Representatives of foreign consular corps, business sector in HK visit HK Palace Museum to explore Chinese culture

HONG KONG, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- About 90 representatives of foreign consular corps and the business sector in Hong Kong visited the Hong Kong Palace Museum on Tuesday to explore the "cultural code" of China at the invitation of the Commissioner's Office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

Speaking at the event, Chan Kwok-ki, chief secretary for administration of the HKSAR government, said that, as mentioned in this year's policy address, the HKSAR government will establish the Chinese Culture Promotion Office and organize for the first time the Chinese Culture Festival next year.

He said the HKSAR government will boost financial and manpower resources to expand cultural exchanges and collaborations between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, as well as the rest of the world.

Hong Kong is a good example of cultural diversity and inclusiveness, a bridge for cultural exchanges between the Chinese mainland and the world, and an important platform for the Global Civilization Initiative to take root and bear fruit, said Li Yongsheng, acting commissioner for the Chinese foreign ministry office in the HKSAR.

For global civilizations to flourish together, the Commissioner's office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR will continue to leverage diplomatic channels to help Hong Kong strengthen cultural exchanges with other areas in the world, and support Hong Kong in developing into a center for international cultural exchanges, he said.

During the event, the representatives visited the special exhibition "Gazing at Sanxingdui" and the thematic exhibitions "Entering the Forbidden City" and "From Dawn to Dusk: Life in the Forbidden City."

After seeing the exhibition, Consul General of Colombia in Hong Kong Luis Fernando Orozco Barrera asked people around him how to say "Sanxingdui" in Chinese.

He said this is his fourth visit to the Hong Kong Palace Museum, and every time he has new discoveries. Through visiting various thematic exhibitions, he can see the inheritance and the development of Chinese culture in different fields, he said.

"Whether the building of the Hong Kong Palace Museum or the rich exhibits helps me have a deeper understanding of the Chinese culture, which is also the significance of exchanges between different cultures," said Chair of the European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, Inaki Amate.

Amate, also president of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, said he looks forward to more cultural exchanges and cooperation between Spain and China.