HKPM and PolyU Launch Joint Chinese Textile Centre

The Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM or the Museum) and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) are pleased to announce the establishment of The Hong Kong Palace Museum – The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Joint Chinese Textile Centre ('the Centre'). Drawing on the unparalleled strength of the nearly 3,000 items from the Chris Hall Collection at the HKPM ('the Collection'), the promised gifts from the esteemed art collector Mr Chris HALL to the Museum, the Centre is committed to advancing global understanding and innovative application of Chinese historical textiles from different perspectives, ranging from art, history to science and technology, through research, teaching, training, public education, and publication projects.

The Signing Ceremony of the collaborative agreement for The Hong Kong Palace Museum – The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Joint Chinese Textile Centre was held at the HKPM today. Witnessed by Mr Leo KUNG, Chairman of the HKPM Board; Dr LAM Tai-fai, PolyU Council Chairman; Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, PolyU President; and Mrs Betty FUNG, Chief Executive Officer of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, the Agreement was signed by Dr Louis NG, Museum Director of the HKPM and Prof. Ben YOUNG, PolyU Vice President (Student and Global Affairs).

Combining the expertise and research capacity of HKPM in Chinese history, arts and culture, and that of PolyU in textiles, fashion and design, the Centre is well-positioned to lead and promote research, education, publication, and creative projects related to historical Chinese textiles. The Centre’s key focuses include the history of Chinese textiles, Chinese textile archaeology, and Chinese costume, as well as textile scientific research, textile technology, and the Silk Road.

The Centre will provide PolyU with valuable resources for teaching, research, and outreach initiatives of its Faculty of Humanities, School of Fashion and Textiles, School of Design, and other faculties/departments as well as opportunities for PolyU faculty members and students to study the Collection. PolyU will also develop teaching materials and offer courses specialising in the history of Chinese textiles and silk by leveraging the Collection. Through the Centre, PolyU and HKPM will jointly organise academic activities focusing on historical Chinese textiles, including courses, seminars, workshops, and publications.

Mr Leo Kung, Chairman of the HKPM Board, said, “The Hong Kong Palace Museum – The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Joint Chinese Textile Centre, established through the collaboration between two important institutions, provides an important platform to promote the study and appreciation of Chinese textiles culture globally. It also allows students and the public alike to explore the history and cultural heritage of Chinese textiles with the two institutions’ shared vision and mission of preserving and bringing forward Chinese culture. We extend our deepest gratitude to Mr Chris Hall for his generous promised gifts to the HKPM, which are one of the world’s most comprehensive and significant collections of historical Chinese textiles. With this collection, the HKPM is poised to play a leading role in the study and display of Chinese textiles and promote international exchange through exhibition, research, and education programmes.”

Dr Lam Tai-fai, PolyU Council Chairman, said, “The establishment of the Joint Chinese Textile Centre marks a significant advancement for PolyU and the Hong Kong Palace Museum in promoting research, education, and the inheritance and innovation of Chinese textiles. As an innovative world-class university, PolyU has earned international acclaim for its academic and research achievements in textiles and design over the years. This collaboration will harness the strengths of both institutions to amplify the impact of this world-class Collection in research, teaching, contemporary fashion, and design. It aims to enhance global awareness and appreciation of Chinese textile art, while preserving the rich traditional Chinese culture and solidifying Hong Kong’s position as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.”

A major exhibition featuring the Chris Hall Collection at the Hong Kong Palace Museum will be presented at the Museum next year

The renowned Hong Kong-based Chinese textile collector, Mr Chris Hall, has offered the HKPM his promised gifts as “The Chris Hall Collection at the Hong Kong Palace Museum”. This collection includes nearly 3,000 works spanning from the Warring States period (475– 221 BCE) to the 21st century. It encompasses examples of all major categories in Chinese textiles with unique strength in areas, such as rank badges from the Ming and Qing dynasties and religious textiles. Accompanied by extensive research materials that include textile sample books, this collection will provide a key resource for the study of Chinese textiles.

Mr Chris Hall will formally donate the Chris Hall Collection at the Hong Kong Palace Museum to HKPM in 2034. Starting from December 2024, part of the Collection will be transferred to the Museum’s premises as promised gifts, making HKPM the repository of one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of historical Chinese textiles. Featuring the Collection, the HKPM will present a large-scale survey exhibition in the second half of 2025 with the themes of the history of Chinese silk culture and the cross-cultural exchanges exemplified through textiles. The HKPM will lead the documentation and digitilisation projects for the Collection.

Mr Chris Hall said, “My promised gifts to the Hong Kong Palace Museum are the fruition of my art collecting efforts over the past few decades. They testify to nearly three thousand years of history in China, its splendid culture, and the Chinese people’s pursuit of beauty. I am pleased to have the Hong Kong Palace Museum as the home of this Collection. I believe that the Centre will offer an interdisciplinary and international research and creative platform that brings together many exceptional experts in the fields of curation, research, education, and publication. The Centre will make the Collection more accessible and impactful, serving as a research resource for many students and scholars, and a source of inspiration for artists and designers. I hope that the Centre will help increase our historical and cultural knowledge and encourage the appreciation of the beauty of Chinese textiles by the general public.”