Opening of Hong Kong Palace Museum a milestone in the Jockey Club’s support for the HKSAR in the past 25 years

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The construction of the Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) was funded by a HK$3.5 billion donation from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust – the Club’s largest single charity donation to date. The museum will open to the public on 2 July as a highlight of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

Co-organised by the Government of the HKSAR and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, the opening ceremony of the HKPM was held on 22 June. It was officiated by Chief Executive of the HKSAR Carrie Lam, Vice-Minister of Culture and Tourism and Administrator of the National Cultural Heritage Administration Li Qun; Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in HKSAR Lu Xin-ning, Deputy Commissioner, the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the HKSAR Yang Yi-rui, Director of the Palace Museum Dr Wang Xu-dong, Acting Secretary for Home Affairs Jack Chan, Chairman of the Board of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) Henry Tang, Club Chairman Philip Chen, Chairman of the Board of the HKPM Bernard Charnwut Chan, Chief Executive Officer of the WKCDA Betty Fung and Museum Director of HKPM Dr Louis Ng. Also in attendance were former Club Chairmen, Dr Simon Ip and Dr Anthony Chow, Club Stewards, and Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges.

Club Chairman Philip Chen expressed his sincere thanks to the Central Government, the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government and the HKSAR Government for their support for the project. He said the HKPM has a profound significance for Hong Kong and also for the Club. “First, this is the Club’s largest single donation to date. Second, this is one of the largest loans of exhibits by the Palace Museum to a cultural institution outside the Mainland, all of which is testament to the Central Government’s support for our city. Thanks to the Hong Kong Palace Museum, visitors can understand and appreciate a great deal more about Chinese art and history.”

The Club is supporting young people and the underprivileged to visit the HKPM as part of the HKSAR’s “Celebrations for All” campaign. This is one of several initiatives supported by the Club’s approved donation of HK$630 million to the HKSAR Government to mark the 25th anniversary.