Date: Saturday 4 July 2026
Registration: 10:15–10:30am
Public Lecture: 10:30am–12:00pm
Lunch: 12:00-1:00pm***
Guided Viewing: 1:00-2:00pm
Place: Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong* **
The Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong is delighted to announce a lecture by Dr Gao Zhenyu, followed by a guided viewing of ‘The Qianlong Emperor: A Legacy in Art, The Huaihaitang Collection’ with curator Dr. Tong Yu, at the Art Museum of The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Lecture Zisha: A Craft Born for Tea
In this lecture Dr Gao will share the craft, creativity, and inheritance of zisha art, and the relationship between zisha and Chinese tea culture. Dr Gao was born into a family of ceramic artisans, and studied traditional zisha techniques under Gu Jingzhou, one of the great masters of twentieth-century Yixing pottery. His works use classical zisha techniques while exploring their relationship with contemporary aesthetics and modern life. A highly influential contemporary zisha artist, Gao’s works have been widely exhibited and collected by national museums and major art institutions.
Please kindly note that the lecture will be delivered in Mandarin.
Guided Viewing of ‘The Qianlong Emperor: A Legacy in Art, The Huaihaitang Collection’
This exhibition features over 150 works selected from the Huaihaitang Collection, nearly half of which have been generously donated to the CUHK Art Museum for research and teaching purposes. The 18th century is the golden age of Chinese court art. From the late Kangxi (r. 1661–1722) period to the early Jiaqing period (r. 1796–1820), a wide range of objects was produced, including porcelain, jade, bronzes, lacquerware, textiles, scholars’ objects, books, rubbings, and calligraphy and painting. Characterised by refined materials, opulent style and meticulous craftsmanship, these works exemplify a disciplined aesthetic known as ‘production to imperial standards’ (「內廷恭造」).
In 2005, the CUHK Art Museum, in collaboration with the First Historical Archives of China, published the Archives of the Imperial Workshops (《造辦處各作成做活計清檔》), a monumental record documenting the design, revision, production and distribution of objects under the Imperial Household Department, which has since become an indispensable scholarly reference. Based on these archives and related materials, the exhibition seeks to reconstruct the making of Qing court art and to highlight its exceptional historical value.
Dr Gao Zhenyu is currently a retired Research Fellow of the Academy, and has served as a Visiting Professor at Luxun Academy of Fine Arts, the Central Academy of Fine Arts, and Musashino Art University. Previously, he joined the Chinese National Academy of Arts, where he founded the Ceramics Creation and Research Studio.
Dr Tong Yu received his doctorate from The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2016 and later joined the Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Dr Tong has a wide range of research interests in Chinese art, including painting, calligraphy, ancient material culture, and the history of collecting. Since joining the museum, he has been participating in the “Ancient Chinese Gold Techniques” research project. In addition to two gold exhibitions in 2017 and 2023, he has curated the museum’s annual Chinese zodiac show since 2018. His publications include the two volume Ancient Chinese Gold Techniques, for which he has served as editor and author.
Registration begins at 10:15am. A limited number of places are available, and pre-registration is required. Drop-ins will not be entertained.
*: Please kindly bring along your HKID card for entry to the CUHK campus.
**: Travel arrangement: Participants are invited to make your own way to the Art Museum via public transport to University Station and university shuttles to the museum. Alternatively, we will also arrange taxi-pooling directly from Central, Landmark Oriental at 09:45. Please indicate if you wish to car-pool after registering for the event and we will contact you directly via email regarding arrangements.
***: lunch will be reserved on a cost-splitting basis. Further arrangement to be announced closer to date.