Prestigious Beijing museums agree to Hengqin branch

The Hengqin Branch of the China Red Sandalwood Museum will bring the royal culture of the Palace Museum and traditional Chinese red sandalwood sculpture to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area when it comes into operation in 2019.

A tripartite agreement was signed by the Palace and China Red Sandalwood museums, and Hengqin New Area Administrative Committee in Beijing on Dec 13. They will cooperate in exhibition and cultural exchanges based upon equality, mutual benefit, resource sharing, and common development.

Positioned to become an international cultural and tourist venue, the Hengqin branch will receive professional guidance from the domestically renowned museums and support from the Hengqin government. It is to become a new cultural landmark and calling card in Zhuhai, according to a Hengqin official.

Signing ceremony [Photo courtesy Hengqin New Area Administrative Committee]

Located in Chaoyang District of Beijing, the China Red Sandalwood Museum opened to the public in September 1999. A national Grade 4A tourist attraction, it is China’s first and largest private museum committed to the research, collection, and exhibition of red sandalwood sculptures and Chinese classic furniture.

Red Sandalwood Sculpture was included in the third batch of national intangible cultural heritages by the State Council in September 2011. The museum was recognized by the Beijing Municipal Government as a demonstration base for productive protection of intangible cultural heritage in 2012.

Founded in 1925, the Palace Museum is housed in the Forbidden City, an imperial palace of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) dynasties. Its vast holdings of artwork and artifacts of the imperial collections make it the most prestigious museum in China. In 1987, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Attending the ceremony were Dr Shan Jixiang, director, and Wang Yamin, executive deputy director, of the Palace Museum; and Long Guangyan of the Standing Committee of the CPC Zhuhai Municipal Committee and director of the Publicity Department.