Tigillus Foundation proudly commenced sponsorship of the Hong Kong Palace Museum on 16 December 2024. Mr David Chang, the foundation’s founder, attended the opening ceremony for the exhibition “The Forbidden City and The Palace of Versailles: China-France Cultural Encounters in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries”. This event marks the joyous initiation of a lifelong patronage our founder has pledged for the Hong Kong Palace Museum, the centre of Chinese culture in our city. The exhibit began at the Palace Museum in Beijing and culminated in Hong Kong celebrating the 60th anniversary of current Sino-French diplomacy.

Co-organised by the Hong Kong Palace Museum, the Palace Museum, and the Palace of Versailles, the exhibition showcases nearly 150 treasures from both nations with a bit of heritage from Hong Kong as well. The juxtaposition offers an unparalleled insight into the intricate connections between these two great civilisations during the 17th and 18th centuries. Highlighted by heartfelt correspondence between Qing Emperors and French Bourbon Kings, the display captures the shared passion and curiosity for artistic perfection and craftsmanship that defined their imperial courts. This extraordinary exhibition not only deepens appreciation for the artistic legacy of both nations but also reaffirms the Hong Kong Palace Museum’s vital role in fostering the much-needed international cultural dialogue and understanding of Chinese cultural heritage through international lenses.

Mr Chang, a Chinese-born and Western-educated philanthropist, has long been an advocate for such creative efforts and rigorous scholarships that uplift Chinese arts and culture to global perspectives. At our foundation, we echo the heartfelt initiatives set out by our founder and the museum wholeheartedly and recognise the uniqueness of the museum’s outlook as it anchors deeply into the hub of international cultural exchanges—Hong Kong. As the largest and only non-corporate sponsor of the Museum, the Tigillus Foundation is honoured to be the forerunner amongst private foundations in Hong Kong to carry out social responsibility of local young entrepreneurs and support the thriving arts and culture sector. We sincerely invite like-minded patrons to join us in supporting a brighter future for Chinese arts and culture worldwide.