China Media Group’s programme “National Treasure” to introduce three artefacts in LCSD museums (with photos)

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) is honoured to introduce three artefacts in the Hong Kong Museum of History (HKMH), the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) and the Hong Kong Heritage Museum (HKHM), on the large-scale heritage and museum exploration programme "National Treasure" (4th season), at the invitation of the China Media Group; joining hands with the Palace Museum, the Tianjin Museum, the Jilin Museum, the Anhui Museum, the Fujian Museum, the Jiangxi Provincial Museum, the Chongqing China Three Gorges Museum and the Qing Hai Province Museum to introduce their collections and tell the good stories on Chinese culture. The fact that the LCSD museums can join the force of the top notch, internationally renowned museums in the country on the programme shows Hong Kong's unique and important role in safeguarding national treasures and plays an important part in telling the good story of our country.

     The large-scale heritage and museum exploration programme "National Treasure" was launched in 2017 when nine top key museums of national level participated. In each episode, one of these museums introduced its most significant collection. "National treasure keepers" of the artefacts were responsible for telling the story behind them. The fourth season of the programme returned this year, with nine key heritage and museum organisations in the country, including the LCSD, collaborating to continue to build connections between artefacts and human beings as well as to create bonding between people in the modern world and historical artefacts. "National Treasure" will be broadcast on the variety show channel of the China Media Group at 7.30pm every Saturday. The introduction of the three artefacts below (the second episode) was broadcast on June 1. The programme can be reviewed in the following link: tv.cctv.com/2024/06/01/VIDEHId414HeIl2QldnaiRU0240601.shtml?spm=C77151.PuvgIQ6NQbQd.0.0

     The three artefacts introduced in the programme are the HKMH's embroidered silk birthday hanging of the Tang Clan in Ping Shan, the "Illustrations for the Odes of Qi" in the HKMoA's collection and Bruce Lee's "yellow track suit" displayed at the HKHM. The Assistant Director (Heritage and Museums) of the LCSD, Ms Esa Leung, and the Head of the Chinese Culture Promotion Office, Mr Ng Chi-wo, went to Beijing to attend the programme in person and introduced the story behind these artefacts.

     The embroidered silk birthday hanging of the Tang Clan in Ping Shan is a gift to the wife of Tang Shut-hing, the 21st generation ancestor of the Ping Shan Tang Clan, in 1872 by her descendants to celebrate her 61st birthday. The message was written by the Hanlin Academy's Shujishi, Tang Yung-kang, which was about the life and virtue of the lady. The work is about four metres high with very delicate embroidery craftsmanship and is kept in good condition. It is decorated with auspicious patterns such as "Guo Ziyi's birthday celebration" and "Magu presenting birthday gifts" which symbolise the blessing of longevity. The celebratory hanging was placed on the wall of the Tang Ancestral Hall in Ping Shan in 1899 which witnessed the history of the British's leasing of the New Territories under the unequal treaty.

     The "Illustrations for the Odes of Qi", a handscroll in ink and colour, from the Xubaizhai Collection of the HKMoA is attributed to the Southern Song artist Ma Hezhi, based on the Book of Odes (Shi Jing). It conveys moral values through the pairing of poems with illustrations, carrying deep meaning. The handscroll was long kept in the imperial palace and was later taken out of the Forbidden City by the last Emperor Puyi and his brother Pujie in late Qing dynasty, as one of over a thousand valuable calligraphy and painting works they transferred out of the palace at that time. After going through the fall of the Qing dynasty and World War II, the handscroll was eventually obtained by Hong Kong art connoisseur and owner of the Xubaizhai Collection, Mr Low Chuck-tiew. With the belief that he should give back to the Hong Kong society in accordance with what he has earned and the spirit of his generosity, Low decided to donate hundreds of his prized collection, including the "Illustrations for the Odes of Qi", to the HKMoA in 1989.

     Internationally renowned megastar Bruce Lee (1940–1973) was born Lee Jun-fon. He combined various schools of martial arts to create what is known as Jeet Kune Do. He founded the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute in the US, introducing Chinese kung fu to the American public through television and film. His martial arts movies and also the yellow track suit he wore in his last film "The Game of Death" became classics. The yellow track suit is now on display at the "A Man Beyond the Ordinary: Bruce Lee" exhibition on 2/F of the HKHM.

     The HKMoA is the first public art museum in Hong Kong and a representation of the unique cultural legacy of Hong Kong's connection across the globe. The HKMoA has all along gained the trust of different parties and received donations of private collections and sponsorships. The museum, which received highly sustained support from the community in recent years, was listed as one of the world's top 100 most popular art museums by "The Art Newspaper" twice, honoured with the Travellers' Choice 2023 award by international travel review website Tripadvisor. It also won the Most Vibrant Public Cultural Space Award organised by the Public Culture and Sports Development Center Futian Shenzhen and was listed as one of the top 10 most popular attractions of overnight visitors in 2024 by the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

     The HKMH has long been committed to collect, preserve, research, interpret and exhibit collections related to the history of Hong Kong and South China, to tell good Hong Kong stories. At the same time, the museum organises exhibitions with different themes to encourage visitors to explore the history of China and the rest of the world, enabling them to know more about the story of our city, our country and the world. By inspiring the public to go further and deeper into culture and history, the HKMH aims to stimulate audiences to look beyond our own history and to better appreciate the experiences of others.

     The HKHM presents a unique mix of history, art and culture with a great variety of programmes that cater for the wide-ranging interests of the public. In recent years, the musuem has committed to promoting the preservation, research, display, education and promotion of Hong Kong's pop culture. Besides the permanent exhibitions including the Cantonese Opera Heritage Hall, the Jin Yong Gallery and the "Hong Kong Pop 60+", the HKHM has launched various Hong Kong pop culture related exhibitions, such as the "A Man Beyond the Ordinary: Bruce Lee" exhibition. Exhibitions under the Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival: "Timeless Diva: Anita Mui", "Miss You Much Leslie Exhibition" and "A Path to Glory – Jin Yong's Centennial Memorial, Sculpted by Ren Zhe" received overwhelming response from the public. Fans from the Mainland and overseas who love Hong Kong pop culture even made special trips to Hong Kong to visit these exhibitions.