Wearable Blessings

I caught on late to this news, but the month of January (here in Hong Kong) is "Appreciate Hong Kong" month.  A benefit is that all of Hong Kong's museums are now free admission.  That doesn't quite matter to me because I have a museum pass…but it is a really great thing to know for those who would like to visit some of the museums around the city.

TOO BAD the art museum is under renovations!!!! though!!!

Today, we headed over to Shatin's Hong Kong Heritage Museum.  The exhibit that we were aiming to check out was the "Wearable Blessings" exhibit.  This exhibit is found on the first floor.

"Wearable Blessings" info:
From reading up on the exhibit online, I learned that the work that went into children's clothing was quite significant back in the olden times of China (as with most countries, though).  So, people used to believe heavily on superstitions that would protect their children and help them to live long, healthy lives.  These superstitions included wearing clothes with animals on them to protect them from harm…to accessories that would ward off evil spirits.

Exhibit runs until March 21, 2016

The "Full Moon" caps above were usually given to babies who survived the first month of life.  They were embroidered with flowers, which wished wealth, honor, and fortune upon those children who wore them.

The jacket above had a pair of phoenixes embroidered on them.  The symbolism of the two singing phoenixes was to wish the little girls who wore them a good and happy marriage.  The flowers embroidered around them again wished wealth and honor to the girl's future.

In the exhibit space, there was also a display with some of the modern/contemporary pieces of Chinese children's clothing.  I loved how inspiration front he past was taken into heavy consideration when these designers created these works of art!

Above is a baby carrier, which I've seen all over when I lived in China.  It's something that I always thought was quite beautifully handcrafted and such a useful tool to haul around a baby!

The unique thing about this baby carrier was the fact that there were bells attached to it.  The bells, when jingled, would chase away evil spirits and protect the baby.  I quite liked that sentiment.

The baby's bib above was used like any other bib…to protect food from messing up a child's clothing!  But, the interesting thing about bibs was that they were given to women as a dowry gift.  The bib would first be used as a doily for an oil lamp.  The museum information said that the word for lamp (deng) sounded like the word for "son" (ding).  So, it was a superstitious gesture to assure the woman would have a son in her future.

The cap below was absolutely beautiful.  The caps in the exhibit were all quite stunning actually.  This one, in particular, caught my eye because of the mirror detailing around the front of the cap.  The mirrors (as said the information board) were a common thing that was seen in the Western world.  So, this cap was made to be a fusion between Chinese and Western cultures.

The shoes below were covered with persimmon flower embroidery.  The word for persimmon sounded like the words for "thought"…"business"…"positivity.  So, these shoes were embroidered in such a way to wish the child wearer a good and stable career.

Perhaps the most interesting of all the things in this exhibit was the padlocks that were in the back of the space.  I always had seen them around in jewelry shops and also when I lived in China.  I thought they were just a nice little ornament…but they had a lot more meaning that I learned about while going through "Wearable Blessings."

These padlocks (an example seen below) were worn by children to wish them good luck and health.  Parents believed that they could lock their child's soul to the family and protect evil spirits from carrying them away.  They also believed that the lock would help their child to lock in on their studies.

Superstitions are always so interesting to learn about…and how they are used in clothing, especially, was quite fascinating.  I would definitely recommend a trip out to Shatin for anyone who is interested in learning more about the culture of children's clothing in China.

Untold Tales, Untold Riches

This was totally a spur-of-the-moment brilliant idea.  Whilst we were riding the train, my husband and I spotted the ad for the Dunhuang: Untold Tales, Untold Riches exhibit at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum.  We had the rest of the afternoon free, so we popped over for a little look-see.

Exhibit Details:

Runs until March 16, 2015

Hong Kong Heritage Museum Info:

Open every day but Tuesday

Open from 10 AM - 6/7 pm (later on weekends)

How to get to the Hong Kong Heritage Museum:

1.  Get out at Exit A of the Che Kung Temple MTR Station

2.  You'll see a river in front of you

3.  You'll also be able to see the beautiful Hong Kong Heritage Museum across the water

4.  Walk across the footbridge

5.  It's easy to make your way to the museum

In Dunhuang, China, a cave was uncovered.  In this cave, archeologists found Buddhist murals, etchings, sculptures, and other artifacts.  They spanned over many dynasties and were not only being studied, but also being preserved.

Within the Heritage Museum, there were mini replicas of the caves that were placed in the exhibition halls.  They give a great feel of how the murals and sculptures were in the actual Dunhuang Caves.  It's really an amazing exhibit that far exceeded my expectations.

One of the main focal points for myself was being able to check out the Buddhist sculptures recreated.  In the main hall, there was a giant replica of a laying down Buddha.  It's absolutely beautiful, especially with replicated murals on the walls behind it.

Every mural, by the way, was explained so beautifully.  There were murals that focused on the fashion and aesthetics of women back in the day.  The thing that I remembered the most was that women would draw flowers or birds on their cheeks as an ornamentation.  It's beautiful to see how this trend was documented in the murals of these Caves.

Besides the main exhibit, we also were drawn to the Poster Exhibit, which, by the way, was a good change of pace/contrast to the Dunhuan exhibit for sure!

The Hong Kong International Poster Triennial 2014 is running until March 6, 2015.  It is basically a showcasing of poster designs in the categories of Ideology, Promotion of Cultural Events, Commercial and Advertising, and Thematic. 

It's a lot of fodder for the eyes!

It was another great day at the museum!

Also, for anyone who loves to visit the museums, it's best to pick up a museum pass.  It's available for purchase at any of the main museums in Hong Kong.  We picked up a Family Pass for 200 HKD and renew it every year from the date that we purchased it originally.  If you go to museums regularly, then it's worth the fee!

The Weekend: Extraordinary Chairs

It was just one of those weekends when going to a museum seemed the best option.

Benefits:

1.  Air-conditioned

2.  There is an indoor cafe

3.  It's fun to see new exhibits

4.  The gift shop is always a fun final destination

When I first saw this exhibition title, I thought that it was probably not going to be as interesting as it was.  This exhibition is called (inhale):  The Extraordinary in the Ordinary:  Chairs for Viewing the World through Time (exhale)... 

Exhibit Info:

Hong Kong Heritage Museum

1 Man Lam Road, Shatin

Runs until September 15, 2014

This exhibit was pretty interesting because there were a bunch of chairs that were innovative for their time.  There were chairs that were meant for enhancing socialization during the Victorian Era.  There were chairs for birthing babies.  There were chairs for taking siestas in the height of the afternoon sun.  

Being the law abiding citizen that I am, I didn't take photos within the exhibit. 

Some side exhibits that went along with the (inhale) Extraordinary in the Ordinary:  Chairs for Viewing the World through Time exhibit (exhale) were (see below):

It's so great to see young people using the theme of chairs as inspiration for art.  I thought that sticking the photographs on the walls of the museum was a great idea.

There was also a large chair in the courtyard of the museum.  This, I feel, was like the Leaning Tower of Pisa for a lot of people.  Because we couldn't go so close and sit on it, people were photographing themselves doing all sorts of things with this chair.

And lastly, on the grand staircase of the museum, the mini exhibition on student chairs was displayed.  The last time I was here, I didn't take the time to really check them out.  But, here are a number of my favorites.

I had one of those I HEART HK moments after seeing these chairs.

And, as a ending note:

I really enjoyed my afternoon at the museum.  I also was given a positive push to keep up with my Cantonese lessons when my husband translated some of the visitor notes in the museum.

(Left)  A multi-purpose chair to remove monsters.


(Right)  Why wasn't Andy Lau's OSIM chair in the exhibit?

Such humor!