The official Protestant Church of the mainland is staging an exhibition in Hong Kong on religious freedom in a bid to counter negative publicity over its record. The five-day event starts on August 6 at the Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai. It will feature more than 20 national treasures, including a large wooden carving, 'The Life of Jesus', and the sale of a historic New Testament. Also on display will be handcrafts, precious artwork, paper-cuts and micro-carving. The programme will feature video shows and a sacred music concert by Chinese ethnic groups. The exhibition is being organised by the Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee of the Protestant Churches in China and the China Christian Council. One of its purposes was to refute 'the attacks and outrageous distortion from overseas [of religious worship in China]', the committee's deputy president, Deng Fucun, said yesterday. It would also provide witness to 'the blessings and guidance of the Lord and the Bible on the ministry of the churches in China'. He said the committee was discussing potential overseas destinations for the exhibition, but Hong Kong would be the first stop. In addition to the two government-approved Christian bodies, the Hong Kong Bible Society and 18 other Christian organisations in Hong Kong are co-organisers, although the Catholic Dioceses will not participate. Mr Deng said a copy of the Imperial Edition of the New Testament, one of which was presented as a gift for the 60th birthday of the Qing Dynasty's Empress-Dowager Cixi, would be auctioned during the exhibition. It is not clear how many copies of the Imperial Edition exist, but the copy owned by Empress-Dowager Cixi is in the collection of the American Bible Society. The one for sale at the exhibition, printed in 1894, was donated by the organisers. Mr Deng said it was hoped the auction would raise a few million dollars, which would go to the Faculty of Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong to support research into Sars and other infectious diseases.
