Collaborating again with the Min Chiu Society, an internationally acclaimed and prestigious collectors' group in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) is staging the "Engaging Past Wisdom: Min Chiu Society at Sixty-five" exhibition at the Special Gallery on the second floor of the museum from tomorrow (August 30) to January 14 next year. This year marks the society's 65th anniversary, and the exhibition features over 400 precious artefacts from more than 40 members' collections, the largest number of exhibits of the Min Chiu Society to date, providing a rare opportunity for the public to appreciate Chinese cultural treasures spanning 5 000 years.
      
     The opening ceremony of the exhibition was held today (August 29). Officiating guests included the Under Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Raistlin Lau; the Chairman of the Min Chiu Society, Mr Lawrence Chan; the Chairman of the Friends of HKMoA, Mrs Nancy Lee; the Deputy Director of Leisure and Cultural Services (Culture), Miss Eve Tam; and the Museum Director of the HKMoA, Dr Maria Mok.    
      
     Established in 1960, the Min Chiu Society, comprising passionate local collectors from various professions, is dedicated to promoting Chinese art and culture. The HKMoA has been a long-term partner of the society and has jointly organised various kinds of exhibitions over the past years, making them highly anticipated events within the collecting community. The exhibition features a vast number and wide variety of exhibits. Among them are remarkable former imperial collections and extraordinary cultural relics, showcasing how Hong Kong, despite its size, has become a custodian of world-class treasures. The exhibits include Chinese paintings and calligraphy, ceramics, bronzes, lacquerware, jade, bamboo carvings, furniture and snuff bottles, spanning from the Bronze Age through the 20th century. Highlight exhibits include the Hu ritual vessel of Zhou Zha from the Western Zhou dynasty, which will be on display for the first time in Hong Kong. The vessel was originally in the imperial collection of Emperor Qianlong. It has been well preserved and stands as a significant bronze artefact from the Qing imperial collection. Other noteworthy exhibits include a jar with phoenix and floral designs in underglaze blue from the Ming dynasty, which is a masterpiece of official kilns during the Xuande reign; a rare surviving spinach-green jade "Tributes from Ten Thousand Nations" table screen from the Qing dynasty; an emperor's robe adorned with gold dragon motifs and the 12 imperial symbols from the Qianlong period; an intricately carved six-post canopy bed with six legs from the late Ming dynasty; Zhang Daqian's painting "Imitation of Shitao's Drunk in Autumn Woods", and more.
      
     The HKMoA team reinterprets cultural relics through modern curation, revealing a shared passion for connoisseurship among ancient emperors, literati, and collectors nowadays. Incorporating the curatorial concept of technology with art, the exhibition also employs technology such as holographic imaging to reinterpret various artefacts, allowing visitors to virtually "handle" and interact with the artefacts, and uncover the stories behind each piece to experience the fun of engaging with past wisdom. Additionally, for the first time, the exhibition will display rare archival materials from the society, including its founding charter, meeting records, and official seals, showcasing the society's development.　
      
     The exhibition is jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Min Chiu Society, co-organised by the HKMoA and the Min Chiu Society and sponsored by the Friends of HKMoA. The exhibition is also one of the activities in the Chinese Culture Promotion Series.
      
     The admission fees for this exhibition are $30 for standard tickets, $21 for group tickets (groups of 20 persons or more) and $15 for full-time students, people with disabilities and one accompanying minder, senior citizens aged 60 or above and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients. Holders of Museum Passes can enjoy free admission to this exhibition.
      
     For details of the exhibition, please visit the website at hk.art.museum/en/web/ma/exhibitions-and-events/engaging-past-wisdom.html.     ​

Ends/Friday, August 29, 2025
Issued at HKT 19:41

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