Dear Members,

2012 marks a year of change and growth. We bid goodbye to Committee Member Vanessa Wong and thank her for the past 6 years' contributions. At the same time, we send our best wishes to her and her family as she prepares for new motherhood.

Our new year will kick off with a lecture at UMAG by Dr. Lee Ho Yin, Director of HKU's Architectural Conservation Programme on 'Museum and Society - Social Ideologies of Museum Architecture'. Also at UMAG, we have two additional events - Xu scions, Humphrey and Danny Hui will give a tour of their acclaimed family's exhibition, "Virtuous Heritage"; and world-renowned collector Richard Kan will present a colourful lecture on 'Imperial Monochrome Porcelains of the Yuan to Qing Dynasties'.

While the weather is still cool and crisp, we shall go on three field trips. The first is a nature adventure to Tung Lung Chau and Po Toi Island with Professor Chan Lung-sang of HKU's Department of Earth Sciences. The second is a triple-treat outing to Macau for the Song Dynasty Ceramics Exhibition at the Macao Museum of Art with UMAG Director Yeung Chun-tong, follow by a gourmet lunch at Don Alfonso, and finish with a heritage walk and talk with Dr. Francisco Pinheiro of the Macau Civic & Municipal Affairs Bureau. The third is a visit to Shenzhen to envisage the '2011 Shenzhen & Hong Kong Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture' led by Joan Leung of Lotus Architects.

There will be an exciting visit to Asia Society Hong Kong Center's new home for their inaugural exhibition, "Transforming Minds - Buddhism in Art", guided by Dominique Chan, the Assistant Gallery Manager and former assistant curator of UMAG. Immediately after the tour, there will be a lecture, 'Devotion and Patronage: Why and How Buddhist Monasteries Were Built' given by Professor Puay-peng Ho, Director of the School of Architecture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

It has been proven time and again that culinary evenings are popular among our members. We shall savour some rustic Italian fare, which may whet our appetite for the upcoming wine and truffle tour to Tuscany in October.

With many activities and tours installed for you in 2012, please stay tuned with us. If you have not renewed your annual membership, it's good time to do so.

Chinese New Year is coming soon. Our "Celebrations!" book of the beautiful photos from around the world will make a brilliant golden present to your family and friends, both as a gesture of friendship and a show of support to the Museum. Once again, on behalf of the Executive Committee, I would like to thank all photographers for their contributions to make this publication possible.

May spring awaken the spirit and rekindle the soul!

Bonnie Kwan Huo (霍關天穎)
Chairman