Where past meets progress: HK Palace Museum expands GBA reach, bridges ancient cultures

Editor's note: 2025 marks the centennial of Beijing's Palace Museum as a public museum transformed from the imperial palace, first built in the 15th century. The Hong Kong Palace Museum - established in collaboration with BJPM - joins in celebrating this milestone. In the third HK Mosaic feature, China Daily outlines the museum's celebration plans, recent initiatives, and future goals, providing insights into the vibrant artistic landscape of the city.

Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) is rolling out a series of exhibitions this year to mark the upcoming centenary celebration in October of Beijing's Palace Museum, with three of those exhibitions now open and a further five to be unveiled later in the year, Louis Ng Chi-wa, HKPM's director, said.

Initiatives such as summer study tours and family-themed museum stayovers are also being considered as ways for the museum to attract a bigger audience from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Ng told China Daily in an exclusive interview.

Beijing's Palace Museum, established in October 1925, will announce details in August of celebrations slated for the centenary month, October, Ng said.

The two exhibitions currently open to the public include The Art of Armaments - Qing Dynasty Military Collection from The Palace Museum, which opened in January, and A Movable Feast: The Culture of Food and Drink in China, which opened in March.

On display are 190 court military artworks from the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) and some 110 ancient ritual objects, mostly on loan from the Palace Museum.

On May 14, the much-anticipated The Ways in Patterns: An Immersive Digital Exhibition from The Palace Museum opened - the first in-gallery multimedia showcase of the Palace Museum's treasures.

Later this year, HKPM will stage three exhibitions centered on Islamic (opening in June), Mughal (August), and Egyptian (November) civilizations, and one in September featuring a gifted silk collection to celebrate historical Chinese textiles.

The Mengdiexuan ancient gold collection, first on display in 2023, will be exhibited at the Capital Museum in Beijing this November.

Since HKPM's opening in July 2022, its hosting of over 20 exhibitions have attracted some three million visitors, many from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and, increasingly, from South Asian countries.

As of January 2025, loans from Beijing's PalaceMuseum surpassed 1,500 pieces - 223 grade-one national treasures included - spanning 25 categories, from paintings and calligraphy to bronze, ceramics, and jade.

Cultural tourism

Up to 60 percent of HKPM's visitors are from the Greater Bay Area (including Hong Kong), making the region a key growth market, Ng said.

Aided by the seamless "one-hour living circle" that links Hong Kong to mainland cities, Ng sees strong market potential and a need to better understand mainland audiences, both from the Greater Bay Area and elsewhere.

He said that the museum recently removed its 100-word limit on exhibit labels after noticing mainland visitors preferred more detailed descriptions.

"To boost Hong Kong's cultural tourism, you need not just more visitors but overnight stays to increase spending," said Ng. "But museum visits only last a few hours - so how can you keep them longer?"

A pilot program inviting local families to stay overnight at HKPM has been successful and may be expanded to Greater Bay Area families. Other plans include cross-city summer study tours with Shenzhen and Guangzhou museums, Ng said.

"Cultural tourism drives economic growth," he added. "Today's travelers seek fresh, unique experiences - and they're willing to pay for them."

Ng highlighted how "art plus technology" can create personalized experiences for international visitors.

This includes multilingual displays beyond Chinese and English, as HKPM is collaborating with universities to develop AI language models for museum use, he said.

Bridging civilizations

Ng stressed that it is the HKPM's mission to prioritize global cultural exchange, aligning with China's Global Civilization Initiative to foster cross-cultural understanding.

The Tutankhamun and the Secrets of Saqqara exhibition, opening in November - which Ng describes as "the blockbuster of the year" - will feature Egyptian artifacts, marking HKPM's first-time direct collaboration with an Egyptian institution, rather than through European intermediaries.

Ng highlighted the importance of respecting Egypt's cultural ownership while offering visitors a fresh perspective of an ancient civilization.

Similarly, the Islamic art exhibition, which opens in June, showcases a 15th-20th-century carpet collection from Qatar's Museum of Islamic Art, and is expected to deepen interest in Middle Eastern culture.

Later in August, 110 rare Mughal-era treasures from London's Victoria and Albert Museum will go on display, many of which will be presented for the first time in Hong Kong.

Many paths to explore

Beyond hosting exhibitions, Ng envisions HKPM spearheading Museum 3.0 through cross-sector partnerships, talent development, and industry growth.

He outlined plans to foster collaboration between artists, curators, and museum professionals.

"Chinese culture has always thrived on diversity and integration," Ng said, pointing out Hong Kong's distinct role in blending tradition with modern creativity.

HKPM remains committed to amplifying local artists' interpretations of traditional Chinese culture, he said.

WestK Shanghai Week, an arts festival to be held in Shanghai in June, will feature exhibitions by young Hong Kong artists from both HKPM and M+. Ng stressed the importance of opening more opportunities for youth engagement within the art world, whether as professionals or enthusiasts.

HKPM's student ambassador program, launched in 2022, offers workshops, docent training, and internships, and has been hugely successful, with plans to expand further.

Ng said he has great faith in China's museum sector to serve as the main engine of the country's cultural boom, with annual visitors numbering in their millions.

When wandering around HKPM's galleries, Ng said, "You see that young visitors do not only come here for daka - for only a few quick selfies. I think they spend quite a lot of time reading the exhibit labels, and that is why I think they actually love art and culture."

Infographics by Mok Kwok-cheong, Dong Kai, Lu Wanqing

Source: Hong Kong Palace Museum, HKSAR government, The Hong Kong Trade Development Council, ArtTactic

wanqing@chinadailyhk.com