ENG-2001 — Page 483

RECREATION, SPORT AND THE ARTS

blue-and-white porcelain sherds from the famous Jingdezhen kiln in Jiangxi Province was unearthed, suggesting that Hong Kong might have been a stop on the ancient maritime trade route. The excavation at the forecourt of Tai Fu Tai, a traditional mansion built in 1865, also yielded features such as foundations of a substantial building with many ceramic fragments, opium containers, coins, a well in the shape of an octagon and a pond with a structure in the middle. These discoveries provided new information on the life of the former occupants of the residential complex in the Qing Dynasty.

The large rescue excavation at Ho Chung in Sai Kung, jointly conducted by the office and the Department of Anthropology of Zhongshan University in Guangdong Province, from November 2000 to February, was most rewarding. The excavation yielded a large quantity of stone artefacts such as polished adzes, chipped picks, polishing stones and pebble tools. It was suggested that the Ho Chung area was a stone working site in which Neolithic people selected suitable pebbles from the river mouth for making stone implements.

An exhibition entitled Winning Entries of UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage 2000 Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation was staged at the Exhibition Gallery of the Antiquities and Monuments Office from February 24 to July 3. Three travelling exhibitions, namely Hong Kong's Heritage A History of 6 000 Years, Profiles of the History of Yau Tsim Mong and Antiquities and Monuments Office and Declared Monuments in Hong Kong, were organised. An exhibition on the Former KCR Terminus and the Clock Tower in Tsim Sha Tsui was also held.

The office launched its first Hong Kong Heritage Awards scheme on July 4. The public response was positive and encouraging. Heritage tours were also organised regularly by the office, and volunteers were recruited for various kinds of work.

Lord Wilson Heritage Trust

The Lord Wilson Heritage Trust was established in 1992, following the enactment of an ordinance bearing the same name. It aims to promote the preservation and conservation of Hong Kong's heritage.

During the year, apart from sponsoring $0.99 million for three heritage-related activities and research projects, the trust also allocated $334,460 to the Summer Youth Programme Committee for organising heritage-related activities in the HKSAR's 18 districts. Through participation in these activities, young people could develop their interest in preserving Hong Kong's heritage.

Museums

Hong Kong Museum of Art

The Hong Kong Museum of Art collects works of Chinese antiquities, Chinese painting and calligraphy, contemporary Hong Kong art as well as historical pictures. The collections are displayed in its permanent galleries. The displays are rotated regularly to present different themes and to arouse public interest. Apart from its own collections, the museum presents exhibitions from overseas to maintain an international character.

During the year, a major exhibition Buddhist Sculptures: New Discoveries from Qingzhou, Shandong Province featured the finest Buddhist statues recently excavated

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