A file photo shows an aerial view of the Hong Kong Palace Museum. /CFP

Located on the western edge of the West Kowloon Cultural District of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) recently unveiled its spectacular exhibition line-up for 2024. The museum will focus on four special exhibitions that explore Beijing's Yuanmingyuan, delve into the origins of Chinese civilization, and retrace the cultural exchanges between China and France dating back to the 17th century.

Yuanmingyuan, or the Old Summer Palace, is a former imperial garden in Beijing that was once celebrated as the "Garden of Gardens" and the "Versailles of the East." /CFP

Kicking off the museum's 2024 special exhibition series is an illuminating exploration of Yuanmingyuan, or the Old Summer Palace in Beijing. Set to open to the public from March 20 to August 12, this exhibition will showcase a treasure trove of over 190 remarkable paintings, architectural models, and other artifacts linked to this splendid Qing Dynasty imperial garden, which was once celebrated as the "Garden of Gardens" and the "Versailles of the East" during its heyday.

A bronze relic from Sanxingdui in southwest China's Sichuan Province is on display at the Hong Kong Palace Museum on January 8, 2024. /CFP

Another special exhibition, scheduled to open in September, will unravel the origins of Chinese civilization. The Hong Kong Palace Museum plans to highlight the latest archaeological discoveries in China, tracing the origins, formation and development of Chinese civilization, unveiling the rich historical tapestry of the nation.

A visitor gazes at a painting on display at the Hong Kong Palace Museum on November 21, 2023. /CFP

To mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France in 2024, the museum is set to hold two major exhibitions. Opening in June, the first exhibition will trace the evolution of French fashion and art from the late 18th to the early 20th centuries through a display of more than 200 exquisite items of men's and women's clothing, jewelry, and accessories, illustrating how fashion transformed the cultural landscape of France during that period. The second exhibition, scheduled for December, will focus on the magnificent cultural and artistic exchanges between China and France during the 17th to 18th centuries.

A glimpse of the exterior of the Hong Kong Palace Museum on July 1, 2023. /CFP

Since its opening in July 2022, the Hong Kong Palace Museum has served as a steadfast promoter of Chinese art, culture and global dialogue among civilizations. To date, it has presented 16 themed and special exhibitions, attracting a total of over 2.1 million visitors.