Home Visit - Mimi Hung

The Museum Society is honoured to visit the home of Mimi Wong Hung and view her internationally renowned Hung Collection of Ming and Qing Chinese furniture.

Mimi is the great-granddaughter of Wang Yi Ting, also known as Wang Zhen (1867-1938), who was the former Chairman of the Buddhist Society in Shanghai. A distinguished painter of Buddhist images, his works had been sold at international auction houses. A thesis about him was also published in 2000 by The University of Hong Kong. Her family hosted Albert Einstein during his well-publicized visit to China on transit to Japan.

After living overseas for a period of time, Mimi returned to Hong Kong in 1973. With the profits from a successful electronic manufacturing business, she and her former husband started acquiring Chinese furniture in 1985 as a need to furnish their home. That was the beginning of a long and passionate journey into Chinese furniture collecting. It was also a very opportune time as she was able to pick up what others threw away. With her sincerity and enthusiasm, she made many good friends who assisted her in forming the Hung Collection. Some of her pieces were exhibited in 1998 at the San Francisco Asian Art Museum along with a published catalogue, Essence of Style.

Robert H. Ellsworth who privately catalogued Masterpieces of David and Peggy Rockefeller Collection in 1994, had also catalogued the Hung Collection in 1996 and 2005, producing two volumes titled, Chinese Furniture: The Hung Collection. Together, they form some of the most important books on Chinese furniture.

During our visit, we will hear her stories about the various exquisite and rare pieces in her collection, and see how she has tastefully arranged these pieces in her home.