Hong Kong Palace Museum | HKPM Movies: Kangxi and Louis XIV

To complement the special exhibition “The Forbidden City and The Palace of Versailles: China-France Cultural Encounters in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries”, the Hong Kong Palace Museum is organising a screening programme of Kangxi and Louis XIV. Join us for an enjoyable screening, transporting us back over 300 years ago. During the Qing dynasty, French king Louis XIV sent six “king's mathematicians” to China, initiating a significant exchange in the fields of science and technology, trade, culture, and thought. The cultural exchange between China and France resulted in important achievements, such as the creation of Huangyu Quanlan Tu (Complete Atlas of the Imperial Territories), the first official map of China produced by contemporary mapping projection methods using latitude and longitude as coordinates. It also sparked a fascination with Chinese goods in France, leading to what became known as “China craze”. The introduction of Chinese classics also had an impact on the French intellectual spheres and the Enlightenment Movement.

Kangxi and Louis XIV

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France, this documentary delves into the fascinating interactions between French king Louis XIV, and the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing dynasty, revealing a remarkable tale of mutual respect and learning between the East and the West, leaving behind treasured memories in world history.

Director (China): Bao Yonghong
Director (France): Gilles Thompson
Duration: 98 mins
Language: Cantonese or Putonghua, French (In Parts) with Traditional Chinese and English subtitles

This screening accompanies the special exhibition “The Forbidden City and The Palace of Versailles: China-France Cultural Encounters in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries” on view in Gallery 9 at the Hong Kong Palace Museum from 18 December 2024 to 4 May 2025. The exhibition is jointly organised by the Hong Kong Palace Museum, the Palace Museum, and the Palace of Versailles. The exhibits mainly come from the Palace Museum and the Palace of Versailles. The Hong Kong Maritime Museum and The Chinese University of Hong Kong Library have also provided a number of loans. The exhibition is financially supported by the Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. Cathay is the Lead Sponsor, and Tigillus Foundation and Centurion from American Express are the Major Sponsors of this special exhibition.

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* The content of this programme does not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

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