The HKPM Photo: IC

The Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM), a noted cultural landmark in Hong Kong that is the counterpart to the Palace Museum in Beijing, celebrated its one-year anniversary on Monday.  

With more than 900 treasures from the Beijing Palace Museum, HKPM has successfully hosted more than 1.2 million visitors over the past year by embracing the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong locals and overseas audiences. More than half of the visitors were made up of Hong Kong residents. 

One of these residents, Sabrina Yip, told the Global Times that she was one of the first visitors to the museum. Looking close at the artifacts from Beijing, she was able to "connect to Chinese mainland culture" while "feeling privileged" to be a citizen of a country that has such an "incredible" history. 

"I have noticed that Hong Kong people have a deep love for traditional Chinese culture and are eager to learn more about it. Many people have even visited the museum multiple times," said Louis Ng, the director of HKPM.  

Acknowledging visitors' passion, the director stressed that their support encourages HKPM to "strengthen Hong Kong's local cultural confidence," while continuing its "integration into the overall cultural development of China." 

A total of 12 exhibitions have been launched over the past year. HKPM has worked in close collaboration with Chinese mainland cultural institutions to hold these exhibitions. Currently, there are 51 artifacts on display at HKPM as part of a fifth batch of items on rotating loan from the Beijing Palace Museum.  

Including a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) bamboo carved pen holder in the shape of a cabbage, a large number of the relics in this batch have never been showcased in Hong Kong before. 

An upcoming exhibition featuring Sichuan Province's Sanxingdui Culture is also no exception when it comes to this cooperation. 

Over 120 Sanxingdui treasures will greet audiences in Hong Kong starting in late September, Ng revealed. 

Winnie Tam, the HKPM chairman of the board, told the Global Times that the museum in Hong Kong appreciates the Beijing branch's "full support" and it will continue to present shows that "deliver good Chinese stories" while promoting China-West cultural exchanges. 

Designated by China's 14th Five-Year Plan 2021-25, Hong Kong has the mission to become a hub for cultural and artistic exchanges between China and other countries. 

Helming one of Hong Kong's best-known cultural sites, Ng said he "felt the weight on his shoulders" to bring China's cultural legacies to the world via this platform. 

"We have worked with many countries in Europe and North America, and will continue to work with other countries in the Middle East and Central Asia in the future," Ng noted.