China News Service, Beijing, July 1st: How did the opening exhibition of the Hong Kong Palace Museum come about?

　　——Interview with Ren Wanping, Deputy Director of the Palace Museum

　　China News Agency reporter Ying Ni

　　On July 2, the Hong Kong Palace Museum will officially open to the public.

The Palace Museum and the Hong Kong Palace Museum jointly held 7 opening exhibitions, with a total of more than 900 precious cultural relics on display. About 70% of the cultural relics were exhibited in Hong Kong for the first time, including 166 first-class cultural relics at the "national treasure" level.

This is the largest and highest-level cultural relics outbound exhibition of the Palace Museum so far.

　　After the two sides established a working group in 2018, the staff of the Palace Museum began to prepare for the exhibition.

As the vice president of the Palace Museum in charge of business, Ren Wanping is in charge of the exhibition from beginning to end.

A few days ago, she accepted an exclusive interview with China News Agency's "East and West Questions", and answered questions of readers' concern about the preparation of the exhibition, the selection of exhibits, the rotation of cultural relics, and the cooperation between the Forbidden City and the two places.

The following is a summary of the interview transcript:

China News Service: It is reported that the Palace Museum has already started preparations for various exhibitions in 2018.

Could you please introduce the preparation process of the exhibition and how the theme of the exhibition was determined?

　Ren Wanping:

After the two sides established working groups in 2018, the Palace Museum established seven exhibition preparation groups at the same time.

The staff of the Hong Kong Museum have a better understanding of the local situation and the needs of the people. After further discussions between the two parties, the current exhibition title has been determined.

　　The seven opening exhibitions are "Forbidden Vientiane: Architecture, Collection and Cultural Inheritance"; "One Day in the Forbidden City: Court Life in the Qing Dynasty"; "Post-Portrait"; "Innovation in Instruments: Contemporary Design Dialogues with Ancient Crafts"; "Treasures of the Country: Calligraphy and Paintings of Jin, Tang, Song and Yuan Dynasties in the Palace Museum"; "Ride the World: Horse Culture and Art".

The exhibition includes paintings, calligraphy, bronzes, ceramics, gold and silver, enamel, jade, lacquer, glass, seals, weaving and embroidery, jewelry, sculptures, books, ancient collections and other categories, which reflects the profound Chinese nation. And a long historical and cultural heritage.

The seventh exhibition hall of the Hong Kong Palace Museum is being installed.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Cui Nan

　　The seven exhibitions are the relationship of the sum of points.

　　"Forbidden City: Architecture, Collection and Cultural Inheritance" introduces the Forbidden City in the Qing Dynasty through the collection of more than 100 pieces of the Forbidden City.

This exhibition is equivalent to the preface hall of the general exhibition, which provides a comprehensive understanding of the basic history and cultural context of the Forbidden City.

　　The Forbidden City used to be the place where emperors managed and lived, so how did people move in this space?

The second exhibition, "One Day in the Forbidden City: Court Life in the Qing Dynasty", is exactly the life of "people".

　　There are more than 1.86 million cultural relics in the Palace Museum. What kind of cultural value do these cultural relics have?

The exhibition is introduced by sub-items.

For example, the calligraphy and painting exhibition is "Treasures of the country: the calligraphy and painting of Jin, Tang, Song and Yuan Dynasties collected by the Palace Museum". On the tenth anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, the Palace Museum once held a major exhibition of the same theme in Hong Kong. Concrete as utensils: Ceramics from the Palace Museum” shows that ceramics, as one of the great inventions and contributions of Chinese people to the world, has profoundly changed the lives of people around the world; the exhibition “Innovation in utensils: Contemporary Design Dialogues with Ancient Craftsmanship” should be said Contemporary design is not a source of water or a tree without roots. Many of them inherit traditions. Therefore, we select cultural relics with design ideas from various categories to display, and compare the works of local designers in Hong Kong with the cultural relics of the Forbidden City.

　　The exhibition "Dragon, Face and Phoenix: Portraits of Emperors and Empresses in the Qing Dynasty" reproduces the drawing process of the works from design, draft to finished product, such as how to repair the damage in the face of damage.

There has long been a saying in Zuo Zhuan that "the major events of the country lie in the sacrifice and the Rong". This exhibition embodies the traditional concept of filial piety of the ancients of "be careful with the end and pursue the distant".

　　"Ride the World: Horse Culture and Art" mainly exhibits exhibits in the Forbidden City, as well as some exhibits in the Louvre Museum, which compare the art of horse culture in the East and the West.

In terms of painting, there is a piece of "Lion Jade" by Lang Shining, which is a white horse among the ten horses of the Qianlong emperor. The painting is more than five meters high.

Interior view of the third exhibition hall of the Hong Kong Palace Museum.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Cui Nan

China News Agency reporter: How do the two sides communicate with the exhibition of national treasure-level cultural relics?

What objective lending difficulties may be encountered?

How to solve?

Ren Wanping:

The exhibition includes 166 first-class cultural relics, accounting for 18% of the total number of exhibits.

"Treasures of the country: Jin, Tang, Song and Yuan paintings and calligraphy in the Palace Museum" includes 30 pieces (sets) of classic calligraphy and painting masterpieces dating back to the Jin and Tang dynasties, all of which are first-class cultural relics. exhibition.

　　Many of the exhibits fit the national treasure theme.

For example, the "Land Pavilion Preface" written by the calligrapher Wang Xizhi, whose original work has not been seen since Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, but the copy at that time was closer to the original work, so the Palace Museum kept the "Orchid Pavilion" in the Tang Dynasty. The eight kinds of ink traces related to the copy and later generations were called "Eight Columns of Lanting" by Emperor Qianlong. He believed that Yu Shinan's copy of "Orchid Pavilion Preface" ranked first, so the exhibition chose the best copy of "Orchid Pavilion"; "The Return of Xuejiang". The Zhutu scroll is the only landscape painting in the surviving works of Zhao Ji, Huizong of the Song Dynasty; it is also a blue-green landscape painting, and Zhao Boju's "Autumn Colors of Mountains and Rivers" scroll of the Southern Song Dynasty is actually more mature than Wang Ximeng's "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" scroll; a copy of "Luo Shen Fu" Not to mention the preciousness.

　　Qing Qianlong style white jade Tongyin Lady Tushanzi, the jade material used was originally scrap, but through the skillful application of jade craftsmanship, a more artistic handicraft was created, so this first-class cultural relic appeared in the design exhibition.

　　The exhibition not only depends on the level of cultural relics, but also on the fit between the cultural relics and the theme.

There is a long-distance transportation from Beijing to Hong Kong. We fully considered the issue of cultural relics protection during the preparation process of the exhibition. On this basis, we actively promoted the desire of the Hong Kong Palace Museum to serve the people of Hong Kong.

China News Service: How will the cultural relics exhibited in Hong Kong be rotated?

Ren Wanping:

The rotation of cultural relics is based on the basic principles of cultural relics protection.

Organic cultural relics such as paper or silk paintings and calligraphy, the old saying is "paper has a thousand years of life, silk has an eight hundred years of life", this category is relatively fragile; and silk fabrics, such as emperors' clothes, are also greatly affected by ultraviolet rays and light. , These cultural relics will be rotated more frequently, especially the paintings and calligraphy in "Treasures of the Country", which are rotated once a month.

All exhibits are displayed in three phases, and silk fabrics are displayed for three months.

　　Inorganic cultural relics such as ceramics, glass, enamel, jade, etc. are not greatly affected by the external environment and are planned to be replaced every year.

　　Well-known cultural relics such as the white glazed baby pillow from the Dingyao kiln in the Northern Song Dynasty and the Tushanzi, a lady in Tongyin, a white jade of the Qing Dynasty, will be exhibited for three months.

As a star exhibit, everyone likes it. After exhibiting in Hong Kong for a period of time to meet the needs of Hong Kong people, the Palace Museum will also receive audiences from all over the country and the world. It would be a pity if they could not see the treasures.

Therefore, we have adopted the traditional Chinese philosophy of "holding for dual purposes" and taking appropriate measures according to different situations.

A white-glazed baby pillow from Dingyao in the Northern Song Dynasty.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Cui Nan

China News Service reporter: What kind of resources does the Palace Museum provide in terms of digital cultural creation?

Ren Wanping:

After the opening of the Hong Kong Palace Museum, the Palace Museum has successively provided 7 virtual reality programs including "The Forbidden City: The Palace of the Son of Heaven", "The Hall of Mental Cultivation", "Ling Marsh Pavilion" and "Han Xizai Night Banquet", with high-precision digital videos. The form shows the cultural heritage of the Palace Museum and the cultural relics in the courtyard more intuitively to the Hong Kong audience.

　　The Palace Museum also provided three special video programs, "Moonlight, Wind, Clear and Twilight and the Forbidden City", "Eight Great Works" and "New Events in the Palace Museum", focusing on the cultural heritage protection achievements of the Palace Museum, so that Hong Kong audiences can learn about the restoration of ancient buildings and cultural relics of the Palace Museum. and other intangible cultural heritage as well as the latest ideas and achievements of academic research.

　　In addition to visiting the exquisite collection of cultural relics in the exhibition hall, those who are still interested can continue to "tour the Forbidden City" anytime, anywhere through the official website of the Palace Museum (www.dpm.org.cn), the "Digital Palace Museum" applet and the "Products of the Palace Museum" series of apps.

　　The "Panorama Palace Museum" allows the audience to experience the grandeur and exquisite workmanship of the Palace Museum in Hong Kong without leaving home. They can also switch to different seasons at any time, watch the snow scene and enjoy the spring flowers.

The "Digital Cultural Relics Library" displays more than 83,000 wonderful cultural relics of the Forbidden City of various eras and categories.

The audience can carefully appreciate the precious paintings and calligraphy images collected by the Taste Institute in the "Famous Paintings of the Forbidden City", including more than 600 works including "Across the River during Qingming Festival", "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains", and "Qianlong Great Reading". The ultra-high-definition images of billions of pixels are enough to see The expressions of each character in the Qing painting.

The "Daily Palace Museum" app selects a collection of treasures every day, and the "Forbidden City Exhibition" app allows Hong Kong people to enter the Forbidden City to watch the exhibition at any time.

The cultural relics displayed in the exhibition halls are displayed on large screens in the Hong Kong Palace Museum.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Cui Nan

China News Agency reporter: How will the two Forbidden City be linked in the future?

The opening exhibition is about to meet the people of Hong Kong. How do you feel at this moment?

Ren Wanping:

After the exhibition runs for a period of time, if the Hong Kong audience has any comments or suggestions, the Hong Kong curatorial team will further sort out these needs. The Palace Museum will always maintain a good interaction with Hong Kong colleagues.

In the future, there may be a special exhibition of cultural relics in the Palace Museum, or a group exhibition may be held to give full play to the advantages of Hong Kong in promoting exchanges between the East and the West. exhibition.

　　Wang Xudong, Director of the Palace Museum, said, "The Hong Kong Palace Museum is not our branch. On the contrary, the two sides are a partnership, and the positioning of the collections complements each other." The exhibition of the Hong Kong Palace Museum has many innovative angles, the dialogue between the past and the present, the relationship between the East and the West, and the relationship between the East and the West. The interpretation of horse culture, etc., all reflect the advantages and characteristics of the intersection of Chinese and Western cultures in Hong Kong.

The Palace Museum cooperates with the Chinese Academy of Culture in Hong Kong to launch a variety of cultural lectures and teaching resources "Our Palace Museum".

Experts from the Forbidden City have contributed to the Institute's "Splendid Chinese Civilization" website, kicking off the series of "Our Forbidden City" activities.

　　The cooperation between the Palace Museum in Beijing and the Hong Kong Palace Museum is a win-win situation.

During the cooperation, the two sides were inspired by each other. For example, young people in Hong Kong are more active in thinking and more creative. We are relatively rigorous, and we can inspire and collide with each other in terms of academics and ideas.

　　Next, we will make persistent efforts and cooperate sincerely to make the future Hong Kong Palace Museum better, so that traditional Chinese culture can be spread through more diverse and wider channels, and nourish the hearts of contemporary people.

Help Hong Kong people truly understand the excellent traditional Chinese culture, enhance cultural self-confidence, and inspire people to create greater glories.

(Finish)

Interviewee Profile:

　　Ren Wanping is currently the Vice President of the Palace Museum and a member of the Academic Committee of the Palace Museum.

He once served as a special project expert for the National Qing History Compilation Project.

The State Council commends experts with outstanding contributions and enjoys special government allowances.

He is also the secretary-general of the Qing Dynasty Palace History Research Association of the Chinese History Society, and the sixth and seventh vice-chairmen of the China Museums Association.

He is mainly engaged in the research on the political system and etiquette of the Qing Dynasty, especially the in-depth thinking on the court etiquette and customs of the Qing Dynasty, which has the characteristics of integration.

He has lectured in many museums and universities in China, as well as in museums and universities in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Britain, Germany, Russia, Japan, the United States, Canada and other countries.

Planned and hosted the Palace Museum's "Dragon and Phoenix Showing Auspiciousness - Qing Dynasty Emperor's Wedding Celebration Exhibition", "All Heaven Celebrating - Qing Dynasty Longevity Ceremony Exhibition", "New Year's Eve - New Year's Eve in the Forbidden City", "Danchen Eternal - Forbidden City Completed" Six Hundred Years" and many other thematic and comprehensive exhibitions.

Published many books and dozens of papers.