Latest news with #PalaceMuseum
South China Morning Post
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong Palace Museum holds first fully digital show on Forbidden City
The Hong Kong Palace Museum has launched its first entirely digital show, creating reimagined versions of its Beijing sister site's exhibits, and a beloved pet cat, to use in interactive displays packed with visual effects. The show includes projections of moving images of the Forbidden City icons such as dragons, phoenixes, lotus flowers, peaches, egrets and ocean waves – all rendered at immense scale for visitors to enjoy. The event, titled 'The Ways in Patterns: An Immersive Digital Exhibition from the Palace Museum', is being held in the West Kowloon Cultural District and uses technology to refashion a wide array of motifs and designs used in the former royal residence's architecture, ceramics and embroidered textiles. 'This is our first entirely digital show,' Maggie Cheng, the Hong Kong Palace Museum's head designer, said. Technology took the centre stage for this exhibition, contrasting with past displays that focused on highlighting historical artefacts, she added. She noted that the museum's sister site in Beijing had a collection comprising 1.86 million pieces, with only 1 per cent of them ever going on display at any one time for an exhibition.
Otago Daily Times
24-05-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Boning up on the past's futures
A Chinese oracle bone. Photo: supplied In 1899 Wang Yi-yung was feeling unwell. The chief tutor of the Imperial Household, he ventured from the Forbidden City in Beijing to a chemist's shop, where he noted some fragments of bone destined to be powdered for traditional medicine. Picking one up, he was taken back by faint scratch marks. It was the oldest known Chinese writing. The source of the chemist's supply was traced to Anyang, the capital city of the Shang Dynasty. A few years ago, I was invited to give a series of lectures at the Palace Museum in Taipei. After one of these, I was introduced to Shi Zhangru, a, legendary scholar of the Shang who was then aged 101. We had a fascinating conversation during which he told me that as a young man, he participated in the excavations at Anyang from 1928 and on the last day of one season, he unearthed a piece of thin bone. This was not an ordinary discovery, for as he dug down further, he revealed an archive of what are known as oracle bones. He was still working on translating them 70 years later, and I accepted his invitation to his laboratory the following day without hesitation. He arrived sharp at 9am with a bevy of young women assistants and he delved into his archives to show me these remarkable historic documents. The Shang rulers worshipped their royal ancestors and constantly sought their advice through the medium of diviners. Thin bones, principally cattle shoulder bones and turtle shells, were prepared by boring depressions on the underside of the bone. The King's issue of the day would then be asked of the oracle. Should he go to war? Would his concubine bear him a son? Was it propitious to go hunting? This question was then incised on the top surface of the bone, before a red hot poker was pressed into the depression, causing the bone to crack. The crack would then be interpreted and the diviner would incise the answer. And so, we can share the concerns of King Wu Ding 3300 years ago when he asked "We shall hunt at Hwei. Can we make captures?". The oracle foretold success. He went hunting and bagged a tiger, deer, 164 foxes and 159 deer. The Shang script is the direct ancestor of Chinese writing. After 3000 years of evolution, translating the oracle bones is not easy. So far, about 1300 of the 3000 different characters have been deciphered. One of the commonest is the graph for silk.
Borneo Post
22-05-2025
- Borneo Post
Growing cultural pride fuels China's archaeology tourism boom
Tourists enter Suzhou Archaeological Museum in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province on May 18, 2025. – Xinhua photo NANJING (May 23): The overwhelming number of visitors flocking to the newly opened Suzhou Archaeological Museum came as a surprise to the curator Cheng Yi. Cheng said he had expected 3,000 to 4,000 visitors at most on the first day, mostly those with archaeological knowledge or professionals in the field. 'We ended up receiving 7,000 to 8,000 people – many of them ordinary citizens and tourists from outside the city,' he said. Located in the eastern city of Suzhou in Jiangsu Province, the museum opened on May 17, right before China Tourism Day and International Museum Day, which fall on Monday and Sunday, respectively. Cheng believes the upcoming Children's Day, which coincides with the Dragon Boat Festival holiday from May 31 to June 2, will bring another peak in visitors, as the museum will hold a special exhibition of ancient toys unearthed in Suzhou for the occasion. An even greater influx is expected during the summer holidays. Suzhou Archaeological Museum reflects a growing nationwide enthusiasm for archaeology-themed tourism. In recent years, archaeological and historical museums across China have become trending destinations, often requiring online reservations and drawing long queues. People have not only gained interest in traditionally famous museums like the Palace Museum, but are also eager to explore remote ancient sites such as Yanmen Pass in Shanxi Province. According to Cheng, it is meaningful to build such an archaeological museum in Suzhou, which was a hub of cultural and economic exchanges in the Yangtze River Delta in ancient times, and the significance is beyond public archaeological education. 'It also stirs pride in our hometown,' he said. He believes the country's economic development and growing national strength have played a significant part in fostering public interest in history and culture. 'In the past, when people struggled to make a living, they wouldn't think about these things. Today, people feel proud of China's achievements. This represents the revival of an ancient civilisation,' he said. Cheng noted that the country is also vigorously promoting a national project on tracing the origins of Chinese civilisation, and as more and more cultural relics are unearthed, the 5,000-year history of Chinese civilisation is being substantiated. As archaeology as an academic discipline becomes more widely known to the public, Cheng believes that presenting the full process from relics' excavation to museum display both meets the needs of professionals and captures the interest of the general public. A hallmark of archaeological museums, according to Cheng, is that the exhibits are authentic, since they were all unearthed by experts and verified through scientific methods before display. 'What was this object used for?' 'Who was buried here?' 'Are all the relics real?' Cheng was surrounded by visitors bombarding him with such questions. Many visitors were interested in a large tomb of the ancient Eastern Wu state. It is believed to have belonged to the family of Sun Quan, founding king of the Wu State during the Three Kingdoms period (220-280), though the exact identity of the tomb's occupant remains unknown. Despite having been looted, the large tomb has largely retained its structure, with its architectural design, passageways, and side chambers all faithfully presented. After its excavation was completed in 2018, the tomb was divided into parts and stored at a facility due to the lack of a proper display venue, until the Suzhou Archaeological Museum was constructed. The tomb parts were carefully delivered to the museum and recombined to show visitors the tomb's original appearance. A 62-year-old visitor excitedly took pictures and repeatedly told nearby visitors his childhood memories about the tomb. 'I used to live here as a child and played on these mounds,' said the visitor who declined to give his name. 'I had no idea that such a grand tomb lay underneath.' Yan Xinfeng, a warehouse keeper who moved from Sanmenxia in central China's Henan Province to work in Suzhou years ago, is a fan of historical dramas and often visits museums. 'After visiting this archaeological museum, I realised Suzhou's history is older than I thought, and ancient people were far more advanced than I imagined, as they created so many such intricate items,' he said. 'I feel proud.' After visiting, 9-year-old Xu Xuhan said she was impressed by a hairpin unearthed from the Eastern Wu tomb, which might help identify the tomb's owner. 'I love history and want to know how our civilisation started,' she said. The third-grader has not yet taken history lessons at primary school, but said she had learnt a lot from a number of museums across China she visited with her parents. 'I want to become an archaeologist when I grow up,' she said. Many of the exhibits at the museum are newly discovered artifacts that help fill gaps in archaeological knowledge from the Neolithic Liangzhu culture, to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods (770BC-221BC) and beyond. For instance, a pottery shard offers clues that the Wu and Yue regions, which cover the current-day Suzhou, were once under the rule of the Qin Empire (221BC-207BC), as the Chinese characters inscribed on it were written in the Qin script. Numerous other artifacts on display also support the idea that the area was a hub of the ancient Maritime Silk Road. More notably, the museum also houses archaeological tools and explains excavation methods to highlight archaeology as a science and dispel public misconceptions. 'There was a time when people thought archaeology was just tomb-raiding,' Cheng said. He added that the museum is looking to use virtual reality and artificial intelligence in the future to let the public experience archaeological digs firsthand. As China places greater emphasis on history and culture, and as traditional Chinese aesthetics grow in popularity among the public, more museums of this kind will open to the public across the country, Cheng believes. – Xinhua archaeology China museum tourism Xinhua
South China Morning Post
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
The "Rejoicing in Woods and Springs: A Journey through Garden Cultures in China and the Wider World" exhibition targets to run in Hong Kong in 2026
[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Advertisement The Hong Kong Jockey Club and Palace Museum have signed a landmark Memorandum of Cooperation titled 'Promotion of Chinese Culture and Arts Tech Talent Development in the Mainland and Hong Kong'. The five-year collaboration aligns with the Central Government's vision as outlined in the National 14th Five-Year Plan, which aims to position Hong Kong as an East-meets-West hub for international cultural exchange. Through architectural models, detailed reconstructions and digitally immersive historical recreations, the exhibition vividly demonstrates the design philosophy behind the Forbidden City's imperial gardens. Visitors can also explore classical Chinese gardens through this exhibition, such as Suzhou's Dinghui Temple Garden; and Qianlong Garden; as well as foreign gardens including Pompeian villa gardens in Italy, the Versailles' garden in France and Edo-period Japanese Gardens. (Photo credit: The Palace Museum) Key initiatives The initiative also aims to nurture arts technology and cultural talent, laying a solid foundation for innovation and creativity in this sector. The Memorandum outlines several key initiatives aimed at achieving its ambitious goals. Among them is the restoration of the historic Chengqiangong at the Palace Museum and the subsequent creation of The Palace Museum Hong Kong Cultural Exchange Hub. This hub will serve as a vibrant platform for cultural interaction, featuring the thematic exhibitions on the role of horses in history and palace culture, and exchanges between emerging arts tech talents from Hong Kong and the Mainland. The partnership also includes touring exhibitions in Beijing and Hong Kong, alongside educational activities that foster cross-cultural understanding. To engage younger audiences, digital exhibitions and pop-up events will present innovative ways to connect with Chinese history and culture. Mobile digital exhibitions will further extend outreach to schools across Hong Kong and the Mainland, instilling an appreciation of shared heritage and values among students. Advertisement Capacity building is another focus, with efforts to nurture emerging arts tech talents in Hong Kong and the Mainland, cultivating a skilled and dynamic community in the field. Knowledge dissemination and educational initiatives, such as forums, archaeological research, and documentaries, will also broaden the global reach of Chinese culture.
Time Out
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
There are plenty of vibrant photo spots at this new digital exhibition at the Hong Kong Palace Museum
Most people who've been in a museum will know that you're not supposed to take pictures in these institutions because flash photography can be harmful to artefacts. However, this new exhibition at the Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) positively welcomes visitors and their selfies, specially creating rooms full of immersive photo spots inspired by Chinese art. 'The Ways in Patterns' is jointly organised by the HKPM and the Palace Museum in Beijing, themed around traditional patterns from the Palace Museum's architecture, ceramics, and textiles. Instead of having artefacts, artworks, and historical objects on display, this exhibition features seven immersive spaces that burst into life with projections of colourful Chinese motifs like waves, clouds, florals, birds, and more. Make peaches and flowers bloom, observe crashing waves, see a dragon emerge from a caisson ceiling, and walk along the crimson-walled alleys of the Forbidden City (plus, look out for the resident cat). Don't leave without creating your own bird or fish to let loose onto the digital canvas, where it will live on the walls of the exhibition. While fun to interact with, a closer look into these thematic spaces will reveal motifs and patterns that carry auspicious meanings and therefore are often used in Chinese designs. A great way to continue the art journey is to head into other exhibitions in the HKPM to see where else you can find these common patterns.
