Explore HKMoA's large-scale exhibition "Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West" Starting April 24

HKMoA's large-scale exhibition "Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West" unveils today

The "Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West" exhibition will be staged at the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) starting from tomorrow (April 24). The exhibition features over 100 sets of selected paintings and artefacts from the Palace Museum in Beijing, the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) in the United States, the Palace of Versailles in France and the HKMoA, presented together for the first time in Hong Kong, including paintings, prints, lacquerware, sculpture, ceramics and glassware, inviting visitors to explore the wonders and fun of gardens in the East and West from a fresh perspective.

Addressing the opening ceremony held today (April 23), the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, said that this touring exhibition, which began at the Palace Museum in 2025 and arrived in Hong Kong today, connects the 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 showcases 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 complementary to each other. With Labour Day Golden Week approaching, she believes the exhibition will attract local art lovers and tourists, as well as boost consumption in the surrounding area.

Other officiating guests included Deputy Director of the Palace Museum Mr Wang Yuegong; the Deputy Chairman of the Institute of Philanthropy and Trustee of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, Mrs Ann Kung; the Pritzker Chair of Arts of Asia and the Executive Director of Initiatives in Asia of the AIC, Dr Wang Tao; the Chairman of the Art Sub-committee of the Museum Advisory Committee, Professor Desmond Hui; the Acting Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Miss Eve Tam; and the Museum Director of the HKMoA, Dr Maria Mok.

This exhibition serves as a guide to garden aesthetics. Curated around a central theme of garden landscaping and ingeniously using set designs by the curatorial team, the exhibition takes the audience on a journey through the threefold experience of garden landscaping, activities in the garden and the appreciation of artworks inspired by garden culture, allowing them to appreciate the grand gardens of kings and nobles, including Emperor Qianlong of theQing dynasty and King Louis XIV of France.

Highlight exhibits include the "Spring Ablution at the Orchid Pavilion" by Wen Zhengming, one of the "Four Masters of Wu School" from the Ming dynasty, which recreates the gathering at the Orchid Pavilion, a scene long celebrated through the calligraphy of Wang Xizhi of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, from the collection ofthe Palace Museum; the grandeur of imperial gardens in the Qing dynasty is reflected in the "Imperial Summer Resort", which integrates traditional blue-and-green painting features with Western perspective techniques; the "Nanxi Thatched Hall" by Ming dynasty painter Wen Boren, which depicts the ideal garden retreat of Jiangnan literati where the cottage blends seamlessly with nature;Monet's "Water Lilies" and "Water Lily Pond" from the AIC; and Zhang Daqian's "Entrance of Bade Garden" and "Splashed-colour Landscape" from the HKMoA's collection, highlighting the visions of two masters and offering visitors inspiration for garden design. Other highlight exhibits include "The Enceladus Fountain" and "The Water Theatre" from the Palace of Versailles.

Notable garden owners such as Emperor Qianlong, King Louis XIV of France, Claude Monet and Zhang Daqian "share" the stories behind the creation of their iconic gardens through audio guides and interactive kiosks. The exhibition features a scenographic recreation of the Orchid Pavilion Gathering in the education corner, enhanced with technology to provide visitors with an immersive experience. Through interactive engagement with a virtual wine cup, visitors can enjoy the beauty of blooming flowers. Furthermore, a DIY kit is included with the limited-edition exhibition pamphlet. Visitors can also download the instructions and additional paper patterns using the QR code on the pamphlet and design their ideal garden with their favourite elements, enriching the experience beyond their visit.

The exhibition will run from April 24 to July 29 at the Special Gallery on the second floor of the HKMoA (10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon). Admission is free. The exhibition is co-presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Palace Museum in partnership with the AIC, and is co-organised by the HKMoA and the Palace Museum in partnership with the AIC. It is exclusively sponsored by the Institute of Philanthropy.

To ensure a better visiting experience, crowd control measures for the exhibition will be implemented with flexibility. In the event of overcrowding, timed admission ticketing may be arranged. Visitors are advised to follow on-site notices and to stay updated through HKMoA's official website, Instagram, Facebookor VisitHKMuseums on Xiaohongshu.

The HKMoA will organise a series of special programmes, including guided tours, talks and workshops. The first talk from the "Zoom-in World Treasures" Talk Series will be held on April 25 at 2.30pm at The Hall at the HKMoA. The speaker, Senior Engineer of the Heritage Architecture Department of the Palace Museum, Ms Li Yue, will share her insights on Qianlong Garden: Art, Legacy and Conservation.

For details of the exhibition and activities, please visit hk.art.museum/en/web/ma/exhibitions-and-events/blooming-the-art-of-gardens-in-east-and-west.html.

The "Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West" exhibition will be staged at the Hong Kong Museum of Art starting from tomorrow (April 24). Photo shows a scenographic recreation of the Orchid Pavilion Gathering in the education corner, enhanced with technology to provide visitors with an immersive experience. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The "Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West" exhibition will be staged at the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) starting from tomorrow (April 24). Photo shows Zhang Daqian's "Entrance of Bade Garden" from the collection of the HKMoA. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The "Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West" exhibition will be staged at the Hong Kong Museum of Art starting from tomorrow (April 24). Photo shows "The Enceladus Fountain" from the collection of the Palace of Versailles. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The "Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West" exhibition will be staged at the Hong Kong Museum of Art starting from tomorrow (April 24). Photo shows a pair of Minton jardinieres with enamel and gilt decoration from the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The "Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West" exhibition will be staged at the Hong Kong Museum of Art starting from tomorrow (April 24). Photo shows "Water Lilies" by Claude Monet from the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The "Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West" exhibition will be staged at the Hong Kong Museum of Art starting from tomorrow (April 24). Photo shows "Water Lily Pond" by Claude Monet from the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The "Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West" exhibition will be staged at the Hong Kong Museum of Art starting from tomorrow (April 24). Photo shows a bowl with a scene of ladies in a garden and in underglaze blue in the Ming dynasty from the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The "Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West" exhibition will be staged at the Hong Kong Museum of Art starting from tomorrow (April 24). Photo shows the "Nanxi Thatched Hall" (partial) by Ming dynasty painter Wen Boren from the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The "Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West" exhibition will be staged at the Hong Kong Museum of Art starting from tomorrow (April 24). Photo shows the "Imperial Summer Resort" from the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing, reflecting the grandeur of imperial gardens in the Qing dynasty. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The opening ceremony of the large-scale exhibition "Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West" was held today (April 23) at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Photo shows officiating guests touring the exhibition. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The opening ceremony of the large-scale exhibition "Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West" was held today (April 23) at the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA). Photo shows officiating guests (from left) the Acting Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Miss Eve Tam; the Pritzker Chair of Arts of Asia and the Executive Director of Initiatives in Asia of the AIC, Dr Wang Tao; Deputy Director of the Palace Museum Mr Wang Yuegong; the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law; the Deputy Chairman of the Institute of Philanthropy and Trustee of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, Mrs Ann Kung; the Chairman of Art Sub-committee of Museum Advisory Committee, Professor Desmond Hui; and the Museum Director of the HKMoA, Dr Maria Mok, during the opening ceremony. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Geopark retains global geopark status

The 224th session of the Executive Board of UNESCO concluded on April 23, 2026. During the session, it was officially confirmed that Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark (Hong Kong Geopark) has passed the revalidation and was awarded a certificate, allowing it to retain its global status for a further four-year period.

Hong Kong Geopark was designated as a National Geopark of China in 2009 and joined the Global Geoparks Network (GGN) in 2011. Following the formalisation of the Geopark Programme by UNESCO in 2015, it was renamed Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark. According to the guidelines, all UNESCO Global Geoparks must undergo a revalidation process every four years to assess their progress across various dimensions and ensure compliance with the high standards of UNESCO Global Geoparks.

In May 2025, Hong Kong Geopark underwent an on-site assessment by evaluators appointed by the UNESCO Global Geoparks Secretariat. The evaluators reviewed the achievements of Hong Kong Geopark over the past four years and held detailed discussions with various stakeholders and partner organisations of Hong Kong Geopark.

At the 11th International Conference on UNESCO Global Geoparks in Chile in September 2025, the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council recommended that Hong Kong Geopark pass the revalidation with a "green card" while the GGN presented the Best Practice Award to Hong Kong Geopark in recognition of its contributions to preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of the Geopark's communities.

A spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) welcomed the result, stating that conservation, education, green tourism and sustainable development are the primary objectives of Hong Kong Geopark. The AFCD will continue to promote science popularisation, green tourism and the sustainable development of the communities within the Geopark, while protecting Hong Kong's natural and cultural heritage.

Hong Kong Geopark is located in the eastern and northeastern parts of Hong Kong, comprising the Sai Kung Volcanic Rock Region and the Northeast New Territories Sedimentary Rock Region. Visitors can explore 13 designated attractions and two boat tour routes within the Geopark. Through various tourist facilities, including information panels, the Volcano Discovery Centre, the Geopark Visitor Centre, story rooms and heritage trails, visitors can explore the natural and cultural heritage of Hong Kong Geopark, and learn about the relevant conservation efforts on its behalf.

Source: AI-found images