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Header images courtesy of Hong Kong Palace Museum
Adding to the growing West Kowloon Cultural District, the long-awaited Hong Kong Palace Museum will open to visitors starting on 2 July. 13 artefacts on loan from the Louvre Museum in Paris and more than 100 items from local institutions will be on display, alongside 914 treasures from Beijing’s Palace Museum. Bridging art and history between China and the world, here’s what to expect from the new Hong Kong Palace Museum.
Overlooking the Victoria Harbour, the angled building of bronze and symmetrical, undulating lines is located right across from M+, another recently opened cultural institution in the West Kowloon Cultural District. Designed by Rocco Design Architects, the museum boasts nine exhibition galleries, a 400-seat auditorium, learning spaces, a gift shop, and three restaurants, all within a whopping 30,000-square-metre space.
Hong Kong Palace Museum’s collection highlights artefacts from Beijing’s Palace Museum, the largest loan to another cultural institution outside of mainland China since the museum’s establishment in 1925. Seven out of nine galleries are devoted to influential pieces from the Palace Museum, such as paintings, ceramics, calligraphies, and textiles—two of which are special exhibits (“The Making of Masterpieces: Chinese Painting and Calligraphy from the Palace Museum” and “Grand Gallop: Art and Culture of the Horse”) that feature a curated selection of rare artworks, presenting a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“The Making of Masterpieces: Chinese Painting and Calligraphy from the Palace Museum” displays 35 Chinese paintings and calligraphy works, many of which have never been shown outside of the Palace Museum before. “Grand Gallop: Art and Culture of the Horse” presents art objects from the Palace Museum and the Louvre in juxtaposition for visitors to learn about the “rich symbolic, social, military, and political significance of the horse.” Hong Kong Palace Museum’s remaining two galleries will feature local Chinese art collections and multimedia installations inspired by palace culture.
From 14 June, admission tickets for the first four weeks will be available for purchase, but within the first 12 months of opening, visitors can enjoy free admission every Wednesday (special exhibitions and events excluded). General admission for adult and concession tickets are priced at $50 and $25, respectively, and at $120 and $60 for special exhibitions.
Visitors can also join the HKPM Friends membership programme to enjoy benefits and discounts, including unlimited free admission to all thematic and special exhibitions, exclusive viewing hours, and more. Details of the programme will be unveiled later in July.
Hong Kong Palace Museum, West Kowloon Cultural District, 8 Museum Drive, West Kowloon
A laidback grandma at heart, Gabriella loves to crochet, bake bread, and play Solitaire while listening to her 78-hour-long Spotify playlist. She enjoys all the simple things in life, but is also down to go crazy once or twice (or thrice) in a while.
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