Institute of Philanthropy collaborates with the Hong Kong Palace Museum and the Palace Museum to launch “Heavenly Horses: Masterpieces from the Palace Museum”

As one of the highlights of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Year of the Horse campaign, the Hong Kong Palace Museum and the Palace Museum, with exclusive sponsorship from the Institute of Philanthropy (IoP), today launched “Heavenly Horses: Masterpieces from the Palace Museum”. Presenting nearly 100 horse‑themed paintings from more than 60 renowned artists, spanning the Yuan dynasty to the 20th century, the exhibition celebrates the horses as an enduring symbol of perseverance, vitality and national spirit in Chinese culture.

Guests tour the “Heavenly Horses: Masterpieces from the Palace Museum” exhibition.

The exhibition is part of a five-year collaboration between the Palace Museum and IoP to promote Chinese culture and nurture arts-technology talent in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland. The aim is to help the younger generation deepen its understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture, while showcasing it in fresh, digital ways. Through interactive experiences with artificial intelligence, lectures and workshops, the exhibition highlights how technology can bring tradition to life. Beyond artistic appreciation, it underscores the strategic role of culture in fostering identity and pride, and in strengthening social cohesion across Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland.

Officiating guests at the launch ceremony were HKSAR Deputy Financial Secretary, Michael Wong Wai-lun (5th left); Deputy Director General of the Department of Publicity, Cultural and Sports Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, Lin Nan (4th right); Executive Deputy Director of the Palace Museum, Lou Wei (5th right); Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, The Hon Martin Liao (4th left); Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and IoP Chairman, Lester Huang (3rd right); Trustee of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and Deputy Chairman of IoP, Ann Kung (2nd right); Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and IoP Director, Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (2nd left); Chairman of the Board of Hong Kong Palace Museum, Leo Kung (3rd left); Chief Executive Officer of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, Betty Fung (1st left); and Museum Director of the Hong Kong Palace Museum, Dr Louis Ng (1st right).

Officiating guests at the launch ceremony were HKSAR Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun; Deputy Director General of the Department of Publicity, Cultural and Sports Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, Lin Nan; Executive Deputy Director of the Palace Museum, Lou Wei; Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, The Hon Martin Liao; Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and IoP Chairman, Lester Huang; Trustee of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and Deputy Chairman of IoP, Ann Kung; Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and IoP Director, Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges; Chairman of the Board of Hong Kong Palace Museum, Leo Kung; Chief Executive Officer of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, Betty Fung; and Museum Director of the Hong Kong Palace Museum, Dr Louis Ng.

Guests tour the “Heavenly Horses: Masterpieces from the Palace Museum” exhibition.

Speaking at the ceremony, Michael Wong, Deputy Financial Secretary of the Government of the HKSAR, expressed his gratitude to the Hong Kong Palace Museum and the Palace Museum for jointly organising this exhibition, bringing nearly 100 precious equine paintings to Hong Kong. “Since its opening in 2022, the Hong Kong Palace Museum has greatly contributed to promoting cultural tourism in Hong Kong, staging more than thirty exhibitions and welcoming over four million visitors to date,” he said. “The museum has become a must-visit destination for many tourists to Hong Kong. It has exerted tremendous international influence in telling the good stories of Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, further promoting Chinese culture.”

The exhibition is one of the highlights of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Year of the Horse campaign, presenting nearly 100 horse‑themed paintings spanning the Yuan dynasty to the 20th century.

The Hon Martin Liao, Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, a founding funder of IoP together with its Charities Trust, said, “The Hong Kong Jockey Club and its Charities Trust established the Institute of Philanthropy as an independent ‘think-fund do’ tank for China, Asia and beyond. In 2024, IoP announced a donation of RMB 371 million to launch a five-year collaboration programme with the Palace Museum to promote the excellence of traditional Chinese culture, and to deepen understanding and recognition of Chinese history and culture among younger generations in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland. This exhibition is a key component of the programme and one of the highlights of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Year of the Horse campaign. Featuring a variety of cultural, arts and community initiatives throughout the year, we  aim to spread joyful celebration across the city, promote tourism and advance the development of sports, including horse sports.”

The Hon Martin Liao, Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, delivers a speech at the launch ceremony of the “Heavenly Horses: Masterpieces from the Palace Museum” exhibition.

Lou Wei, Executive Deputy Director of the Palace Museum, added, “The Palace Museum has long maintained a close partnership with the Hong Kong Palace Museum, collaborating to showcase the finest of Chinese art and culture to both local and international audiences, and to promote cultural exchange and mutual understanding. This exhibition forms an integral part of a five-year collaboration between the Palace Museum and the Institute of Philanthropy, which aims to promote Chinese culture and nurture arts-technology talent. Horses were not only a vital means of travel in ancient times and representations of ceremonial standards, they also served as the foundation of national defence. They stand as a vivid symbol of the Chinese nation’s resilience and unwavering spirit. With a focus on equine motifs, ‘Heavenly Horses’ guides visitors to explore the artistic vision of renowned masters and uncovers the social landscapes, spiritual aspiration, and cultural exchanges of different eras, offering a deeper understanding of the profound richness and refined subtleties of Chinese civilisation.”

Guests tour the “Heavenly Horses: Masterpieces from the Palace Museum” exhibition.

As part of this collaboration, IoP is advancing a strategy of cultural dissemination that combines digital innovation with traditional heritage. The goal is to nurture a generation that carries a strong sense of national identity while engaging confidently with the world, deepening recognition of Chinese history and culture both locally and globally. Building on this vision, IoP is seeking synergy to inspire innovative ideas to address the needs of Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland – contributing to wisdom and solutions that promote the development of national and global philanthropy.

The exhibition is one of the highlights of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Year of the Horse campaign, presenting nearly 100 horse‑themed paintings spanning the Yuan dynasty to the 20th century.

The exhibition is part of the Club’s Year of the Horse campaign, which aims to honour the profound partnership between human and horse and to unite the community through thrilling races, international equestrian spectacles and a special series of cultural, sporting and family events. The year-long campaign is a community celebration, a tourist attraction and an opportunity to promote equine and community sports development. Complimentary tickets and free guided tours of the exhibition will be provided to underprivileged groups and students.

The Institute of Philanthropy (IoP) is proud to serve as the exclusive sponsor of “Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West”exhibition, which opened today at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. The exhibition brings together 106 masterpieces and artefacts from The Palace Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Palace of Versailles and the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Previously staged at The Palace Museum in Beijing in 2025 under the title “Rejoicing in Woods and Springs: A Journey through Garden Cultures in China and the Wider World”, also exclusively sponsored by IoP, the exhibition’s arrival in Hong Kong underscores IoP’s commitment to promoting Chinese culture and values and fostering international cultural exchange.

Guests tour the “Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West” exhibition.

The exhibition celebrates the beauty and cultural significance of gardens across civilisations. From the grand gardens of Emperor Qianlong and King Louis XIV to the artistry of Claude Monet, Zhang Daqian and Wen Zhengming, visitors can discover how gardens have long been spaces of creativity and leisure.

Guests tour the “Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West” exhibition.

Officiating guests at the opening ceremony included Rosanna Law, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the HKSAR Government; Wang Yuegong, Deputy Director of The Palace Museum; Ann Kung, Deputy Chairman of IoP and Trustee of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust; Dr Wang Tao, Pritzker Chair of Arts of Asia, Executive Director of initiatives in Asia of Art Institute of Chicago; Professor Desmond Hui, Chairman of the Art Sub-committee of the Museum Advisory Committee; Eve Tam, Acting Director of Leisure and Cultural Services; and Dr Maria Mok, Museum Director of the Hong Kong Museum of Art.

Officiating guests at the opening ceremony included Rosanna Law, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the HKSAR Government; Wang Yuegong, Deputy Director of The Palace Museum; Ann Kung, Deputy Chairman of IoP and Trustee of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust; Dr Wang Tao, Pritzker Chair of Arts of Asia, Executive Director of initiatives in Asia of Art Institute of Chicago; Professor Desmond Hui, Chairman of the Art Sub-committee of the Museum Advisory Committee; Eve Tam, Acting Director of Leisure and Cultural Services; and Dr Maria Mok, Museum Director of the Hong Kong Museum of Art.

Rosanna Law, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the HKSAR Government, said that this touring exhibition, which began at The Palace Museum in 2025 and arrived in Hong Kong today, connects regional culture of the East and West through historical gardens. The HKMoA, as the grand finale, will exclusively feature a selection of art treasures. The exhibition not only fully showcase the distinctive features of gardens from East and West and the rich cultural heritage from different regions, but also highlights Hong Kong’s vital role as a window for mutual exchange and learning between Chinese and Western civilisations. She added that the country advocates “shaping tourism with cultural activities and promoting culture through tourism”. Culture and tourism have always been highly complemented with each other. With Labour Day Golden Week approaching, she believes the exhibition would attract local art lovers and tourists, as well as boost consumption in the surrounding area. She extended her appreciation to The Hong Kong Jockey Club for its full support, and to the Institute of Philanthropy for its sponsorship, which together enabled the exwhibition to be successfully staged.

Guests tour the “Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West” exhibition.

Wang Yuegong, Deputy Director of The Palace Museum, said that Chinese gardens evoke the grandeur of mountains, rivers, and the natural world, all within a small space and in pursuit of the ideal. Through this exhibition series, the Palace Museum hopes to foster open, cross‑disciplinary dialogue and collaboration, and to engage all sectors of society in exploring the question of ideal living.

Ann Kung, Deputy Chairman of IoP and Trustee of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, said that the enduring legacy of Chinese garden art echoes the profound cultural heritage of The Palace Museum. Through this dialogue across time and cultures, she hoped more members of the public could experience the beauty of gardens from the East and West, deepen their understanding of the nation's history and culture, and carry forward Chinese cultural heritage, thereby enhancing cultural confidence and social cohesion.

Ann Kung, Deputy Chairman of IoP and Trustee of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the “Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West” exhibition.

“Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West” is an important part of a five-year collaboration under a Memorandum of Co-operation entitled “Promotion of Chinese Culture and Arts Tech Talent Development in the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong” signed between The Palace Museum and IoP. It aims to foster cultural exchange between the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong and to nurture aspiring arts tech talent. The exhibition will offer guided tours for schools, charitable organisations and non profit-making organisations.

Guests tour the “Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West” exhibition.