Renowned Hong Kong Singer and Actor Julian Cheung Chi-lam Narrates Audio Guide, Bringing to Life the Story of China’s Splendid Civilisation
The Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) is pleased to announce the arrival of nearly 110 precious objects from 14 major cultural institutions in China. These artefacts, spanning 5,000 years from the Neolithic period to the Xia Dynasty, will be showcased in the upcoming special exhibition, Bank of China (Hong Kong) Presents: “The Origins of Chinese Civilisation” (“The Origins of Chinese Civilisation”), officially opening on 25 September 2024. Teams from Art Exhibitions China (AEC), the HKPM and exhibition supporting organisations have collaborated closely to perform condition assessments and install these treasures. The HKPM has invited Hong Kong acclaimed singer and actor Julian Cheung Chi-lam to narrate the audio guide for the exhibition, enriching the experience with the captivating stories of Chinese civilisation. This exhibition is one of the celebratory events for the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and is jointly organised by the HKPM and AEC, sponsored by Bank of China (Hong Kong), the Museum’s strategic partner.
Feature nearly 110 treasures, including remarkable objects like a jade dragon and a sculpture with a human and tigers, reflecting the lives of ancestors from over 5,800 years ago
The exhibition features nearly 110 rare, recent archaeological finds and significant treasures on loan from 14 museums and archaeological institutions in China, from places such as Beijing, Gansu, Liaoning, Anhui, Zhejiang, Shandong, Hubei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Henan, and Hong Kong. These spectacular loans represent nine archaeological cultures and nine major archaeological sites across the country and include 16 grade-one national treasures. Nearly all treasures are to be displayed in Hong Kong for the first time.
The precious cultural objects unveiled include a jade dragon from mid-to-late Hongshan culture (6,000–5,000 BP). This grade-one national treasure is considered the original representation of the image of dragon in China. Other notable objects include a jade tortoise and a seated human figure, both unearthed from the Niuheliang site in the mid-to-late Hongshan culture, reflecting the unique customs of burying the deceased with jades.
Other highlights feature treasures from the Shijiahe site (5,300–3,800 BP) and the Shimao site (4,300–3,800 BP). Among these are clay figurines of a man holding a fish, a dog, and an elephant from the Shijiahe site complex. The terra cotta sculptures of various shapes unearthed at the site, mostly handmade from red clay, offer insights into the spiritual life of the ancients. A key highlight from the Shimao site is a stone sculpture with relief designs of a human figure and tigers excavated from the core area of the ancient city - “Huangchengtai”. These carvings reflect the social complexity and religious beliefs of the people. The Shimao site has also yielded over ten thousand bone needles and other bone objects, demonstrating advanced bone-tool-making techniques and indicating that the Shimao people were skilled craftsmen and that the site served as a bone-tool manufacturing centre at the time, suggesting interactions between Shimao and neighbouring regions.
Immersive multimedia experience featuring the Shimao site; academic lecture by Professor Wang Wei; and audio guide by acclaimed Hong Kong Singer and Actor Julian Cheung Chi-lam
The Shimao site, located in Shaanxi province, is one of the most important archaeological discoveries in 21st-century China. Its immense scale makes it the largest city in East Asia from 4,300 to 3,800 BP, reshaping the understanding that the Central Plain is the cradle of Chinese civilisation. Designated a major historical and cultural site protected at the national level in China in 2006, the Shimao site was also recognised as one of the top ten archaeological discoveries of the decade (2011–2020) by the American Archaeological Association's journal Archaeology in 2020.
The exhibition brings the Shimao site to life through a 270-degree panoramic multimedia project, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the ruins and explore this Neolithic city. To enhance visitors’ experience, the Museum has invited acclaimed Hong Kong singer and actor Julian Cheung Chi-lam to narrate the audio guide for the exhibition. By lending his voice to the audio guide, Chi-lam will lead visitors through the Shimao site, delving into its cultural significance while tracing the origins, formation, and development of Chinese civilisation. He will also share captivating stories behind the highlighted objects, offering valuable insights into the context and evolution of Chinese civilisation. Chi-lam’s audio tour will be accessible within the gallery through personal smartphones and earphones, or via the Museum’s audio devices and website.
Following the success of last year's special exhibition, “Gazing at Sanxingdui: New Archaeological Discoveries in Sichuan”, also solely sponsored by Bank of China (Hong Kong), the Museum will again partner with CMG Radio The Greater Bay to co-host a public talk on 25 September 2024 focusing on the latest research achievements regarding the origins of Chinese Civilisation. Featured speakers include Professor Wang Wei, Academician, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Dr Louis Ng, Museum Director of the HKPM. They will share valuable insights into the extensive archaeological discoveries and in-depth investigations into the origins, formation, and development of Chinese civilisation. For more details, please visit the HKPM website.
Bank of China (Hong Kong) Presents: “The Origins of Chinese Civilisation” will be open to the public from 25 September 2024 to 7 February 2025 in Gallery 8 of the HKPM. Tickets (including admission to museum’s thematic exhibitions) for this special exhibition are priced at HK$100 for adults and HK$50 for concessions* and are available for sale or reservation through the West Kowloon Cultural District’s online ticketing platforms and ticketing partners. Through the special pricing, the Museum hopes to attract more Hong Kong citizens and visitors from around the world to visit the exhibition, allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of the brilliant achievements of Chinese civilisation. Please refer to the HKPM website for more information.
*Concessions are available to children aged 7 to 11, full-time students, seniors aged 60 and above, persons with disabilities (with one companion), and CSSA recipients.
#Holders of the Full Access Ticket, priced at HK$180 for adults and HK$90 for concessions*, can access this exhibition, “The Adorned Body: French Fashion and Jewellery 1770–1910 from the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris” in Gallery 9 as well as other thematic exhibitions (Galleries 1 to 7) on the same day.
Remarks
About the Hong Kong Palace Museum
The Hong Kong Palace Museum aspires to be 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. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust made 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 Art Exhibitions China
Art Exhibitions China (AEC) is a professional cultural institution established in 1971 under the direct supervision of the National Cultural Heritage Administration of the People’s Republic of China. Its main responsibilities include organising and hosting inbound and outbound exhibitions on archaeological discoveries and ancient art, fostering international collaboration and academic exchange, managing authorisation for cultural and creative development, planning cultural tourism, and conducting policy research, project implementation and think tank consultation on cultural relics. For more than half a century, AEC has undertaken a series of significant state-level exhibition projects and executed nearly 500 cultural relic exhibitions, spanning an extensive range of countries and Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan regions of China. These exhibitions have garnered 100 million viewers, positioning AEC as an important window and platform for cultural heritage exchange and cooperation between China and the world.
Exhibition Partners
Shanxi Culture Relics Bureau, Liaoning Provincial Cultural Heritage Bureau, Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration, Anhui Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism (Cultural Heritage Bureau of Shandong Province), Henan Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage, Department of Culture and Tourism of Hubei Province (Hubei Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration), Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration, and Gansu Provincial Bureau of Culture Relics.
Exhibition Supporting Organisations
The Palace Museum, National Museum of China, Shanxi Museum, Liaoning Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Zhejiang Provincial Museum, Liangzhu Museum (Liangzhu Research Institute), Hanshan Museum, Shandong University Museum, Erlitou Site Museum of the Xia Capital, Hubei Provincial Museum, Jingzhou Museum, Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Promotion Center, Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology (Shaanxi Archaeological Museum) and Gansu Provincial Museum.
About the West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK)
WestK 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 forty hectares of reclaimed land located alongside Victoria Harbour. With a varied mix of theatres, performance spaces, and museums, WestK produces and hosts world-class exhibitions, performances, and cultural events, providing twenty-three hectares of public open space, including a two-kilometre waterfront promenade.
https://www.westk.hk
