CityU’s Tong-an Ships and Cheung Po-tsai new media art exhibition extends to 17 October
A new media exhibition co-organised by City University of Hong Kong (CityU) and the National Palace Museum (NPM) in Taipei that brings to life sea-faring culture during the Qing Dynasty in the 19th century and the story of the famed pirate Cheung Po-tsai will be extended following excellent reviews from the public.
The “Rebuilding the Tong-an Ships New Media Art Exhibition” will now run until 17 October. During the extension period, schools, social organisations and institutions are welcome to make appointments. The exhibition period was originally scheduled to run from 15 August to 30 September.
The positive response to the exhibition signals the fruition of CityU’s efforts in promoting culture and art. It also marks a milestone in terms of cultural and art exchanges between Hong Kong and Taiwan. CityU is NPM’s first collaborative partner in Hong Kong.
The Tong-an shuttle ships that feature prominently in the exhibition were built in Fujian Province during the mid-Qing Dynasty. They were used by merchants, the navy and pirates. Before the arrival of the steamship in China, they were the most representative sailing vessels in ancient China, helping to fuel a power struggle in East Asia’s seas. Cheung Po-tsai, well known to local Hong Kong audiences, had also sailed such ships.
The inspiration for the exhibition dates back to two scale models of a Tong-an ship that featured in the “Voyage with the Tailwind: Qing Archival and Cartographical Materials on Maritime History in the National Palace Museum” exhibition produced by NPM in 2013.
CityU’s School of Creative Media has created three new media installations for the exhibition in Hong Kong: “Linear Navigator of Chinese Maritime History”, “Paint and Sail your Tong-an Ship”, and “Pacifying the South China Sea”.
The Hong Kong Maritime Museum provided pictures of the ships and the “Pacifying the South China Sea” scroll to make this exhibition much more attractive.
Exhibition details:
Date: Now to 30 September 2015 (open to the public); 2 to 17 October 2015 (by appointment only)
Time: 10am to 7pm. Closed on Thursdays.
Venue: 3/F, Academic 3, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon
Admission: Free of charge
Appointment: Schools, social organisations and institutions may call 3442 7654 to make the necessary arrangements.
Website: www.22kk77.xyz/tonganship, www.facebook.com/tong.an.ship.hk
Media enquiries: Yvonne Lee, Communications and Public Relations Office (Tel: 3442 6807/ 6050 2293)