University Museum and Art Gallery

The University Museum and Art Gallery (UMAG) is the oldest museum in Hong Kong. It is conveniently located at the main entrance of The University of Hong Kong on Bonham Road. Since its inception in 1953, with its Edwardian architecture, the museum has collections of Chinese art, primarily ceramics and bronzes, artifacts from the Warring States Period and Indian Buddhist sculpture objects in jade, wood and stone, Chinese painting and calligraphy by Ming, Qing and contemporary masters and a good collection of contemporary Chinese oil paintings. The bronze collection includes ritual vessels of the Shang and Zhou periods, bronze mirrors dated from the Warring States period to the Tang dynasty, and a unique group of Nestorian crosses of the Yuan dynasty, the world's largest collection. The ceramics collection includes painted pottery of the third millennium B.C., tomb pottery of the Han dynasty, three-color glazes of the Tang dynasty, wares of the Song dynasty kilns, blue-and-white wares, monochromes and polychromes of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and recent works by Jingdezhen and Shiwan potters.

The history of University and Art Gallery

The University of Hong Kong is synonymous with Hong Kong itself, and its history, development and successes over the years have mirrored those of the territory. Founded in 1911, it was the first university in Hong Kong and served not only the local and expatriate community of the time but, as the only British university in the region, also attracted students from all over China and Southeast Asia. As Hong Kong was also the port from which many Chinese emigrants left for Europe, the United States and elsewhere, the impact of education, especially bilingual education in Hong Kong, spread far and wide.

The museum is housed in the Fung Ping Shan Building and the lower three storeys of the T T Tsui Building. The Fung Ping Shan Building was donated to The University of Hong Kong by Mr Fung Ping-shan in 1932 for a Chinese book library. In 1953, the building was converted into the Fung Ping Shan Museum of Chinese art and archaeology. With its extension to the T T Tsui Building in 1996, the Museum changed its title to the "University Museum and Art Gallery".

While the Museum functions as the custodian and exhibitor of traditional Chinese art, the Art Gallery serves as the promoter of contemporary Chinese and non-Chinese art.

Following the tradition of the University of Hong Kong, the UMAG not only presents temporary exhibitions of a diversity of media, but also organizes art courses, lectures, seminars and guided tours for the promulgation of knowledge on art. Many activities are supported by the University of Hong Kong Museum Society. The membership of this society is open to all.