“Heritage and Inclusion: Literary Treasures of the Greater Bay Area” exhibition at Hong Kong Central Library to start tomorrow (with photos)
To enhance public understanding of the cultural connections and developments between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, the exhibition “Heritage and Inclusion: Literary Treasures of the Greater Bay Area”, introducing precious historical documents and information, will be held from tomorrow (November 15) at the Exhibition Gallery on the ground floor of the Hong Kong Central Library. The exhibition will be open to the public from 4.30pm tomorrow until November 24, with free admission. This exhibition is one of the programmes of the fourth Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival.
Organised by the Hong Kong Public Libraries of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the Macao Public Library under the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government, the Research Center of the Guangzhou Encyclopedia and the Guangzhou Library, the exhibition has two major sections: “Joining Together under the Same Bright Moon – Roving Exhibition on Guangzhou Encyclopaedia in the Greater Bay Area (Hong Kong Stop)” and “To See the Wood and the Forest: The Senado Library and Ancient Western Books in Early Hong Kong and Macao”.
The Guangzhou Encyclopaedia is compiled by the city of Guangzhou to systematically conserve Guangzhou’s historical literature and promote its history and culture. Its content geographically covers the present-day Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
The Hong Kong stop of the roving exhibition on the Guangzhou Encyclopaedia comprises the Guangzhou zone and the Hong Kong zone. The Guangzhou zone mainly introduces the Guangzhou Encyclopaedia and its contribution to the collection, conservation and promotion of local literature related to Guangzhou, while the Hong Kong zone displays historical documents on Hong Kong, celebrities, the Cantonese opera art, and introduces some prominent publishers and libraries in early Hong Kong. Exhibits include the sole surviving copy of Qinxuan Ji written by a prominent official of the Ming dynasty, Chen Lian from Dongguan, published by Wanjuantong; a work in Chinese on Hong Kong society published in the late 19th century; a classic Cantonese opera lyrics book about the love story of two young lovers in the late Ming dynasty and early Qing dynasty; and more.
In the section “To See the Wood and the Forest: The Senado Library and Ancient Western Books in Early Hong Kong and Macao”, rare books and newspapers in foreign languages from the collection of the Senado Library under the Macao Public Library will be introduced. They include “Christiani Pueri Institutio (facsimile)” published in 1588 in Macao, which was the first foreign language book printed with Western movable types in Chinese history; the Chinese-English Dictionary by the first Protestant missionary to China, Robert Morrison; and a work in Chinese on human anatomy and physiology with British missionary and doctor Benjamin Hobson as one of the authors.
To tie in with the Festival, the Hong Kong Public Libraries and the Institute of Chinese Studies of the Chinese University of Hong Kong organise three lectures under the theme “Lingnan: A literary landscape” to enhance public understanding of Lingnan culture and history. The first lecture was held on October 27. The other two will take place at the Lecture Theatre of the Hong Kong Central Library on November 23 and 24, respectively. Dr Michelle Ye will speak on the learning experiences of late-Qing Cantonese bilinguals who made their very first steps in Hong Kong and Macao, while Professor Puk Wing-kin will introduce Cantonese literature from the late Qing to the early Republican era. The lectures will be conducted in Cantonese. Admission is free. For details and seat reservations, please visit: www.hkpl.gov.hk/en/extension-activities/event/261253/public-lecture-series-on-lingnan-culture-and-the-world-2024-lingnan-a-literary-landscape.
Hong Kong is the host city of the Festival for the first time, organising and co-ordinating over 260 performances and exchange activities to be held in the “9+2” cities in the Greater Bay Area. The Festival aims to showcase the vibrant and diverse cultural richness of the region and foster cultural exchanges and co-operation among the cities. For more information, please visit www.gbacxlo.gov.hk/en.
The above programmes are also activities in the Chinese Culture Promotion Series. The LCSD has long been promoting Chinese history and culture through organising an array of programmes and activities to enable the public to learn more about the broad and profound Chinese culture. For more information, please visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/ccpo/index.html.
