CURRENT EXHIBITIONS

THE LEGEND OF KWAN TAK-HING - ON STAGE, ON SCREEN AND OFF (until late February 2022)

The exhibition "The Legend of Kwan Tak-hing - On Stage, On Screen and Off" is running from 5th May 2021 until late February 2022 at the Cantonese Opera Heritage Hall of the HONG KONG HERITAGE MUSEUM. The exhibition featureS about 50 items of Kwan Tak-hing including costumes, documents and photos, allowing visitors to revisit his legacy.

In a career spanning over 70 years in the performing arts, Kwan Tak-hing was a highly esteemed figure in the sector. He performed on the stage under the stage name Sun Leng Jau, leading Cantonese opera troupes such as the Sun Tai Luk Opera Troupe and the Kwan Tak Hing Opera Troupe and touring Southeast Asia and the United States. Kwan was particularly good at portraying General Kwan, and was hailed as "General Kwan Incarnate". He made over 140 films, including "The Mystical Whip-wielding Hero" and "It's a Wonderful Life", and his Wong Fei-hung series is very well known. After the passing of Kwan, his son Mr David Quan donated to the museum materials left behind by his father, including costumes, props and scripts. The donation was an invaluable addition to the museum's collection.

Poster of "The Skyhawk"

During the exhibition period, the screening of four movie excerpts starring Kwan will be held at the screening room of the Cantonese Opera Heritage Hall.

The exhibition is presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and organised by the Hong Kong Heritage Museum.

Visitors are required to scan the "LeaveHomeSafe" QR code or register their name, contact number and date and time of entry before being allowed to enter museums for necessary contact tracing if a confirmed case is found. Appeals are made to members of the public to download the "LeaveHomeSafe" mobile app in advance and scan the QR code with the app before entering. Members of the public who opt for registering their personal information at the scene are reminded to arrive earlier to avoid delaying their visits as longer time is required for such registration.

In view of the latest situation of COVID-19, visitors to the museum will need to use hand sanitiser and will be subject to temperature checks before admission. They also need to wear their own masks. Children under 12 will only be allowed to enter the museum and exhibition facilities when accompanied by an adult.

Hong Kong Heritage Museum is located at 1 Man Lam Road, Sha Tin, New Territories (MTR Che Kung Temple Station Exit A)

Opening hours;

Mondays and Wednesdays to Fridays, 10-00 to 18-00
Saturdays, Sundays & public holidays, 10-00 to 19-00
Christmas Eve and Chinese New Year's Eve, 10-00 to 17-00
Closed on Tuesdays (except public holidays) and the first two days of the Chinese New Year

Admission is free.

For further details of the exhibition see;

https://hk.heritage.museum/en_US/web/hm/exhibitions/data/exid267.html

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NOT A FASHION STORE ! (until 5th January 2022)

A unique art exhibition "NOT a fashion store!" is being held at HONG KONG MUSEUM OF ART from 19th March 2021 until 5th January 2022. The exhibition showcases 76 sets of artworks related to fashionable and traditional clothing, shoes and accessories from various eras curated from the four core collections of the museum, namely Chinese Antiquities, Chinese Painting and Calligraphy, China Trade Art, and Modern and Hong Kong Art. The exhibition is to inspire visitors' thoughts on personal image and fashion and culture when appreciating the works of art.

The exhibition venue located at The Wing on the first floor of the museum has been transformed into a one-of-a-kind "fashion store". The "store" showcases men's and ladies' fashions, trendy shoes, vintage pieces and accessories as well as an XXL corner plus the studio and a wonderland. The mirrors in each department feature questions that one might ask when one is shopping: does one have a set perception of what men and women can wear? Does one have a special fondness for certain types of clothing? What about colours? Is one a dedicated follower of fashion? There will also be questions on fashion elements such as types, colours, styles, craftsmanship, materials, patterns, trends, etc. While admiring the unique creativity of the artworks on display, visitors can enter a virtual dialogue with the artists and reflect with them on the issues they present, the aesthetic elements of their works and cultural trends, as well as exploring the meanings of the works. In the "fitting room", visitors can gain an understanding on the museum collection while exploring their self-image. Other than an exhibition magazine, an educational magazine "Fashion Plus" introduces the skills of colour selection and matching from artists, the evolution of beauty standards that changes with the times, as well as the skills of storage and preservation of different materials of the clothes.

Display area of the hair accessories in the gallery

In addition, two local artists, Keith Lam and Kevin Fung have been commissioned to create the wonderland in The Wing on the ground floor. The work "Landscape of cloud" by Keith Lam, is inspired by the cloud of the Internet. The work, combining real-time digital and interactive elements, involves visitors' participation through social media engagement and provokes them to play along the borders between the virtual and reality. "Playground series" by Kevin Fung looks like a playground, bringing the message how a playground is there to prepare people for what life offers.

Visitors are required to scan the "LeaveHomeSafe" QR code or register their name, contact number and the date and time of visit before being allowed to enter museums for necessary contact tracing if a confirmed case is found. Appeals are made to members of the public to download the "LeaveHomeSafe" mobile app in advance and scan the QR code with the app before entering. Members of the public who opt for registering their personal information at the scene are reminded to arrive earlier to avoid delaying their visits as longer time is required for such registration.

In view of the latest situation of COVID-19, the museum will apply a quota to limit visitor flow. Visitors to the museum will need to use hand sanitiser and will be subject to temperature checks before admission. They also need to wear their own masks. Children under 12 will only be allowed to enter the museum and exhibition facilities when accompanied by an adult. For further details of the exhibition and admission arrangements see;

https://hk.art.museum/en_US/web/ma/exhibitions-and-events/not-a-fashion-store.html

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NEW HORIZONS: WAYS OF SEEING HONG KONG ART IN THE 80's and 90's (until 24th April 2022)

HONG KONG MUSEUM OF ART is staging an exhibition "New Horizons: Ways of Seeing Hong Kong Art in the 80s and 90s" from 5th March 2021 to 24th April 2022 to illustrate Hong Kong contemporary art from diverse viewpoints.

The museum is devoted to presenting the unique facets of Hong Kong art through curatorial research and exhibitions. In a quest to foster artistic synergy and enrich the interpretation of Hong Kong art, the museum launched the "Hong Kong Art: Co-Creation" exhibition series in 2018. Through calling for proposals, the museum searched for curatorial concepts that would echo and complement the museum's annual theme on narratives of Hong Kong art. The museum hopes to collaborate with guest curators to illustrate an even richer history of Hong Kong art by expanding and sharing connections and resources with the community, while instilling new energy, new visions and new experiences into the development of Hong Kong contemporary art. Endorsed by a selection panel, the proposal by Janet Fong was first selected by the museum for co-curation of the coming exhibition.

The development of Hong Kong art reached a critical juncture in the 1980s and '90s. Numerous young artists, having graduated in Hong Kong or returned to the city after studying aboard, dedicated themselves to exploring new artistic forms and expressions through their creations. This enabled the rise of installation art, new media and contemporary photography, etc, and brought vibrancy to art creation in Hong Kong. Echoing the museum's "Hong Kong Experience‧Hong Kong Experiment" exhibition that showcased the breakthrough of artistic creation in different traditional media as well as the creative achievements of local artists over half a century that fused different cultures, the "New Horizons: Ways of Seeing Hong Kong Art in the 80s and 90s" exhibition examines the new trends and breakthroughs in contemporary art in Hong Kong during the era. With a two-year project of interviews, research and consolidation, the museum worked closely with guest curator Janet Fong and her team, and invites visitors to look at the breakthroughs and accomplishments of Hong Kong artists in a new light. This was achieved through showcasing artworks by seven representative artists and artist collectives, restaging iconic art spaces of the time, and presenting archives and documents.

The exhibits include a new edition of Chan Yuk-keung's mixed media installation, "Vertical Rye Field", which was presented at the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art in Australia in 1996; both 1989 and 2016 versions, as well as a 2021 new version of May Fung's video installation work, "She Said Why Me"; a series of black and white photographic works, "Shenzhen", by Joseph Fung who was among the first group of Hong Kong photographers to enter the Mainland after the open door policy, along with works that he shot around the globe such as "Boston/Yanggong Series" and a series of 3D digital images, "The Butterfly Dream Series"; Ellen Pau's iconic work, "Recycling Cinema", which was showcased at the first Hong Kong Pavilion at the 49th Venice Biennale in 2001 and is now presented in a 245 degree format for the first time; and Choi Yan-chi's reinterpretion of her installation work "Butterfly Dream as Smoke", as well as presenting her video of an avant-garde art installation performance.

A series of black and white photographic works, "Shenzhen", by Joseph Fung who was among the first group of Hong Kong photographers to enter the Mainland after the open door policy, along with works that he shot around the globe such as "Boston/Yanggong Series" and a series of 3D digital images, "The Butterfly Dream Series".

In addition to innovative creations by artists, the exhibition has rebuilt the site-specific project "Coffee Shop", created in 1998 by the founding members of Para Site (formerly Para/Site), including Tsang Tak-ping, Leung Chi-wo, Sara Wong, Patrick Lee, Phoebe Man, Leung Mee-ping and active member Anthony Leung. By turning the art space into a makeshift café, the artists display their experimental works in the venue to invite viewers to interact with the work and the site. The exhibition also has reconstructed the art space of NuNaHeDuo Centre of Photography in the 1990s and showcases the photographic works by the five co-founders members Lee Ka-sing, Holly Lee, Patrick Lee, Lau Ching-ping and Blues Wong.

Exhibition researcher Lo Yin-shan compiled an archival unit entitled "Discourse of Reimagined Hong Kong Art Communities", showcasing records, documents, publications, images and historical objects that she collected from different channels and art participants, as well as a photo diary from 1994 to 2000 presented by Professor David Clarke. The archival unit illuminates Hong Kong contemporary art in the 1980s and '90s from diverse points of view.

According to the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F), visitors are required to scan the "LeaveHomeSafe" QR code or register their name, contact number and the date and time of the visit before being allowed to enter museums for necessary contact tracing if a confirmed case is found. Members of the public are requested to download the "LeaveHomeSafe" mobile app in advance and scan the QR code with the app before entering. Members of the public who opt for registering their personal information at the scene are reminded to arrive earlier to avoid delaying their visits as a longer time is required for such registration.

In view of the latest situation of COVID-19, the museum will apply a quota to limit visitor flow. Visitors to the museum will need to use hand sanitiser, be subject to temperature checks before admission and also need to wear own masks. Children under 12 will only be allowed to enter the museum and exhibition facilities when accompanied by an adult. For further details of the exhibition and the admission arrangements see;

hk.art.museum/en_US/web/ma/exhibitions-and-events/new-horizons-ways-of-seeing-hong-kong-art-in-the-80s-and-90s.html

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HONOURING TRADITION AND HERITAGE: MIN CHIU SOCIETY AT SIXTY (until 16th June 2021)

An exhibition "Honouring Tradition and Heritage: Min Chiu Society at Sixty" will be open to the public from 19th February 2021 at the HONG KONG MUSEUM OF ART and will run until 16th June 2021. The exhibition will feature over 300 works of Chinese art selected from the diverse collections of Min Chiu Society members, showcasing artistic accomplishments and Chinese antiquities, to allow visitors to gain understanding of the history and culture behind these precious antiquities.

Established in 1960, the Min Chiu Society is a renowned collectors' organisation in both Hong Kong and overseas. Guided by its founding ethos, "An earnest pursuit of classic knowledge with a passion for antiquity", the Society has been an important cultural force devoted to fostering intellectual exchanges and collecting, as well as studying and promoting Chinese art. The museum has been organising various kinds of exhibitions with the Min Chiu Society over the past years. To commemorate its 60th anniversary, the Society is collaborating again with the museum to hold an exhibition featuring diverse collections from more than 40 collectors.

The diverse exhibits include calligraphy and paintings by Shen Zhou, Wen Zhengming, Wang Shimin and Dong Qichang from the Ming and Qing dynasties, as well as representative works of modern New China masters and early Hong Kong ink painting artists. Also featured are Chinese antiquities including celadon and white porcelain from the Song and Yuan dynasties; porcelain in underglaze blue and porcelain in polychrome enamels from the Ming and Qing dynasties; carved lacquerware, jade ware, bamboo carvings, Ming-style furniture and snuff bottles; and trade art that reflects the changes in the history of modern foreign trade.

"Sunrise on Mount Hua", a 1980s painting by Chinese master in painting Wu Guanzhong. (The Pisces Collection.)

To tie in with the exhibition, the museum has invited a group of young artists to design and set up a traditional scholar's study studio. With multimedia exhibits and animated clips combined with augmented reality technology, visitors can learn all about the production of paintings, ceramics, jade carvings and silk work. They can also explore the tastes of traditional literati through the décor in the studio and the desk stationery. In addition, online guided tours, special lectures and concerts will also be held during the exhibition period. Details will be announced at a later date.

The exhibition is jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Min Chiu Society, and co-organised by the Hong Kong Museum of Art and the Society. The education programmes are sponsored by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. 　

According to the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F), users are required to scan the "LeaveHomeSafe" QR code or register their name, contact number and the date and time of the visit before being allowed to enter museums for necessary contact tracing if a confirmed case is found. Appeals are made to members of the public to download the "LeaveHomeSafe" mobile app in advance and scan the QR code with the app before entering. Members of the public who opt for registering their personal information at the scene are reminded to arrive earlier to avoid delaying their visits as a longer time is required for such registration.

In view of the latest situation of COVID-19, the museum will apply a quota to limit visitor flow. Visitors to the museum will need to use hand sanitiser and will be subject to temperature checks before admission. They also need to wear their own masks. Children under 12 will only be allowed to enter the museum and exhibition facilities when accompanied by an adult.

For further details see;

https://hk.art.museum/en_US/web/ma/exhibitions-and-events/honouring-tradition-and-heritage-min-chiu-society-at-sixty.html

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TEA WARE FROM YIXING: GEM OF ZISHA IN THE K.S. LO COLLECTION OF THE FLAGSTAFF HOUSE MUSEUM OF TEA WARE (until 31st July 2021)

FLAGSTAFF HOUSE MUSEUM OF TEA WARE is holding a new exhibition, "Tea Ware from Yixing: Gems of Zisha in The K.S. Lo Collection of the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware", from 22nd May 2020 until 31st July 2021. Featuring more than 100 items of zisha ware, the exhibition showcases works by renowned teapot makers of the Ming and Qing dynasties and the 20th century, as well as demonstrates the diverse aspects of the art of zisha pottery.

Dr Lo Kwee-seong began to collect tea ware in the 1950s. He generously donated his collection to the former Urban Council of Hong Kong in 1981, prompting the founding of the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware.

Zisha ware flourished in the Ming and Qing dynasties. After the late Ming dynasty, more members of the literati participated directly in the production of zisha teapots, creating a specialism that comprised shaping, poems and lyrics, calligraphy, painting, seal engraving and sculpture in a single form factor. Through the display of various types of zisha ware from different periods, ranging from zisha tea ware, writing instruments and snuff bottles to pottery pillows and small ornaments, the exhibition demonstrates the individuality and contemporary appeal of zisha pottery, as well as the creativity of the contemporary Yixing potters.

Highlight exhibits include a pear-shaped export teapot from the Qing dynasty, as well as a globular teapot with a rounded shoulder, a teapot with a dragon handle and three legs and a mango-shaped coloured clay teapot from the 20th century.

Teapot with a dragon handle and three legs from the 20th century

To enhance the experience of zisha art and the literati way of life, a demonstration video of how to make a zisha teapot by Hong Kong ceramic artist Wong May-lee and an education corner featuring the setting of a study of a member of the literati have been set up inside galleries.

For details of the exhibition see;

https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Arts/en_US/web/ma/mt-thematic-exhibition.html

In view of the latest situation of COVID-19, the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware will be partially open. Special arrangements and precautionary measures will be implemented to help ensure public safety. Visits will be arranged in sessions to limit visitor flow.

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ELEVEN EXHIBITIONS ON REOPENING OF HONG KONG MUSEUM OF ART

After major expansion and renovation, the Hong Kong Museum of Art reopened on 30th November 2019 with eleven exhibitions.

The exhibitions comprise a series of collection exhibitions representing the cultural legacy in the museum's holdings, namely "Ordinary to Extraordinary: Stories of the Museum", "From Dung Basket to Dining Cart: 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Wu Guanzhong", "A Pleasure Shared: Selected Works from the Chih Lo Lou Collection", "The Wisdom of Emptiness: Selected Works from the Xubaizhai Collection", "Lost and Found: Guardians of the Chater Collection" and "The Best of Both Worlds: Acquisitions and Donations of Chinese Antiquities"; a series of exhibitions and displays on Hong Kong's art lineage in "Classics Remix: The Hong Kong Viewpoint", "Hong Kong Experience‧Hong Kong Experiment", "The Breath of Landscape" and "Rediscovering Landscape"; and an international blockbuster exhibition, "A Sense of Place: from Turner to Hockney".

"Ordinary to Extraordinary: Stories of the Museum", an exhibition of gems from the museum's collection, showcases exceptional works curated from the four core collections of the museum - Chinese Antiquities, Chinese Painting and Calligraphy, China Trade Art, and Modern and Hong Kong Art. By sharing the fascinating stories behind these works, the exhibition will help visitors learn about little-known anecdotes of the museum throughout the 57 years since its founding.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Wu Guanzhong, the exhibition "From Dung Basket to Dining Cart: 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Wu Guanzhong" showcases more than 100 representative paintings by Wu in two phases. The exhibition not only honours Wu's contributions to Chinese art, but also pays tribute to his artistic pursuits spanning over half a century.

The exhibition "A Pleasure Shared: Selected Works from the Chih Lo Lou Collection" displays around 70 selected works dating from the Ming dynasty to the 20th century in two phases to feature the uniqueness of the Chih Lo Lou Collection of Chinese Painting and Calligraphy, a private collection established by the late philanthropist and collector Mr Ho Iu-kwong which was donated to the museum last year.

The renowned Xubaizhai Collection, also one of Hong Kong's three key collections of Chinese painting, was compiled by the late connoisseur of Chinese painting and calligraphy Mr Low Chuck-tiew, who spent nearly 50 years acquiring the invaluable treasures it contains. Showcasing more than 30 representative works dating from the Ming and Qing dynasties and up to the 20th century, "The Wisdom of Emptiness: Selected Works from the Xubaizhai Collection" allows visitors to gain an insight into a selection of major works from the collection.

The Chater Collection is one of the most legendary collections of the museum. The artworks were scattered and lost during World War II. Thanks to the selfless acts of Hong Kong citizens, some of the works were rescued and several of these are on display in the exhibition "Lost and Found: Guardians of the Chater Collection". The narrative of the exhibition is told through stories of how the artworks were kept hidden, scattered and eventually recovered during the war, shedding further light on a period of history filled with human spirit.

"The Best of Both Worlds: Acquisitions and Donations of Chinese Antiquities” features more than 300 items of art and antiques from different periods to illustrate how museum purchases and generous private donations form and shape the museum's comprehensive Chinese Antiquities collection.

Featuring a dialogue of 14 local artists and 14 highlight collections of the museum, the exhibition "Classics Remix: The Hong Kong Viewpoint" incorporates new elements into the four major collections showcased in the exhibition "Ordinary to Extraordinary: Stories of the Museum". It tracks the people and stories behind the collections, allowing the artists to display their unlimited imagination inspired by the classics to explore new creative possibilities, along with an artistic representation of contemporary Hong Kong.

The development of Hong Kong art has been a unique local experience. With innovation triggered by different ways of life, local artists have exerted the spirit of experimentation in their works over the past decades. The "Hong Kong Experience‧Hong Kong Experiment" exhibition makes use of the museum's collection accumulated over half a century to capture all these different experiences and experiments, portraying the development of Hong Kong art.

The exhibitions "The Breath of Landscape" and "Rediscovering Landscape" will feature interactive artworks by nine local artists, with Billy Tam as the leader. Based on a theme of nature and landscape, the exhibitions offer a unique art experience by bringing the sky, flowing water, mountains and breezes from nature into the museum's extended area, the Wing, as well as making use of its surroundings and the Art Square at Salisbury Garden, thereby dissolving the concept of museum walls and letting the museum extend and expand its interaction with audiences outside.

The thematic exhibition "A Sense of Place: from Turner to Hockney" is jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and Tate, the United Kingdom, and is jointly organised by the Hong Kong Museum of Art and Tate. This first-ever collaboration between the Hong Kong Museum of Art and Tate represents an unprecedented opportunity to display works by Turner, Constable and Hockney in Hong Kong in the same exhibition. Drawn from Tate's world-famous collection, this exhibition features 76 works that illustrate the remarkable development of British landscape painting and its influence on European art from the 17th century to the present day. To complement the exhibition, the museum has invited Hong Kong artists to respond to the British artworks on display and the museum's own collection of landscape paintings. These local artists' multimedia creations will invite visitors to explore the exhibition with a unique Hong Kong experience. The displays of "The Breath of Landscape" and "Rediscovering Landscape" will also echo the exhibition.

Hong Kong Museum of Art is located at 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui.

For a better visiting experience, those wishing to visit the museum are advised to make online reservations for admission time slots via the museum's website;

https://hk.art.museum/en_US/web/ma/home.html

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"BRUCE LEE: KUNG FU -ART - LIFE" (from 20th July 2013 until 2026*)

*THE CURRENT EXHIBITION WILL RUN UNTIL 31st DECEMBER 2020. THE EXHIBITION WILL THEN BE TEMPORARILY CLOSED AND "REFRESHED". IT IS EXPECTED TO REOPEN IN THE SECOND HALF OF 2021

2013 marked the 40th anniversary of the passing away of the internationally renowned martial arts movie star Bruce Lee. A large-scale exhibition, "Bruce Lee: Kung Fu • Art • Life", is being held at the HONG KONG HERITAGE MUSEUM in commemoration. Presented by the Hong Kong Government's Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and jointly organised by the Bruce Lee Foundation and the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, the exhibition is one of the highlight programmes of the "Vibrant Hong Kong" theme under the territory-wide "Hong Kong: Our Home" Campaign launched this year. Sponsored by Fortune Star Media Limited, the exhibition is open from 20th July 2013 and runs for five years until 20th July 2018 at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum.

The exhibition features more than 600 precious relics related to Bruce Lee and the exhibition gallery houses several sets of reconstructions, which were created with ideas inspired by prominent scenes in Lee's five classic kung fu movies as well as his gym and his study to enhance visitors' experiences in viewing the exhibition

Bruce Lee took kung fu to a whole new level of recognition and a new international audience with his natural charisma and physical prowess. He introduced Hong Kong to the world through his films and did more in this area than any other person. Movies such as "Fist of Fury", "The Way of the Dragon" and "Enter the Dragon" have been considered by film critics to be all-time classics that transcend generational, cultural and geographical boundaries. The exhibition takes visitors on a marvellous journey through the life and achievements of Lee: from a rebellious street fighting child growing up in Kowloon to accomplished Hollywood actor and director and revered kung fu master.

Bruce Lee was born on 27th November 1940, in San Francisco. His father, Lee Hoi-chuen, was a celebrated Cantonese opera actor and his mother, Ho Oi-yee, was a daughter of prominent Hong Kong businessman Ho Kom-tong. Lee was brought back to Hong Kong when he was a newborn. Because of his father's strong connections to the world of show business, Lee first came into contact with cinema when he was an infant, making his silver screen debut as a baby in the Cantonese film "Golden Gate Girl", shot in the US in 1941. Outstanding performances in the films "The Kid" (1950) and "Infancy" (1951) earned him praise as a "genius child actor". He left for the US to pursue his studies in 1959 after finishing a final film in Hong Kong, "The Orphan" (1960).

Lee was passionate about martial arts when he was small. He became a student of the Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man at the age of 13. After he went to the US, the lifestyles and world views of Western society became catalysts for his new conception of the philosophy of martial arts. He began teaching Wing Chun when he was studying at Edison Technical School in Seattle, and later, in 1962, he founded his own Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute at a permanent venue. He also named the martial arts system that had been brewing in his mind Jeet Kune Do - a style with no fixed technical movements and no specific forms.

In 1965, Lee was invited by 20th Century Fox to play the role of Kato in the US TV series "The Green Hornet". His agile and skilful kung fu alerted Hong Kong film producers to his talents, and in 1971 he returned to Hong Kong to resume his career and starred in a number of sensational movies, including "The Big Boss" (1971), "Fist of Fury" (1972), "The Way of the Dragon" (1972) and "Enter the Dragon" (1972). His true and hard-hitting kung fu and jaw-dropping nunchaku skills mesmerised audiences. Lee not only took Chinese kung fu films to the international market but also reached the peak of his life and his career. Sadly, he died suddenly during the shooting of his last film, "The Game of Death", on July 20, 1973, at the age of 32.

Occupying a total area of 850 square metres, the "Bruce Lee: Kung Fu • Art • Life" exhibition features more than 600 precious relics related to Bruce Lee on loan from a number of local and overseas collectors, including memorabilia of Lee and his costumes, books and gym equipment, as well as his articles. The exhibition gallery also houses several sets of reconstructions, which were created with ideas inspired by prominent scenes in Lee's five classic kung fu movies as well as his gym and his study. Also featuring a 3D hologram animation on Bruce Lee, a newly created 3.5-metre-high statue of Lee and the 75-minute documentary "The Brilliant Life of Bruce Lee", the exhibition will enable visitors to review Lee's life story based on his profile, his movies, his martial arts and his development as a cultural phenomenon from a more comprehensive, in-depth and independent perspective.

Displays from the Bruce Lee: Kung Fu. Art. Life exhibition

The exhibition will also include a collector series in which the theme will be changed regularly to show the precious collections of different collectors with an aim of introducing the cultural significance and the influence of Bruce Lee through the collectors' eyes. The first exhibition in the collector series will feature more than 100 products related to the TV series "The Green Hornet" provided by internationally acclaimed US collector Perry Lee. Through this collection, visitors will be able to learn more about the first image of Bruce Lee branded by a US enterprise.

To mark the first anniversary of the exhibition, in July 2014 the museum introduce 12 new sets of exhibits and graphic displays to add a new dimension to our appreciation of the life of the iconic kung fu master. These include Lee's own manuscripts analysing his persona (named Lee) in the film "Enter the Dragon" (loaned from the Bruce Lee Foundation), the metal claw designed by Lee as a prop for "Enter the Dragon" (loaned from Hong Kong collector Mr Stanley Zau Chwan-yeu) and a booked titled "Hu Wei San Jie Gun" ("Tiger Tail Three-section Cudgel") from Lee's personal library (loaned from American collector Mr Perry Lee).

In addition, the main panel at the entrance of the exhibition has been replaced by a new design created by acclaimed Hong Kong computer animator Mr Shannon Ma, which shows Lee's more graceful side. It also offers visitors the chance to be photographed alongside an image of Lee, in which he is wearing sunglasses and a confident smile.

The new main panel at the exhibition entrance, introduced to mark its first anniversary allows visitors to be photographed alongside the star.

To tie in with the five-year exhibition, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum will organise a series of education and extension programmes with different themes which will be carried out in phases. The first phase of activities, under the theme "The Bruce Lee that Hong Kong Knew", will include lectures, sharing sessions and interactive demonstrations to explore the life, career and achievements of Bruce Lee from different perspectives.

To enable the public to obtain more information about "Bruce Lee: Kung Fu • Art • Life" and to enhance their interest in the exhibition, interactive media will be employed along with social media, a dedicated exhibition website and smartphone apps. Members of the public will be able find from the LCSD's newly launched Facebook fan page, "Visit HK Museums" (www.facebook.com/VisitHKMuseums), a public engagement campaign, directional day tour and exhibition promotional videos, highlights of must-see exhibits, interviews, quotes and the making-of materials for the exhibition.

During the early stage of the exhibition, the museum will arrange viewing sessions and online reservation of tickets for the first two months (from mid-July to mid-September) after the exhibition opens. Visitors can, via email, reserve tickets for a time slot that fits their schedule through the Hong Kong Heritage Museum's online reservation website at blor.lcsd.gov.hk. Visitors will also be able to purchase tickets at the museum.

Online reservation is being conducted in two phases:

* Phase 1: From 10am on 4th July onwards (for exhibition dates from 20th July to August 19th)

* Phase 2: From 10am on 1st August onwards (for exhibition dates from 20th August to 20th September)

Interested parties will only be allowed to make reservations for a maximum of three viewing sessions and four tickets for each session during each phase of online reservation while the quota lasts. The quota will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

As the exhibition is classified as a long-term exhibition of Hong Kong Heritage Museum, visitors will only need to pay the museum's standard admission fees to visit the exhibition without any additional charges. However, visitors will be required to present the special admission slip for viewing the exhibition. Standard admission to the Hong Kong Heritage Museum is HK$10 with a half-price concession available for full-time Hong Kong students, people with disabilities and senior citizens aged 60 or above. Group tickets at HK$7 each are available to groups of 20 persons or more. Admission is free on Wednesdays.

Hong Kong Heritage Museum is located at 1 Man Lam Road, Sha Tin. It is open from 10am to 6pm on weekdays, and from 10am to 7pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. It is closed on Tuesdays (except public holidays). The museum is within three minutes walk of Che Kung Temple Station, on MTR Ma On Shan Line.

For further details of the exhibition, see the museum's website;

https://hk.heritage.museum/en_US/web/hm/exhibitions/data/exid209.html