Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Hong Kong Palace Museum today (May 28):
I am delighted to be here today for the ground-breaking ceremony of the Hong Kong Palace Museum. As the much anticipated West Kowloon Cultural District is gradually becoming a prominent landmark on the waterfront of Victoria Harbour, the Hong Kong Palace Museum will be the jewel on the crown. It will enrich the scope of the cultural district, complementing traditional Chinese performing arts showcased at the Xiqu Centre with visual arts while at the same time juxtaposing the ancient with the contemporary in visual culture together with M+.
The Hong Kong Palace Museum builds on the very strong and solid co-operation we have had with the Palace Museum over the years. You may recall that every time we put up an exhibition of the Palace Museum treasures in town, it was always a blockbuster. With the new dedicated museum, local residents and visitors will enjoy long-term opportunities to appreciate the exquisite Palace Museum collection, to be curated in a comprehensive and in-depth manner with Hong Kong characteristics.
Delivering this world class museum to Hong Kong is no easy task. We are deeply grateful for the strong support of the Central Government and relevant agencies for this project, as well as the generous donation of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. Today's ceremony marks another key milestone as the project enters into the construction phase. I wish it all the best and, like every one of us in Hong Kong, eagerly look forward to its early completion and opening. Thank you very much.
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