Experience Multimedia Immersive Experience of "Mona Lisa" at Hong Kong Heritage Museum Starting Tomorrow

Hong Kong Heritage Museum offers multimedia immersive experience of "Mona Lisa" and showcases Renaissance treasures

The Hong Kong Heritage Museum (HKHM) is staging "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance" exhibition starting from tomorrow (May 1) until July 27. Offering visitors a dual experience for one exhibition - taking audiences on a journey through time and exploring the famous "Mona Lisa" painting, as well as featuring art treasures from various French and Italian cultural institutions, which reveal the glorious age of the Renaissance.

Addressing the opening ceremony held today (April 30), the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, remarked that this exhibition is undoubtedly a highlight of this year's French May Arts Festival. Through an immersive digital journey, complemented by outstanding artworks on loan from exceptional museums and art institutions, visitors can step inside the frame and experience new life from classical heritage. By bringing "Mona Lisa" to visitors' doorsteps, the exhibition offers the community and visitors a unique opportunity to engage with art in a way that is interactive, educational, and deeply moving.

Other officiating guests included the Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macau, Mrs Christile Drulhe; Steward of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Mr Nicholas Hunsworth; Co-chairman of the Board of French May Arts Festival Ms Pansy Ho; the Vice President of the Grand Palais Immersif, Mr Vincent Larnicol; the Chief Curator of Italian Painting of the Sixteenth Century of the Musée du Louvre, Mr Vincent Delieuvin; the Curator and Art Historian of the Musée national de la Renaissance, Dr Matteo Gianeselli; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Manda Chan; and the Museum Director of the HKHM, Mr Brian Lam.

Mona Lisa "narrates" the stories behind her mysterious smile

The first section of the exhibition "Meet Mona Lisa", is centred on Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece, the "Mona Lisa". The Musée du Louvre and the Grand Palais Immersif specially created a multimedia immersive experience for Hong Kong. Composing the extraordinary journey of this portrait spanning more than 500years into six chapters, Mona Lisa herself narrates the captivating stories behind that mysterious smile of hers, in a monologue.

Leonardo da Vinci's precious original manuscripts showcase the captivating charm of the Renaissance

The second section "Portraying the Renaissance" highlights a selection of Renaissance art treasures from several renowned museums and cultural institutions, including the Musée national de la Renaissance and the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, in diverse forms of art such as paintings, prints, sculptures, decorative art, and everyday objects. Most exhibits are being shown in Hong Kong for the first time, including four precious Leonardo da Vinci manuscripts, and works by other artists of the Renaissance period, for example, "The Virgin and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist" by Luca Penni, "The Crucifixion" by Noël Bellemare, and Michelangelo Buonarroti's "The Rebellious Slave" (plaster reproduction cast using moulds).

Exhibits from the HKHM collection and paintings by Chinese Mainland artist Xu Lei that echo Renaissance art are also on display, enabling a dialogue across time and space and highlighting the influence of this cultural movement that originated in 14th century Europe. Furthermore, the museum lobby features a giant 5-metre animated installation that blends Hong Kong-style neon elements with classic art symbols to create a unique Hong Kong version of the "Mona Lisa".

A series of talks, film screenings, public guided tours and tactile experience workshops will be held during the exhibition, allowing visitors to gain a deeper understanding of the "Mona Lisa" and the captivating charm of Renaissance art. The first talk will be held on May 1 at 3pm at the Theatre at the HKHM. The speaker, Mr Delieuvin, will visit Hong Kong to share his insights on "Why 'Mona Lisa'? Discover What's So Special About the Most Famous Painting in the World".

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 the HKHM's official website, Instagram or Visit HKMuseums on Xiaohongshu.

The exhibition will be held at Thematic Galleries 3, 4 and 5, 1/F of the HKHM. Admission is free. The exhibition is jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the French May Arts Festival, jointly organised by the HKHM and the French May Arts Festival. The title sponsor is the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, with support from the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong. For details of the exhibition and activities, please visit hk.heritage.museum/en/exhibitions/monalisa2026.html.

The Hong Kong Heritage Museum (HKHM) is staging "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance" exhibition starting from tomorrow (May 1). Photo shows the "Leonardo da Vinci Dwelling in Huang Gongwang's Mountains" by Mainland artist Xu Lei. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Hong Kong Heritage Museum (HKHM) is staging "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance" exhibition starting from tomorrow (May 1). Photo shows the "Firenze Breakfast with Omega 3 Egg" by Holly Lee. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Hong Kong Heritage Museum is staging "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance" exhibition starting from tomorrow (May 1). Photo shows four Leonardo da Vinci manuscripts of the human body and faces, which is on display in Hong Kong for the first time. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Hong Kong Heritage Museum is staging "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance" exhibition starting from tomorrow (May 1). Photo shows the "The Crucifixion" by Noël Bellemare. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Hong Kong Heritage Museum is staging "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance" exhibition starting from tomorrow (May 1). Photo shows the "The Virgin and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist" by Luca Penni on the left, and the "Venus and Cupid" by Jacob de Backer on the right. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Hong Kong Heritage Museum is staging "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance" exhibition starting from tomorrow (May 1). Photo shows the "Meet Mona Lisa" section. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Hong Kong Heritage Museum is staging "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance" exhibition starting from tomorrow (May 1). Photo shows the "Meet Mona Lisa" section. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Hong Kong Heritage Museum is staging "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance" exhibition starting from tomorrow (May 1). Photo shows an interactive installation of the "Meet Mona Lisa" section. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Hong Kong Heritage Museum is staging "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance" exhibition starting from tomorrow (May 1). Photo shows an interactive installation of the "Meet Mona Lisa" section. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Hong Kong Heritage Museum is staging "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance" exhibition starting from tomorrow (May 1). Photo shows the immersive multimedia display of the "Meet Mona Lisa" section. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Hong Kong Heritage Museum is staging "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance" exhibition starting from tomorrow (May 1). Photo shows the immersive multimedia display of the "Meet Mona Lisa" section. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Hong Kong Heritage Museum is staging "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance" exhibition starting from tomorrow (May 1). Photo shows officiating guests touring the exhibition. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Hong Kong Heritage Museum is staging "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance" exhibition starting from tomorrow (May 1). Photo shows guests at the giant 5-metre animated installation at the museum lobby. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The opening ceremony of "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance" exhibition was held today (April 30) at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum (HKHM). Photo shows officiating guests the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law (centre); the Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macau, Mrs Christile Drulhe (fourth left); Steward of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Mr Nicholas Hunsworth (fourth right); Co-chairman of the Board of French May Arts Festival Ms Pansy Ho (third left); the Vice President of the Grand Palais Immersif, Mr Vincent Larnicol (third right); the Chief Curator of Italian Painting of the Sixteenth Century of the Musée du Louvre, Mr Vincent Delieuvin (second left); the Curator and Art Historian of the Musée national de la Renaissance, Dr Matteo Gianeselli (second right); the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Manda Chan (first left); and the Museum Director of the HKHM, Mr Brian Lam (first right). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SFST leads delegation to visit Hangzhou

The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, led a 30-plus-strong delegation of representatives from financial institutions and industry leaders to visit Hangzhou today (June 15).

In the morning, Mr Hui and the Permanent Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Financial Services), Mrs Angelina Cheung, met with the Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the People's Government of Zhejiang Province, Mr Gu Jianxin, and the Deputy Director-General of the Department of Commerce of Zhejiang Province, Mr Shi Qiqi, to brief them on the purpose of bringing the delegation to Hangzhou. Mr Hui expressed his anticipation of strengthening connections between Hangzhou enterprises and Hong Kong financial professionals, thereby deepening mutual understanding and jointly capturing the global market opportunities.

Mr Hui and Mrs Cheung then joined the delegation for a networking luncheon themed "Hong Kong financial sector empowering Mainland enterprises to go global" and co-organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Shanghai, Invest Hong Kong, and the Department of Commerce of Zhejiang Province. The luncheon focused on discussions about how Mainland enterprises can leverage Hong Kong's financial advantages for securing financing and going global. Speakers shared insights with attendees from over 300 enterprises on topics such as establishing corporate treasury centres in Hong Kong, raising international capital, expanding businesses to global markets through Hong Kong, and Hong Kong's tax rules. The luncheon attracted over 400 corporate representatives to attend.

In his keynote speech at the luncheon, Mr Hui stated that the global economic and trade landscape, industrial division of labour, and capital flows are all undergoing profound restructuring. Mainland enterprises going global together is now an inevitable trend but at the same time presents a wealth of opportunities. He expressed the hope that this visit to Hangzhou, joined by industry leaders of the Hong Kong financial profession, will integrate the financial edge of Hong Kong with Hangzhou's digital technologies, bringing a synergy effect to achieve mutual empowerment and support Hangzhou enterprises in their journey to explore international markets.

He said, "As a powerhouse of the private and digital economies, Zhejiang Province stands as a premier hub for advanced manufacturing. Hangzhou is in particular the cradle of innovation for the digital economy, nurturing a vast cluster of vibrant, highly innovative premium enterprises with a strong ambition to expand globally. Hong Kong's core strengths lie in international finance, cross-boundary investment and financing services, world-class professional services, and alignment with international standards. All these attributes perfectly match the critical demands of Zhejiang enterprises seeking global expansion. With the high complementarity of resources and industrial synergy between Zhejiang and Hong Kong, it is indeed an impeccable integration of the real economy and international finance."

He added that by leading a financial delegation with over 30 industry leaders to Hangzhou, Suzhou and Shanghai at a time that marks the beginning of the National 15th Five-Year Plan, he is in the hope of supporting the strategic development of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD)'s core economy with Hong Kong's robust financial foundations. The delegation, which comprises industry leaders from Hong Kong's finance, insurance, accounting, and technology sectors, will gain precise insights into the needs of enterprises through visiting these three cities. This will in turn help connect Hong Kong's top-tier world-class services with premium enterprises in the YRD, thereby making greater contributions to the high-quality development of the region in the future.

At the networking luncheon, Mr Hui also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and the People's Government of Hangzhou Municipality. The MOU aims to promote exchanges, connectivity and innovative development between Hong Kong and Hangzhou Municipality in areas such as capital markets, fintech, wealth management and insurance, with a view to achieving mutual benefit and win-win outcomes for the industries.

In the afternoon, the delegation visited the Ant Group Headquarters in Hangzhou, where they were received by the Chairman of the Ant Group, Mr Eric Jing, and were given an introduction to the group's global development strategy. The two parties discussed how the Group could utilise Hong Kong's financial market to go further.

The delegation then proceeded to visit Manycore Tech Inc, where they met with its Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer, Mr Shen Bei. The two parties had a discussion on how the company, following its listing in Hong Kong, can strategically leverage the city's advantages in capital financing, foreign exchange management and cross-boundary diversified finance as an international financial centre to further expand its global footprint.

The delegation also visited the Institute of Global Development, Zhejiang University. The Institute was established this March, with an aim to provide training for mid-to-senior level personnel from governments and corporations worldwide to advance and deepen the implementation of global development initiatives.

Mr Hui and the delegation will visit Suzhou tomorrow (June 16).

SFST leads delegation to visit Hangzhou Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SFST leads delegation to visit Hangzhou Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SFST leads delegation to visit Hangzhou Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SFST leads delegation to visit Hangzhou Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SFST leads delegation to visit Hangzhou Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SFST leads delegation to visit Hangzhou Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SFST leads delegation to visit Hangzhou Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SFST leads delegation to visit Hangzhou Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SFST leads delegation to visit Hangzhou Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SFST leads delegation to visit Hangzhou Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SFST leads delegation to visit Hangzhou Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SFST leads delegation to visit Hangzhou Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SFST leads delegation to visit Hangzhou Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SFST leads delegation to visit Hangzhou Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases