Generous donation of important Chinese artworks from 12 renowned local collectors and artist has contributed to the establishment of the Museum’s world-class permanent collection
Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the HKSAR Government (middle), Winnie Tam, Chairman of the Hong Kong Palace Museum Board (7th from the right); Betty Fung, Chief Executive Officer of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (1st from the left) and Dr Louis Ng, Museum Director of the Hong Kong Palace Museum (1st from the right), officiated the donation ceremony of the Hong Kong Palace Museum, and presented certificates of appreciation to the donors in recognition of their contribution to and support for the HKPM.
The Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) is delighted to announce today that the Museum has received generous donations of a total of 1,145 Chinese art treasures from 12 renowned local collectors and artist in 2022. These donated works not only demonstrate the depth and quality of Chinese art and culture, but also lay a strong foundation for the Museum’s growing world-class collection. They are particularly significant to Hong Kong as the city positions itself as a centre for East-meets-West arts and cultural exchange.
At the donation ceremony held at the HKPM’s Hong Kong Jockey Club Auditorium today, Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, presented certificates of appreciation to the donors in recognition of their contribution to and support for the HKPM. Other officiating guests included Winnie Tam, Chairman of the HKPM Board, Betty Fung, Chief Executive Officer of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, and Dr Louis Ng, Museum Director of the HKPM.
HKPM to present a wide variety of donated art treasures spanning five millennia by phases
The 1,145 donated Chinese and world art treasures, spanning five millennia, comprise a wide spectrum of objects, such as gold and silver ornaments, ceramics, bronze vessels, stone sculptures, ink paintings, textiles, furniture, and timepiece. These treasures were generously donated by 12 important art collectors and artist (listed in no particular order): Betty Lo and Kenneth Chu, owners of the Mengdiexuan Collection; Anthony Cheung, owner of the Huaihaitang Collection; Lawrence Chan, owner of the Dawentang Collection; Raymond Fung; Grace Wu, owner of the Jiamutang Collection; Wu Chie-hong; Andy Hei; Warren Cheng; Nancy Maria Lee Chang; Yip Shing-yiu, owner of The Dr S.Y. Yip Collection; and Henry Ng. These generous donations have demonstrated not only the extraordinary artistic achievements of China from ancient times to the present, but also the depth and richness of Chinese culture, as well as the development of craftsmanship, artistic styles, and aesthetics over five thousand years.
Some of the donated works are on view at the HKPM’s opening exhibition “Private to Public: The History of Chinese Art Collecting in Hong Kong” in Gallery 6, while other works will be displayed from 2023 onwards. In February 2023, the HKPM will launch its first special exhibition of the Museum’s own collection to explore the role of gold in the cultural and artistic exchanges among different communities in ancient Asia. This exhibition features highlights from the collection of ancient Chinese gold ornaments donated by Betty Lo and Kenneth Chu, owners of the Mengdiexuan Collection. In addition to exhibitions, the Museum will make the best use of its precious donated works in other areas including research, publication, conservation, youth education, cultural enterprise, and international collaboration.
Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the HKSAR Government said, “The donations of some 1,000 treasures spanning five millennia are of significant historical, cultural and artistic value. Many of the works have been exhibited in museums around the world, casting far-reaching influence in the academic and museum worlds. With the strong support from the Central Government, the HKSAR Government will continue to promote and transmit Chinese traditional culture and encourage cultural exchanges between Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas countries and regions. The Government will also take advantage of the unique strengths of the West Kowloon Cultural District and share with the world the success stories of Mainland China and Hong Kong.”
Winnie Tam, Chairman of the Hong Kong Palace Museum Board, said, “The Hong Kong Palace Museum aspires to become a leading cultural institution. While presenting the treasures on loan from the Palace Museum, we are committed to building the Museum’s distinct collection to demonstrate to our audience the historical, cultural, aesthetic significance of Chinse art and the creativity it embodies. We would like to thank the 12 collectors and artist for their trust in and support for the Museum. Their generous donations have contributed significantly to the development of the Museum’s collection and the advancement of Chinese traditional culture at large. We sincerely hope that more collectors will follow these excellent examples to donate their precious collections to the HKPM, which will help the Museum fulfill its mission of advancing dialogue between the past and the present and among world civilisations.”
Twelve Prominent Collectors and Their Generous Donations of World-class Chinese Artworks
Donors
(in no particular order) |
Information about Donors and their Donations |
Betty LO and Mr Kenneth CHU
(Mengdiexuan Collection) |
Betty LO and Kenneth CHU, owners of the Mengdiexuan Collection, are world renowned collectors of Chinese art, especially of ancient gold and silver ornaments. They have donated to the Hong Kong Palace Museum nine hundred and forty-six ancient gold and silver ornaments which span over three thousand years. Donated items include personal ornaments of the nobility, and adornments for horses and chariots. |
Anthony Kee Wee CHEUNG
(Huaihaitang Collection) |
Anthony Kee Wee CHEUNG, owner of the Huaihaitang Collection, have donated to the Hong Kong Palace Museum thirty-eight pieces of ceramics, including blue-and-white porcelains, from the Ming and Qing dynasties. He has an extensive collection of Ming and Qing imperial porcelains and owns the celebrated Huaihaitang Collection, which has been exhibited and published by the Art Museum of Chinese University of Hong Kong. |
Lawrence W. T. CHAN
(Dawentang Collection) |
Lawrence W. T. CHAN, owner of the Dawentang collection, is a renowned collector of Chinese art and a member and the former chairman of the Min Chiu Society, a world renowned organisation devoted to enhancing appreciation for Chinese art. His collection has been exhibited widely at many museums and extensively published. He has donated to the Hong Kong Palace Museum two porcelains from the Ming dynasty: a blue-and-white dish with ‘lotus bouquet’ design and a white porcelain dish incised with a similar ‘lotus bouquet’ design. |
| Professor Raymond FUNG Wing-kee |
Professor Raymond FUNG Wing-kee is a distinguished ink artist, architect and top 10 designer in Hong Kong. He has held solo exhibitions across the globe and his works have been widely collected by many international museums. He has donated to the Hong Kong Palace Museum his work: a set of twenty-four ink paintings titled Dynasties. |
Grace WU Ka Yan
(Jiamutang Collection) |
Grace WU Ka Yan, owner of the Jiamutang Collection, started to collect Ming furniture in the 1970s and is considered one of the world’s leading experts in the field today. She has donated to the Hong Kong Palace Museum three pieces of Ming furniture: a Pingtouan table and a pair of horseshoe armchairs. |
| WU Chie Hong |
WU Chie Hong, the son of the Cantonese painter WU Cho Bun (1897–1942), has donated to the Hong Kong Palace Museum 30 Chinese paintings by his late father. An important painter from the Republican period, WU Cho Bun specialised in painting birds and animals and was an active art educator. |
Andy HEI Kao Chiang
(with credit to his parents Mr HEI Hung Lu and Ms ZHENG Bing Wen) |
Andy HEI Kao Chiang is a professional art dealer with extensive experience in the appraisal and conservation of classical Chinese furniture. He has donated to the Hong Kong Palace Museum a pair of Northern Song stone ram sculptures and two pieces of Ming furniture in the name of his parents, HEI Hung Lu and ZHENG Bing Wen. |
| Warren CHENG Wei Yang |
Warren CHENG Wei Yang is the founding member of the Hong Kong Antique and Art Galleries Association and one of the directors of Fine Art Asia. He has donated to the Hong Kong Palace Museum one hundred pieces of early Chinese ceramics, of which eighty-four are painted earthenware vessels of the Majiayao culture. |
| Nancy Maria LEE CHANG |
Nancy Maria LEE CHANG has been the Chairman of the Friends of Hong Kong Museum of Art since 2005 and is dedicated to enhancing public interest in Chinese art and culture. She has donated to the Hong Kong Palace Museum three ancient Chinese bronze vessels. |
Dr YIP Shing Yiu
(The Dr S.Y. Yip Collection) |
Dr YIP Shing Yiu, owner of the Dr S.Y. Yip Collection, is a renowned Hong Kong collector, known for his world-class collection of Ming furniture. He has served three terms as the Chairman of the Min Chiu Society. He has donated to the Hong Kong Palace Museum a set of seventeen silk brocade thangkas depicting Panchen lineage. |
| Henry NG Chun For |
Henry NG Chun For is the Founder and Honorary Chairman of the H Development Holdings Limited. An avid lover of Chinese art, he is passionate about preserving Chinese heritage and culture. He has donated to the Hong Kong Palace Museum a clock in the shape of a locomotive. |
Remarks
About the Hong Kong Palace Museum
The Hong Kong Palace Museum aspires to become a leading cultural institution committed to the study and appreciation of Chinese art and culture, while advancing dialogue among world civilisations. The Hong Kong Palace Museum is a collaborative project between the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority and the Palace Museum, which is funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust with a donation of HK$3.5 billion for its establishment, as well as some of the annual exhibitions and education programmes in 2023–2031.
Embracing new curatorial approaches, the Museum offers a Hong Kong perspective and a global vision, presenting the finest objects from the Palace Museum and other important cultural institutions around the world. Through research, exhibitions, and educational and professional exchange programmes, the Museum will build international partnerships and help position Hong Kong as a global hub for art and culture. At heart a resource that belongs to the community of Hong Kong, the Museum will inspire community engagement, foster dialogue, and promote creativity and interdisciplinary collaboration.
About the West Kowloon Cultural District
The West Kowloon Cultural District is one of the largest and most ambitious cultural projects in the world. Its vision is to create a vibrant new cultural quarter for Hong Kong on 40 hectares of reclaimed land located alongside Victoria Harbour. With a varied mix of theatres, performance spaces, and museums, the West Kowloon Cultural District will produce and host world-class exhibitions, performances, and cultural events, providing 23 hectares of public open space, including a two-kilometre waterfront promenade.
https://www.westkowloon.hk/
