A girl reads a book at a book exchange area outside the Shenzhen Book City CBD Store on Saturday, the first day of the 25th Shenzhen Reading Month. The event, which will last through this month, features about 2,500 activities. Lin Songtao
The "Palace Museum Collections × Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage" exhibition opened Saturday afternoon at the UpperHills shopping mall in Futian District. The event is part of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Joint Reading initiative, a key feature of this year's Shenzhen Reading Month, which launched the same day.
During the opening, Lau Chun, acting secretary for Hong Kong's culture, sports, and tourism bureau, highlighted the initiative's role in strengthening reading culture across both cities. "Hong Kong's participation in Shenzhen Reading Month offers Shenzhen readers and publishing professionals a chance to explore Hong Kong's diverse publications and talented authors," Lau remarked.
Wu Di, head of cultural and creative affairs at the Palace Museum, introduced the exhibition's unique collection, which includes famous pieces such as "Five Oxen" by Han Huang and a digital rendition of "A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains" by Northern Song (960-1127) painter Wang Ximeng.
Wu hopes the exhibition's curated presentation will give visitors an immersive experience of Palace Museum culture. He also noted the Palace Museum's commitment to increasing its cultural influence in Hong Kong and Shenzhen through collaborations like the Palace Museum Cultural & Creative Hong Kong Space.
Running from Saturday through Nov. 24, the exhibition features iconic pieces from the Palace Museum and Hong Kong's intangible cultural heritage. Highlights include over a dozen reproductions of Palace Museum artworks, courtesy of the Palace Museum Cultural & Creative Hong Kong Space, which are available for free public viewing.
Visitors can also admire nearly 50 intricate works by Hong Kong's intangible heritage artisans, including traditional cheongsam, Hakka floral ribbons, handcrafted items, and Chinese paper cuttings.
The Shenzhen-Hong Kong Joint Reading initiative will host over 20 events, including exhibitions, salons, and workshops, to deepen cultural appreciation and strengthen the two cities' shared cultural identity.
First launched in 2000, Shenzhen Reading Month is held annually in November. Shenzhen was honored with the title "Global Model for the Promotion of Reading" by UNESCO in 2013. According to an April report on Shenzhen citizens' reading habits in 2023, Shenzheners read an average of approximately 15 books that year.