“This event and your welcome presence here reflects Hong Kong’s longstanding role as a rising cultural bridge between East and West,” he said.
“Hong Kong is the only city in the world that enjoys both the China advantage and the global advantage. That is why we are committed to capitalizing on our unparalleled advantages and developing Hong Kong into a center for international cultural exchange that combines East and West.”
Wang delivered a speech at the opening ceremony on behalf of Sun Yeli, China’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, affirming and outlining Hong Kong’s role in the country’s cultural development plan.
“[The summit] has built an important platform to accelerate cultural exchange and understanding between China and overseas,” Wang said.
“I believe that the summit will not only give the local cultural industry a dose of vitality, but also give impetus to the combined development of culture and tourism at a wider, deeper and higher level.”
The conference is the latest mega event in Hong Kong since the new national security law came into force on Saturday, alongside the One Earth Summit, a global conference on sustainability transformation.
The Milken Institute’s inaugural Global Investors Symposium will also take place on Tuesday, followed by Art Basel and Art Central later this week.
Earlier in the day, Justice Minister Paul Lam Ting-kwok said the government’s efforts to explain the law to foreign communities would continue.
“Seeing is believing,” he said, adding that he expected increased foreign visits for the city’s recent mega events to mitigate the negative impact of Western “slander.”
At the opening of the International Cultural Summit, Henry Tang Ing-yen, chairman of the body that manages the arts center, said: “With this unique cultural and historical background of Eastern and Western cultures, Hong Kong will continue to expand our international efforts.”
He said the summit provided a platform for sharing, with insights and partnerships contributing to the “sustainable development of arts and culture on a global scale”.
The West Kowloon Cultural District Authority on Monday announced that the Palace Museum in Hong Kong is planning an exhibition in collaboration with the National Palace Museum of Versailles and Trianon, which is expected to open in December 2024. The special exhibition will look at cultural and artistic exchanges between China and France, mainly in the 18th century.
Newly announced exhibitions for 2025 include collaborations with the Musée National Picasso in Paris and the museums of Qatar.
Will the premium summit put Hong Kong on the global cultural map?
Will the premium summit put Hong Kong on the global cultural map?
Authorities also said that during the fourth Greater Bay Area Chinese Theater Cultural Festival in June, West Kowloon’s Xiqu Center will collaborate with the China Theater Association to present a selection of classic excerpts showcasing the country’s heritage of traditional theater performances .
For the summit’s first panel discussion, moderated by Betty Fung Executive Director Ching Suk-yee, leaders involved in the development of cultural districts gathered to discuss the social and economic contribution of an arts center. Participants were from the UK’s Victoria and Albert Museum, Qatar’s Museum of Islamic Art, Australia’s Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation and Japan’s Benesse Art Site Naoshima.
Speakers said it took years, if not decades, of work to reap the benefits of a cultural district, which requires a long-term vision.
“The value of this investment for the government is in creating a city that is liveable, that is culturally rich and therefore attracts a lot of business and a lot of visitors,” said Katrina Sedgwick, director and chief executive of Arts Center Melbourne.
“It’s about lifestyle, safety, the ability of citizens to come together and share ideas to explore stories together, all of these things are vital to a vibrant economy.”
The summit kicked off on Sunday evening, with top museums and cultural institutions from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Qatar, Australia, Colombia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Mainland China and others attending a welcome dinner in the Palace Museum in Hong Kong before two days of panel discussions at the arts centre.
The West Kowloon Cultural District signed 21 memorandums of understanding with the institutions whose participants attended the meeting, paving the way for collaboration in areas such as exhibitions, collection sharing, preservation, digitization and research, as well as education and exchange programs for arts administrators and artists.