The special exhibition Radiance: Ancient Gold from the Hong Kong Palace Museum Collection and the Mengdiexuan Collection is on view in Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) from February 22, 2023 through September 25, 2023 as HKPM’s first exhibition featuring mostly its own collections.
This exhibition is the biggest display on ancient gold artifacts in Hong Kong in recent years. It explores the role of gold wares in political activities, cultural life, and the dynamic connections across territories and presents the artistic and technical achievements of gold craftsmanship over the past 3,000 years. The exhibition includes a total of 220 sets of gold objects, most of which were selected from the generous donations by Betty Lo and Kenneth Chu, owners of the Mengdiexuan Collection, to the HKPM. These precious objects, many of which make debuts this time, were introduced in three parts, including interaction between ancient China and the Steppe, frequent exchanges between the Tubo Kingdom and the Tang dynasty, and cultural localization and integration from the Liao and Song dynasties to the Ming dynasty.
Dr. Louis Ng, director of HKPM mentioned that the exhibition showed the exchanges and development of unique trade and culture in ancient China, facilitating audience’s deeper cultural appreciation of the integrity and diversity of the Chinese nation. 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, and HKPM aims to promote Chinese culture through this exhibition on gold objects in ancient China, further establish Hong Kong’s position as a hub for of cultural and art exchanges between China and foreign countries, and introduce the splendid Chinese culture to the world.
Source: Wenboquan
Photo credit: Hong Kong Palace Museum