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RECREATION, SPORT AND THE ARTS

Other special exhibitions were presented to cover noted local artists. Hong Kong Cityscapes Ink Painting in Transition, a rerun of an exhibition held during the Hong Kong Festival in London, provided an overview of ink painting and its evolution in Hong Kong in recent decades. Sun Xingge: An Exhibition of Chinese Painting and Calligraphy, featuring a new museum collection generously donated by the family of Sun, reflected the unique artistic accomplishments of this well-known Guangdong painter who settled in Hong Kong in the early years. Hong Kong Art Biennial 2003, a region-wide event, featured works by local artists selected from over a thousand entries. The exhibition, covering a wide range of media, fully illustrated the recent development of contemporary Hong Kong art and the creativity of local artists. Also on display was Navigating the Dot - Collective in Progress, a new version of the Hong Kong exhibition at the 50th Venice Biennale.

In order to enrich people's knowledge of its collections, the museum updated its permanent exhibitions with new exhibits from time to time. The Chinese Antiquities Gallery featured a new exhibition The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving, which cast light on the artefacts of the Ming and Qing dynasties in the Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth: Gems of Antiquities Collections in Hong Kong exhibition series. For Chinese painting and calligraphy, Selection of 20th Century Chinese Figure Paintings from the Museum's Collection showed the faces of people in the new era as seen by Chinese artists in the past century. The Xubaizhai Gallery also featured Selection from the Xubaizhai Collection of Chinese Calligraphy with a fine selection of over 50 works of calligraphy from the 'Six Dynasties' period to the 20th century.

To enhance the public's interest in art, the museum also organised a wide range of education and extension programmes, including video shows, special lectures, family programmes, art workshops and guided tours. During the year, the museum took part in various major art extension programmes such as the International Museum Day and the 'School Culture Day'. Moreover, the museum liased with 26 different art organisations, groups, tertiary institutions and galleries and presented over 20 fringe exhibitions and programmes for the Hong Kong Art Biennial 2003.

The exhibitions, together with various education and extension programmes, attracted over 207 000 visitors and participants during the year.

Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware

The collection of this museum comprises various kinds of teaware and related vessels from the collection of the late Dr K.S. Lo and rare Chinese ceramics and seals donated by the K.S. Lo Foundation. Two special exhibitions were held in 2003: Far Beyond Teapots featured various vessels for tea and wine, of periods ranging from the Neolithic period to the 20th century; Yuanyang: An Exhibition of Coffee and Tea Vessels illustrated items of coffee and tea vessels tailor-made by noted Hong Kong artists to associate with the theme yuanyang (a mixture of milk tea and coffee).

The museum organised a variety of educational activities, such as demonstrations of Chinese tea drinking, tea gatherings for parents and children, tea gatherings with instrumental music, tea classes and video shows. During the year, over 182 000 visitors were entertained.

Hong Kong Museum of History

Throughout the year, in addition to The Hong Kong Story permanent exhibition, the Museum of History presented four thematic exhibitions: namely A Tribute to