"Early Hong Kong Travel, 1880 – 1939" with Benjamin W. Yim and Joan Ho

In the golden age of ocean liners of the late nineteenth century, a well-equipped cabin trunk was like a movable piece of furniture on months-long sea journeys. Not only did it dispense with the need to take many pieces of luggage, it also indicated the dignified status of the passengers. It should not be overlooked that top class hotel accommodation was a necessary accompaniment to such journeys. Apart from providing travellers with a home-like environment, these hotels were often located at well-known scenic points or places where visitors would linger without any intention of leaving.

"Early Hong Kong Travel, 1880 – 1939" is presented by The University Museum and Art Gallery, in collaboration with Benjamin W. Yim, and with the participation and support of The Hong Kong Heritage Project, The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited and Louis Vuitton. Visitors will experience Hong Kong’s pre-war colonial era through a three dimensional presentation of over 100 exhibits dating from 1880-1939 that includes vintage photographs, menus, cabin trunks, luggage labels, travel guides and silk circus programme, as well as short films of picturesque Hong Kong in the 1930s.

Our guided tour will be a splendid occasion for us to experience a journey into early Hong Kong travels, from ocean liners to hotels with the exhibit’s collector and curators, Benjamin W. Yim and Joan Ho.

Benjamin W. Yim is a Chinese antique expert and an active member of Min Chiu Society. He has been an independent researcher, connoisseur and collector of Chinese art for over twenty years. Yim is an honorary advisor of the University of Hong Kong Museum and Art Gallery, a member of the Chinese Society of Ancient Ceramics in Beijing and a committee member of The Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong. In 2009, he helped to curate and edit "The Fame of Flame – Imperial Wares of the Jiajing and Wanli" Periods exhibition at UMAG and its corresponding catalogue respectively.

Joan Ho is an Assistant Curator of the University Museum and Art Gallery with a master’s degree in Fine Arts from the HKU.