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RECREATION, SPORT AND THE ARTS
from the Longxing Temple in Qingzhou. Another highlight was The Golden Section (1912–1925), French Cubism, which introduced representative works by the masters of the Cubist movement in the early 20th century. Splendid exhibits of In Pursuit of Antiquities: 40th Anniversary Exhibition of the Min Chiu Society demonstrated the efforts made by members of the society in collecting Chinese antiquities and their enthusiasm for promoting Chinese culture in the community. The miniatures of Power & Desire: South Asian Paintings from the San Diego Museum of Art, Edwin Binney III Collection created a kaleidoscopic view of the exotic Indian world that is rich in both everyday detail and universal allusion.
In the field of Chinese fine arts, Dong Qichang and the Songjiang School of Painting showed the influence of the Ming master and his followers both on the artistic development of painting in his time and on modern painters. In the renovated Chinese Antiquities Gallery, the long-term exhibition Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth: Gems of Antiquities Collections of Hong Kong represented the superb achievements of the ancient Chinese in art and craft.
In local art, the affection of the artists for Hong Kong was visualised through their works of various stylistic approaches and creative ideas in Hong Kong: the Artists' Vision. Presented in the form of a competition/exhibition, the Hong Kong Art Biennial 2001 highlighted the recent trends and development of local art in the new millennium. It also featured the representative Hong Kong works recently displayed in the Venice Biennial.
To foster public interest in art, the museum organised a wide range of education and extension programmes, including small travelling exhibitions, video shows, family programmes, art workshops and guided tours. The displays of the museum's collection, together with the special exhibitions and education activities, attracted about 270 075 visitors and participants during the year.
Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware
The museum collection comprises various kinds of teaware and related vessels from the collection of the late Dr K.S. Lo and rare ancient Chinese ceramics and seals donated by the K.S. Lo Foundation. Three special exhibitions were held: Yixing Teaware from the 19th to the 20th Centuries introduced the evolution of styles, shapes and decoration of Yixing teaware; Teaware by Hong Kong Potters 2001 demonstrated the technical and artistic achievements of local potters; and A Story about Teapots illustrated the history of the development of teapots as well as the processes for manufacturing ceramics and producing tea in the 19th century. The museum had about 129 390 visitors during the year.
Hong Kong Museum of History
The opening of the permanent exhibition The Hong Kong Story on August 29 was a milestone for the Museum of History. The Hong Kong Story starts from the Devonian Period 400 million years ago and outlines the natural environment, folk culture and historical development of Hong Kong, culminating in China's resumption of sovereignty in 1997. The exhibition attracted more than 270 650 visitors by the end of the year. The museum as a whole had about 371 610 visitors.
Opened in July 2000, the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence has been converted from the former Lei Yue Mun Fort and features the history of Hong Kong's coastal defence from the time of the Ming Dynasty. It had 490 150 visitors in