Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
HKMoA exhibition of Chinese painting and calligraphy revisits artistic vision of classical literature
In the Chinese tradition, painting and calligraphy are inextricably linked to classical literature and philosophy. Sharing a common spiritual essence, poetry and painting blend seamlessly in subject, aesthetics and form – weaving together the philosophies of life with artistic expression. The exhibition brings together outstanding works from the Ming dynasty to the 20th century, organised in four thematic chapters: “Timeless Elegance”, “The Way of the Gentleman”, “Landscape Reveries”, and “Sentimental Years”. Each chapter is given a distinctive colour scheme, complemented by landscape, light, and shadow design, creating an immersive space for savouring literature and art. Visitors are invited to journey through the brushwork, contemplate the hidden messages within, and rediscover the timeless wisdom of the ages.
The red section, “Timeless Elegance”, centres on legendary literati of passionate spirit – Su Shi, Wang Xizhi, Cao Zhi, and Qu Yuan – revisiting their classic writings that have inspired countless artists throughout history. Highlight exhibits include 20th-century masters Zhang Daqian and Xu Cao’s “Evening Cruise by the Red Cliff”, which brings to life Su Shi’s expansive and liberated spirit; Gu Yun’s “Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion” from the Qing dynasty, which recreates the scene of “floating wine cups along a winding stream” among Eastern Jin literati; various interpretations of “The Rhapsody on the Nymph of the Luo River” by calligraphers and painters across generations, continuing Cao Zhi’s aesthetic imagination; and Zhu Yunming’s running script of the nearly 2 500-character “Encountering Sorrow” from the Ming dynasty, in resonance with Qu Yuan’s spirit.
The green section, “The Way of the Gentleman”, celebrates the beauty of nature and its cultural significance, focusing on the plum blossom, orchid, chrysanthemum, bamboo, and lotus – motifs frequently found in literati art that serve as vital symbols through which scholars express their innermost convictions. Featured works include Shen Shichong’s “Transplanting a Plum Tree” from the Ming dynasty and Zheng Xie’s “Bamboo and Rock” from the Qing dynasty.
The blue section, “Landscape Reveries”, represents the equanimity and steadfastness of the literati. Landscapes serve as vessels for a range of personal aspirations, expressing the joy of reading, the tranquility of seclusion, and the exhilaration of travelling through mountains and rivers. Highlight exhibits include Hua Yan’s “Thatched Pavilion in the Soughing Pines” from the Qing dynasty and Huang Binhong’s “Landscapes” from the 20th century.
Lastly, the brown section, “Sentimental Years”, spotlights the austere simplicity and the most intimate and moving scenes of ordinary life. Highlight exhibits include Ren Yi’s “Two Geese” from the Qing dynasty, as well as late-modern artists Wang Zhen and Cheng Zhang’s “Celebrating New Year’s Day”. This section also features an installation titled “Poetry in Motion: A Visual Experiment by Po Hung”, presenting four animations based on well-known classical poems to engage younger visitors. Additionally, a specially designed reading space further invites visitors to savour 10 classical texts and draw life inspiration from the ancient literati.
The HKMoA’s Xubaizhai collection of Chinese painting and calligraphy was donated by the late renowned collector Mr Low Chuck-tiew in 1989. It encompasses masterpieces dating from the Six Dynasties through to the 20th century, with particular richness in the major painting schools of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
The exhibition will be held at the Xubaizhai Gallery of Chinese Painting and Calligraphy on 2/F of the HKMoA (10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon). Admission is free. For details of the exhibition, please visit the website at hk.art.museum/en/web/ma/exhibitions-and-events/reading-and-rereading.htmlIssued at HKT 17:40
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Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected ketamine worth about $8.4 million
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Hong Kong Customs yesterday (June 24) seized about 22 kilograms of suspected ketamine with an estimated market value of about $8.4 million in Tsuen Wan. A 31-year-old man suspected to be connected with the case was arrested.
Through intelligence analysis and a detailed investigation, Customs targeted a man who was suspected of controlling a drug distribution centre in Tsuen Wan, and arrested him at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port last night. Customs officers escorted the man to a residential flat in Tsuen Wan for a search and found the batch of suspected ketamine and a batch of drug packaging paraphernalia.
The arrestee has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug and will appear at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (June 26).
Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.
Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
“E-commerce Innovation Expo 2026 – Expanding Brand Horizons” being held today and tomorrow
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
With support from the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the Hong Kong Productivity Council’s (HKPC) SME ReachOut and the Trade and Industry Department are holding the “E-commerce Innovation Expo 2026 – Expanding Brand Horizons” (Expo) for two consecutive days starting today (June 25) to assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing cross-border e-commerce business, keeping abreast of the latest market trends and broadening their e-commerce sales network.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, said that the Government has long attached great importance to the development potential of e-commerce and is proactively driving local enterprises to seize the opportunities brought about by the digital economy by utilising e-commerce business to explore diversified markets, thereby enhancing Hong Kong’s competitiveness in external trade and injecting impetus into economic development. To support such development, the Government announced a series of targeted initiatives in last year’s Policy Address, including the implementation of the Creativity • E-commerce – Beyond Limits programme, with the Expo being one of the key events.
He added that amid the ever-changing global trade landscape, the Government has been fully supporting SMEs in exploring emerging markets and announced a series of measures, including injecting a total of $1.63 billion into the Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales (BUD Fund), raising the funding ceiling of “Easy BUD” under the BUD Fund by 50 per cent to $150,000 per application, providing more targeted funding support for enterprises in AI applications, and expanding the coverage to eight more economies, including emerging markets such as Kazakhstan, to assist enterprises in expediting overseas business expansion. The Government has also set up the Economic and Trade Express to proactively organise overseas business missions for local enterprises.
Mr Yau encouraged SMEs to leverage Hong Kong’s advantages as an international trade and business hub to explore overseas markets through e-commerce, with a view to enhancing the competitiveness of Hong Kong brands and products on the global stage.
The Expo consists of five thematic zones, namely Cross-border E-commerce Experience, New Retail Tech Application, Brand x IP Value-added, Smart Operations, and E-commerce Go-Global Support. The Expo also features over 10 thematic seminars, where experts will share practical e-commerce strategies and applicable technology solutions, enabling SMEs to address various challenges of going global via cross-border e-commerce in one go.
Operated by the HKPC under the support of the Government, SME ReachOut has been in service since 2020, offering capacity-building services to SMEs and assisting them in identifying suitable government funding schemes. As at the end of May 2026, SME ReachOut has handled around 40 000 enquiries from SMEs, organised or participated in 16 exhibitions and 75 seminars/workshops, and conducted over 350 outreach activities through visiting various chambers of commerce, commercial and industrial buildings, and co-working spaces.
Details of the Expo are available at ecommexpo2026.com. For details of SME ReachOut, please visit smereachout.hkpc.org/en.
For enquiries, please contact SME ReachOut (Tel: 2788 6868).
SITI attends China Business Summit in Auckland, New Zealand
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, began his visit to Auckland, New Zealand, today (June 25, Auckland time) and attended the China Business Summit co-organised by the Auckland Business Chamber and NZINC.
Before the summit, Professor Sun met with the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Mr Christopher Luxon, and briefed him on the fact that Hong Kong is striving to develop into an international innovation and technology (I&T) centre under the clear support of the National 15th Five-Year Plan. Hong Kong possesses unique advantages in areas including AI, life and health technology and fintech, and there is immense room to deepen I&T collaboration with New Zealand. Professor Sun cordially invited research and development (R&D) institutions, start-ups and professional talent to settle in Hong Kong and seize the opportunities brought by the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and the country. Mr Luxon welcomed the Hong Kong delegation and expressed the hope that the two places can further enhance pragmatic co-operation in the I&T field.
In his keynote speech during the summit, Professor Sun outlined to the audience that Hong Kong is transforming from an international financial centre to a vibrant international I&T centre. He said that Hong Kong proactively promotes economic diversification and creates joint prosperity in the era with complex geopolitical situations.
Professor Sun highlighted Hong Kong’s strategic I&T infrastructure, including the newly opened Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone last year and the San Tin Technopole under planning. These two initiatives will form a bridge connecting global technology talent and enterprises with the GBA market of a population of 88 million and its well-developed supply chain. He also said that Hong Kong has identified AI as a core industry and is fully committed to promoting new industrialisation.
Professor Sun said that Hong Kong is a gateway to Asia’s innovation frontier. New Zealand companies can reach out to the Chinese Mainland and expand to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the broader Asia-Pacific. Hong Kong has a highly open and free economy, a robust legal framework, a simple and low tax regime, strong intellectual property protection, ease of capital raising, and world-class logistics and infrastructure and is a trusted partner, a platform and a bridge to New Zealand.
Professor Sun also met with the Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Forestry, Minister for Trade and Investment and Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand, Mr Todd McClay. Professor Sun briefed him on Hong Kong’s latest I&T developments and measures to promote new industrialisation. Both sides exchanged views on I&T policies and on strengthening investment and co-operation opportunities between the two places.
Professor Sun also called on the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to New Zealand, the Cook Islands and Niue, Dr Wang Xiaolong, and the Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Christchurch, Ms He Ying, to introduce the latest progress of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in promoting I&T development, as well as Hong Kong’s proposal to align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan, and to elaborate on Hong Kong’s continuous efforts in actively integrating into the overall layout of the country’s new industrialisation.
Professor Sun visited Heidi Health, an Australian medical-AI company, in Melbourne, Australia, before departing for Auckland, New Zealand, on June 24. The company is dedicated to transforming clinical workflows through intelligent automation, with its core technologies focusing on using AI to generate medical notes and support diagnostic reasoning. Professor Sun encouraged the company to further expand its business operations in Hong Kong and strengthen collaboration with local universities as well as R&D institutions.
Professor Sun will continue his visit to Auckland, New Zealand, on June 26 (Auckland time).
Adjustment in ceiling prices for dedicated LPG filling stations in July 2026
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Adjustment in ceiling prices for dedicated LPG filling stations in July 2026