LCSD to hold "What a Great Era" exhibition at The ONE from tomorrow (with photos)

*********************************************************************************

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will hold an exhibition entitled "What a Great Era" from tomorrow (June 27) at The ONE shopping mall. The exhibition will display illustrations connected with the 60th birthday celebration activities of Empress Dowager Chongqing to reveal the immense prosperity of the Qianlong period of the Qing dynasty, as well as photos of old Hong Kong.

     With solid foundations laid during the Kangxi and Yongzheng periods, the national power of the Qing dynasty reached its peak during the Qianlong period. Visitors to the exhibition will learn of the vast increases in national territory, population, wealth and culture that took place in this golden age.

     This great era is reflected by the scale of the celebration activities for the 60th birthday of Empress Dowager Chongqing and various connected measures. Emperor Qianlong commissioned a painter to depict the celebration activities through a series of four painted scrolls entitled "Birthday Celebration of Empress Dowager Chongqing", with a total length measuring over 100 metres. The exhibition will feature a section of the scrolls which illustrates the hustle and bustle from the Temple of Ten Thousand Longevity and Prosperity to the Yellow Crane Tower, offering visitors glimpses of urban life in China more than two centuries ago.

     The exhibition also reveals special architectural features from the period. These include the Jadeite Pavilion with its peacock-plumage canopy, a longevity peach-shaped theatrical stage, some grand Western-style architecture and a scenic spot depicting immortals offering birthday felicitations. In the painting, the streets are brightly decorated with festive lanterns and festoons, and buzzing with boisterous hawkers amid vibrant shops and temples. People are shopping, strolling along the streets and watching operas, enjoying a relaxing day just as we attend carnivals nowadays.

     The exhibition will also display old photos taken along the Victoria harbourfront and Haiphong Road. A "rubbing zone" will be set up for the public to rub various blessing words and images onto a paper, such as "fortune and longevity" which are symbolised by a bat and longevity peaches, and "when there is peace, there are signs" featuring the image of an elephant. Visitors can share their rubbed paper artworks with friends and family. (Bat and fortune, and signs and elephant are homonyms in Cantonese.)

     Running until July 9, the exhibition will be held at the UG2 Atrium, The ONE shopping mall, Tsim Sha Tsui, with opening hours from 11am to 10pm. Members of the public are welcome and entry is free.

     The exhibition is part of the "In Touch with Palace Museum" campaign being held by the LCSD from the end of 2016 to July 2017. Through a series of exhibitions, programmes and educational activities related to the arts and culture of the Palace Museum, the campaign highlights the essence of traditional Chinese culture and its modern connotations. The activities will be held in various districts, allowing members of the public to discover that far from being anachronistic or outmoded, traditional culture still holds a wealth of wisdom for their daily lives.

Ends/Monday, June 26, 2017
Issued at HKT 12:28

NNNN

Archives Yesterday's Press Releases Back to Index Page Back to top

Today's Press Releases

Photo

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department will hold an exhibition entitled "What a Great Era" from tomorrow (June 27) to July 9 at The ONE shopping mall. Picture shows part of the four painted scrolls entitled "Birthday Celebration of Empress Dowager Chongqing", depicting the hustle and bustle of Beijing in the Qianlong period of the Qing dynasty.