EdUHK Cultural Seminar on National Treasures in the Palace Museum
At the invitation of The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), Dr Wang Yimin, an expert of the Palace Museum in Beijing, today (21 June) delivered a cultural seminar entitled “The Making of National Treasures – Calligraphy and Painting Collected by the Qing Court". The seminar, conducted in a hybrid format, has attracted over 40 staff and students to participate in-person, as well as over 900 school principals, teachers, students and parents online.
In line with its “Education-plus” approach, EdUHK is committed to educational innovation and offering multidisciplinary programmes complementary to education. To this end, a new Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Heritage Education and Arts Management will be launched this September for young people to learn about the role of cultural inheritance through different perspectives such as arts, culture, history, heritage and museum education. Dr Wang’s talk gave the incoming batch of students, together with others majoring in cultural and creative arts, history and language studies, the chance to deepen their understanding of Chinese cultural heritage preservation.
Professor John Lee Chi-kin, Vice President (Academic) and Provost of EdUHK, thanked the Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR for making this seminar possible. He said, “Understanding of classical Chinese paintings, calligraphy and other precious relics is not merely about appreciating their artistic values, but more importantly, their history and cultural context that span thousands of years. Education is all about passing on cultural heritage and values through generations, and the University will remain steadfast in shouldering the responsibility of promoting traditional Chinese culture and values.”
He added that the talk had enhanced participants’ understanding of the collections of Qing Court, national treasures, the Palace Museum as well as China’s cultural heritage. By learning the background of these works of art and their preservation, he believed the audience could be inspired by the Chinese history and culture.
As curator of “The Making of Masterpieces: Chinese Painting and Calligraphy from the Palace Museum”, a special exhibition tailored for the opening of the Hong Kong Palace Museum, Dr Wang Yimin walked the audience through calligraphic works, paintings and other relics from the Jin, Tang, Song and Yuan Dynasties and other masterpieces collected by the Palace Museum, with a systematic approach.
According to Dr Wang, most of these treasures were collected and cataloged by the Qing Court, with some once being lost or taken to other countries during the wars of the last century. As society has become relatively stable since 1949, these missing artworks were able to be recovered, rescued and eventually returned to the Palace Museum. After conservation, restoration and examination by generations of experts, these national treasures can finally be shown to the public in the form of exhibitions and publications.
—Ends—
EdUHK Cultural Seminar on National Treasures in the Palace Museum
Download all images
