.
At the exhibition, he paid special attention to several star exhibits, including the gilt bronze steed of the Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), the bronze figurines of guards of honour with horses and chariots of the Western Jin dynasty (265-316), the white clay figurine of a dancing horse and the "Sancai" figurine of a horse in mid-air with a female rider of the Tang dynasty (618-907), the Qing dynasty bronze horse head from Yuanmingyuan (the Old Summer Palace in Beijing) and Giuseppe Castiglione's "Yingjizi" of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911).
He noted that although equestrian sports in modern China developed relatively late compared with other countries, the exhibition showed that China had a long history of horse breeding and training, which was manifested in some of the exhibits, such as the thousand-year-old mural of a polo game and figurine of a dancing horse of the Tang dynasty. He added that he hoped China would have a remarkable future in equestrian sports.
Jointly presented by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, organised by the Hong Kong Museum of History and Art Exhibitions China, and sponsored by the Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited, the "Heavenly Horse" exhibition is timed to coincide with the equestrian events of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
Featuring 60 sets of valuable artefacts and works of art selected from 28 cultural institutes in China, the exhibition presents various historical themes in Chinese equine culture, such as the evolution of horse tack, political developments, social life, and religious beliefs and art, with the aim of providing visitors with a greater understanding of the relationship of the horse with Chinese culture in different periods. Other spectacular artefacts on display include the Qin (221-206 BC) terracotta saddled horse, the figurine of a guard-of-honour horse of the Northern Dynasties (386-581), the postal station pass and Zhao Mengfu's "Yinma Tu" of the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368). The exhibition will be held until October 13.
The Museum of History is located at 100 Chatham Road South, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. It opens from 10am to 6pm from Monday to Saturday and from 10am to 7pm on Sundays and public holidays. The museum is closed on Tuesdays (except public holidays).
Admission for the "Heavenly Horse" exhibition is $20 and a half-price concession is available to full-time students, senior citizens and people with disabilities. No free admission on Wednesdays.
For details of the exhibition, please visit the Museum of History's websites at http://hk.history.museum/ or www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/History, or call 2724 9042.
Ends/Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Issued at HKT 19:15
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