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Arts, Culture and Heritage

Hong Kong Palace Museum names auditorium in honour of Jockey Club’s contribution
02/06/2022

The Hong Kong Jockey Club was honoured by the Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) today (2 June) with the naming of the auditorium in the museum as “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Auditorium”. This is in recognition of the HK$3.5 billion donation made by the Club’s Charities Trust to construct the museum.

The naming ceremony was held at The Hong Kong Jockey Club Auditorium and was officiated by Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam; Acting Secretary for Home Affairs Jack Chan; Club Chairman Philip Chen; West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) Chairman of the Board Henry Tang; HKPM Chairman of the Board Bernard Chan; Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges and WKCDA Chief Executive Officer Betty Fung. 

Funded by a HK$3.5 billion donation from the Club’s Charities Trust, the Hong Kong Palace Museum is a collaboration between the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority and the Palace Museum. Construction commenced in March 2019 and was completed on schedule in December 2021. The museum targets to open to the public in July 2022. Part of the Trust’s donation will cover some of the major exhibitions and educational projects over the coming nine years. These will be used to strengthen the HKPM’s efforts to conserve and promote Chinese arts and culture and nurture talent. This will further support the museum’s vision to promote Chinese arts and culture globally, while developing Hong Kong into an East-meets-West Centre for International Cultural Exchange, as outlined in the National 14th Five-Year Plan.

Chief Executive of the HKSAR Carrie Lam said that with the untiring effort of all teams, the museum has been successfully completed without any budget overruns or delays, even in the midst of the pandemic over the past two years. In fact, there is a surplus of around HK$260 million. Together with The Hong Kong Jockey Club, the Government announced today that it will be used for future operational expenses for the HKPM, especially to support exhibitions and educational activities for the museum. Mrs Lam said, “Leveraging the strengths of Hong Kong to serve the country's needs, the HKPM aims to promote the excellence of traditional Chinese culture to the world through exchange and partnerships with international cultural institutions. Through these cultural exchanges, the museum also aims to foster international friendships and showcase the development of Chinese culture.”

Club Chairman Philip Chen said: “The establishment of the Hong Kong Palace Museum will enable exquisite national treasures to be displayed in Hong Kong, reflecting the importance of our city and the nation’s staunch support for it. The Club is delighted to fund the construction of this new cultural landmark and is pleased to lend its support to the exciting programme of exhibitions the museum has planned, as well as its talent development and educational outreach activities. Art and history is a gateway to connect with our heritage. I firmly believe that the Club’s support for the Hong Kong Palace Museum will enable visitors to understand and appreciate more about Chinese art and culture, further strengthening Hong Kong’s position as a world-class city and an international cultural hub.”

WKCDA Chairman of the Board Henry Tang said, “Promoting the beauty of Chinese traditional culture is at the heart of HKPM’s mission. With an aim of becoming an innovative leader in museum education, our vision is to promote the inheritance of Chinese culture and history to the public, and future generations in particular, by developing quality educational content and creative programmes, leveraging innovative technology, and collaborating with various local and international cultural and academic institutions. We are hugely grateful for the Trust’s generous donation and its recognition of our effort, which allows us to promote, realise and orchestrate such a vision.”

Jockey Club supports HKPM vision to promote Chinese culture to future generations

The Charities Trust’s donation will also support a series of creative initiatives to be launched by the Hong Kong Palace Museum between 2023 and 2031 to strengthen its efforts in promoting Chinese art and culture, notably:

• Major Exhibitions: The HKPM will present one major exhibition each year to showcase arts and culture from China and other parts of the world.
• Talent Development: The museum will collaborate with local artists to launch experimental and innovative exhibitions annually. By offering local artists unique opportunities to access and research the Palace Museum’s collection, the exhibitions will facilitate new interpretations of its culture and provide a platform for HKPM to nurture local talent in different fields, including curation, design, education, and cultural enterprise.
• Art & Technology (Artech) Education: Support for the HKPM to launch annual educational programmes integrating arts and technology while focusing on Chinese art and culture. Working in collaboration with experts from various fields, as well as partner organisations from Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas, this project will provide unique opportunities for students and the public to learn more about Chinese art and culture through creative and interactive methods.

Promoting Chinese art and culture in the community through the Palace Academy

Education and community engagement are among HKPM’s top priorities. Spanning the entire lower floor of the museum, the 1,600-square-metre Palace Academy is the largest dedicated museum learning space in Hong Kong, comprising the 400-seat Hong Kong Jockey Club Auditorium and three activity rooms – Merit Hall, Magnus Hall and the Learning Resource Centre. Following the opening of the HKPM, the academy will offer a variety of educational activities, including film screenings, public lectures, student exhibitions, workshops for families, training for teachers, and courses on Chinese art, history and culture.

The HKPM is committed to building long-term strategic partnerships with local schools and other educational institutions with the aim of bringing the museum’s learning programmes and cultural resources to campuses and communities. The museum is currently developing educational resources while working to promote collaboration and innovation in the education sector. To foster young people’s interest in Chinese art and culture, the museum will undertake a series of educational programmes, namely:  

• Teaching Resources: Collaborating with the Education Bureau of the HKSAR Government, the HKPM will develop teaching resources to help students learn history through art. The materials will be specifically designed to complement the secondary school curriculum in Chinese history.
• Thematic Workshops on the Forbidden City’s Culture and History: Working in collaboration with scholars and experts from different fields, the HKPM will design thematic workshops for primary and secondary school students focusing on the life and culture, ceramic treasures and costumes of the Palace Museum and the Forbidden City.
• Volunteer & Docent Training: The HKPM is currently training volunteers and docents to assist in day-to-day operations and educational projects following the museum’s opening.

The HKPM will play a vital role in fostering Hong Kong’s future arts and culture development, and strengthen Hong Kong’s connection with the Mainland and rest of the world. The opening of the HKPM will be a highlight to mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR this year. The Club has already announced a donation of HK$630 million to support a series of initiatives to mark the occasion. Over the last 25 years, the Club has grown together with the community, creating one of Hong Kong’s most iconic and global brands. Being a world-leader in the sport of horse racing and also one of the ten largest charitable donors in the world, the Club is resolute in pursuing its purpose of acting continuously for the betterment of our society, all in support of creating stronger communities together.