Hong Kong Palace Museum opens exhibition on Qing imperial workshops

The Hong Kong Palace Museum opened ‘Design for the Forbidden City: Imperial Workshops of the Qing Court’ to the public on 30 September 2026 in its Gallery 5 in Kowloon. Bringing together 157 objects from Beijing’s Palace Museum, the exhibition examines the workshops that supplied Qing emperors, as well as the people and processes behind objects usually seen as finished treasures.

The two museums jointly organised the exhibition, which is scheduled to run until 18 September 2028. China News Service reported the public opening on 30 September. The museum says 14 of the objects are grade-one national treasures; it also says selected works will rotate, leaving approximately 100 on view at any one time. Its listing does not give a rotation schedule.

How the Qing imperial workshops operated

According to the museum, the Imperial Workshops supplied and maintained objects used by and displayed for Qing emperors. Established inside the Forbidden City during the Kangxi period, from 1662 to 1722, they developed into a wider production network. Craftsmen from across China worked in specialised workshops, making everyday items as well as elaborate objects for the court.

The exhibition is divided into three sections. ‘About the Imperial Workshops’ introduces their organisation; ‘Production and Innovation’ looks at materials and techniques, including adaptations from abroad; and ‘Creative Design and Display’ considers how court objects were presented. The museum describes it as its first major exhibition to examine the workshops’ history, organisation, materials and production processes together.

What visitors can see among the 157 objects

Highlighted works include a peach-shaped box of coral and gold from the Yongzheng period, which ran from 1723 to 1735, and a painted-enamel octagonal teapot from the Qianlong period, from 1736 to 1795. The museum’s listing also identifies a ceremonial gold cup made in 1797 and decorated with pearls, gemstones and kingfisher feathers.

The museum says the Qianlong emperor instructed artisans to put aventurine glass on the enamel teapot’s handle. It describes the vessel’s form as drawing on a European silver warming pot. That account gives visitors a specific example of the decisions and outside influences explored in the exhibition’s section on production, rather than presenting the object only as a display of fine materials.

The museum also identifies an antler armchair made from deer antlers associated with the Kangxi emperor and a silver ewer modelled on a Japanese lacquer teapot. These examples show the range of forms in the court collection. Their descriptions come from the museum; the available independent opening report does not assess the exhibition’s interpretation of individual objects.

Interactive displays and contemporary design

Visitors can use a multimedia quiz to compare their preferences with the tastes attributed to the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong emperors. A digital station offers a personalised workshop staff card, while another activity asks visitors to submit prototypes for imperial review. China News Service also reported the prototype-approval installation. The museum presents these activities as ways to explain the approval process behind court production.

At the end of the route, the museum describes a reconstruction of a Qing scholar’s studio and an installation in which visitors can design a palace room. The exhibition also involved Hong Kong designers: its listing credits COLLECTIVE Studio with artistic and construction direction and the Design and Cultural Studies Workshop with part of the infographic design.

Museum director Louis Ng said the multimedia elements are intended to help audiences experience the craftsmanship, and that he hopes the exhibition will interest design professionals and emerging talents. Those are the museum’s aims. Neither the museum material nor the independent opening report establishes how visitors have responded or offers an independent assessment of the historical interpretation.

Dates, admission and the museum’s location

The museum’s exhibition listing gives 18 September 2028 as the scheduled final day. Its opening announcement says Gallery 5 is covered by general admission to Galleries 1–7, with tickets priced at HK$70 for adults and HK$35 for eligible concessions; a special exhibition ticket also allows entry. Visitors should check the museum’s current ticket information before travelling, as those prices come from the opening announcement.

The Hong Kong Palace Museum is at 8 Museum Drive in the West Kowloon Cultural District. Its posted opening hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and public holidays. The museum says it closes on Tuesdays except public holidays.