Overview:
We began our HKU Museum Society activities last year with an outdoor trip to the Sai Kung Rock Region. This year, it is fitting to continue this tradition of discovering the great natural beauty of Hong Kong in Tung Lung Chau (東龍洲) and Po Toi Island (蒲台島) again with Professor Chan Lung-sang.
We will walk to the largest ancient rock carving in Hong Kong on Tung Lung Chau, located just east of Victoria Harbour. The distance of the walk is about 2 km round trip. If time and weather conditions permit, we will ride to the Ninepin Islands to view the sea arch and spectacular coastal landforms of this area.
Lunch and a walk will be arranged in Po Toi, a small island just 3 km off the southeastern coast of Hong Kong Island. Many of the rock formations have been poetically named Turtle Rock, Monk Rock, etc, although admittedly, one has to have a huge dose of imagination to envision the various shapes that they were named for. We will learn about rock formation and rock history from Professor Chan. The rugged coastline has been hewn from continuous pounding of the waves below the cliffs. Like most islands, there is a Tin Hau Temple, where in the old days, fishermen prayed for good harvests and safe journeys. The trip will end at about 5 pm when we disembark in Aberdeen.
Resource Person:
Professor Chan Lung-sang (陳龍生教授) is an expert in Hong Kong geology. He received his bachelor degree from Chinese University of Hong Kong and his Ph.D from University of California at Berkeley. He taught for 10 years in the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and 17 years in the Science Faculty of the University of Hong Kong. His leadership in teaching and learning was recognized when he was awarded the University of Hong Kong's Distinguished Teaching Award in 2009. A true believer of experiential learning, he has led many field trips around Hong Kong for the public and education sectors. He was invited to guest host the TV documentary series 'Vanishing Glacier' in 2008 and 'Water of Life' recently.
由香港大學博物館名譽顧問、著名香港歷史學家鄭寶鴻先生帶領，同遊香港的心臟地帶 — 中西區。隨著時代變遷、社會進步，真是「古今多少事、都付笑談中」。漫步在新舊交錯的中西區建設中，鄭先生將會給我們講解今昔典故，奕奕如生。
途經：中環外商及華人的銀行區、貿易中心、早期的戲院、中環街市一帶雲集的茶樓和食肆。
上環文咸東街的華人金融區、早期華人活動場所及果欄的「十王殿廣場」、上環街市、華人貿易巨擘的「南北行」及「鹹魚欄」、「國家醫院」所在的「雀仔橋」、「掘斷山街」(荷李活道) 、 早期名為「佔領角」的「大笪地」(荷李活公園)、東華醫院、文武廟、皇仁書院等。
最後，經歌賦街往蓮香茶樓品茗特別預定的懷舊點心。
With the cool weather of December, we have invited UMAG honorary advisor and Hong Kong historian Cheng Po Hung to lead a walking tour through the Central and Western Districts where the juxtapositions of old and new, East and West are clear testimonials of the growth and development of Hong Kong. Starting from Statue Square, Cheng will recount stories as we cover landmarks from banking and trading, cinemas, hospitals, temples, markets and restaurants before ending at Lin Heung Tea House for some nostalgic dim sums.
Do join us for this trip down memory lane to revisit the past, face the present, and consider what’s ahead.
“Digital photography has provided every camera user with a lot more freedom for creative experimentation,” says Carsten Schael, President of the Institute of Professional Photographers and an award-winning photographer with a background in commercial visual art.
In this 2nd four-hour workshop, Carsten will teach and encourage you to take a more creative approach in digital photography. He will cover the theory of creative techniques followed with the practical task of photo-shooting, review and edit before ending with individual critique sessions. Understanding that people in Hong Kong are very busy, this workshop aims to instantly broaden your creative realm.
Please bring along your digital camera (big or small) to produce immediate results in the guided shooting session.
As this workshop requires some basic knowledge of your camera functions, please consider attending the earlier workshop “Exploring Digital Photography” to optimize your understanding.
Hong Kong has long been a city of wine aficionados, but historically collectors and investors stored their wines overseas to avoid wine import taxes. When wine duties were lifted in 2008, the financial benefits of storing wine halfway across the world vanished and Hong Kong immediately became a viable destination for wine cellars. Wine buffs from around the region quickly flocked to Hong Kong to find storage options for their fine collections.
13 Degrees is one such full service wine storage facility that offers sophisticated climate control and security systems to protect valuable liquid assets while allowing them to mature in a nurturing environment. Boasting spacious rooms for events and tastings, the connoisseur owners designed the cellarage not only fit for their personal collections but also as a venue where wine collectors could gather to enjoy fine wine and gourmet food.
For this special occasion, we are pleased to announce that 13 Degrees will kindly open their private venue to our members. Based on the fresh catch of the day, their in-house Chef Ming will prepare a gourmet nine-course Chinese seafood dinner tastefully paired with fine wine.
One month quickly passes and our first members’ photography exhibition "Celebrations!" will end soon on 15 November 2011. To complete the fun that has led up to this special event, everyone is invited to a closing party to meet and chat with photographers and friends over wine and cheese while listening to some light jazzy music. This will be a casual get-together for a last glimpse of the exhibition before it is dismantled at 6:00 pm.
It will also be a wonderful chance for members to socialize and share feedbacks with the Executive Committee about the exhibition and photography book or other activities and trips. New ideas and volunteers are greatly welcome.
In the season of Thanksgiving, let’s pat each other on the back, and celebrate the good works done for "Celebrations!"
Many photography enthusiasts have embraced digital photography in recent years. But the transition from analogue to digital was not always without problems and frustrations. Learning new terminologies and mastering the use of multi-function options to capture the perfect shot can be a challenge.
Carsten Schael, one of the distinguished jurors of the "Celebrations!" exhibition, is the President of the Institute of Professional Photographers and an award-winning photographer who has worked with digital imaging for over fifteen years. From capturing the shot to processing and outputting the final product, he has used digital technology to create a large variety of images for uses ranging from international advertising campaigns to fine art works.
In this comprehensive four-hour workshop, Carsten will provide you with answers, solutions, tips as well as tricks on how to make the most of your digital equipment.
Participants are invited to bring along your preferred camera for some hands-on instruction and problem-solving. You may also bring samples of your digital images (JPG files on USB stick) to solve any specific questions
Christie’s Hong Kong will again hold its autumn 2011 sale of Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. You are invited to join the popular preview tour led by Christie’s specialists, Pola Antebi and Rosemary Scott, to view the exquisite Chinese Works of Art objects featured in this season’s auctions.
Pola Antebi joined Christie’s Hong Kong in 1990 and since 2000 has been the Head of the Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Department in Hong Kong. Her areas of expertise include Imperial ceramics, jades and works of art from the Yuan to the Qing periods. She is currently a member of the Hong Kong Management Committee. Rosemary Scott is the International Academic Director of Christie’s Asian Art Department and a former president of the London Oriental Ceramic Society.
Rosanna Li Wei Han is a well-known Hong Kong ceramicist whose robust ceramic figurines are imbued with cultural and symbolic meaning. For "Café Acrobatic", Li has created a troupe of “acrobats” who perform their daily tasks in the typical Hong Kong “cha chaan teng” – 茶餐廳 – with agility, grace and humour. Visitors to the exhibition will meet the chef and his staff, the cashier, waiters – everyone whose strength, speed and skill are admired by Li as they go about their everyday work.
“This exhibition is a big mix of my childhood fantasies and life-long obsession with traditional Chinese and local cultures,” Li says about "Café Acrobatic".
Born in Hong Kong, Rosanna Li studied ceramics at the Hong Kong Polytechnic. She pursued her undergraduate studies in Art Education at the University of Liverpool and earned a post-graduate Diploma in Art Education from the University of London. She also obtained a Master’s Degree in Educational Management from the Cheltenham & Gloucester College as well as a Master’s Degree in Cultural Studies from Lingnan University. From 1990 to 2010 she worked in the School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, while making successful endeavours in the art scene.
In this special tour, Li will talk about the inspiration for "Café Acrobatic" and the process of creating the figurines, a body of works that delights us and deepens our insight into everyday life.
Chinese theatre is one of the world’s three oldest theatres. Unlike the other two, namely, Greek theatre and Sanskrit theatre, which are rarely brought to stage nowadays, Chinese theatre has been actively performed for centuries to this day as what is generally known as Chinese opera. While understanding of the early development of this ancient art form was based heavily on textual sources, archaeological discoveries in the past few decades have offered us fascinating insights into the subject.
This talk will reveal to the audience images of actors and actresses in performance from tomb furnishings and temple decoration in the Song and Yuan dynasties. They are in the form of carvings, figurines and paintings. Through these depictions, we shall look into the characteristics of theatrical performance in China some 700 years ago, and their linkage to contemporary performance. The discussion will cover such aspects as stage architecture and design, costumes, and make-up, etc. The main focus is on the early development of the role category system, which is a unique feature of Chinese theatre. The visual data will enable us to appreciate some intriguing aspects of the role differentiation between male and female performers as well as cross gender acting, a practice that still persists in some regional genres of Chinese opera nowadays.
The Speaker
Dr Irene Tsang obtained her MA and PhD degrees from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London in the field of art and archaeology. After finishing her doctoral study, she taught subjects of Chinese opera and Chinese art in City University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She is now working on a book about the archaeology of performance in ancient China which is adapted from her PhD thesis.
Tina Yee-wan Pang, Curator of the University Museum and Art Gallery (UMAG), will give an informal presentation of current curatorial practices in the USA at a time of unprecedented cultural expansion worldwide, both with the building of new museums and the expansion of existing institutions. She will share her thoughts on how these exciting developments can encourage a closer reading of museum missions. She will explore the relationship of museums to their community, as well as describe how collections are currently being used, and the contexts in which art is being positioned.
Tina’s research would not have been possible without the generous support of the Lee Hysan Foundation, which funded her Asian Cultural Council Grant in 2010.
In addition to her role as Curator of UMAG, Tina is also an Honorary Assistant Professor in the Department of Fine Arts at The University of Hong Kong. She graduated from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London in Chinese and Art & Archaeology, and holds an MPhil from St. Hilda’s College, Oxford in Ethnology and Museum Ethnography.
