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Located in Shigatse city, Tibet Autonomous Region, Tashi Lhunpo Monastery is one of the four great monasteries of the Gelug lineage in Tibetan Buddhism and has served as the traditional seat of successive Panchen Lamas. ‘Tashi’ represents bliss and longevity, while ‘Lhunpo’ refers to the Sumeru (or Mount Meru). The monastery houses a substantial collection of exceptional Buddhist treasures from Han and Tibetan ethnic groups, as well as from across the Himalayas. These cultural relics include sacred gold albums, gold seals bestowed by the Qing emperors for the installation of successive Panchen Lamas, Buddhist statues, imperial orders, and gifts from the Qing court. They are surely rare treasures.
The Macao Museum of Art (MAM) under the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government, the Palace Museum, the Tibet Autonomous Region Cultural Heritage Bureau, and the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery collaborate to present Golden Eminence: Treasures from the Palace Museum and the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery. The exhibition aims to highlight the close ties between the Qing court and the monastery, as well as provide historical evidence of the Qing court’s efforts for the country’s unity and inclusiveness of multi-ethnic groups. The show features 137 rarely known treasures selected from the collections of the Palace Museum and the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery. It also marks the first time that the monastery’s cultural relics have left the Chinese mainland. Some of these remarkable artefacts were produced by the Qing Imperial Workshops, while others were extraordinary gifts presented to the Qing court from Mongolian and Tibetan regions. These artifacts stand as a testament to the cultural exchange and inclusiveness of Han, Tibetan, Manchu, and Mongolian ethnic groups.
Macao boasts over 400 years of history of Chinese and Western cultural exchange. The UNESCO World Heritage-listed Historic Centre of Macao bears witness to the diversity and inclusiveness of Chinese civilisation. Despite the thousand miles between Macao and Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, this exhibition brings us together across the rivers and snowy mountains. This cultural exchange certainly marks another milestone as Macao continues advancing her role as a ‘base for exchange and cooperation with Chinese culture as the mainstream and the coexistence of different cultures’.
In 2003, MAM collaborated with the Palace Museum for the first time to present Lightness of Essence: Tibetan Buddhism Relics of the Palace Museum. Now, after two decades, we once again collaborate and present these precious Buddhist cultural relics in Macao. This collaboration not only highlights the rarity and distinctive qualities of this exhibition, but also demonstrates the Palace Museum’s unwavering support for Macao’s artistic and cultural development over past twenty years. The bond between both museums continues to be strong. On behalf of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government, I would like to express my gratitude for the Palace Museum’s continuous support for Macao’s cultural development. I would also like to express my gratitude to the co-organiser and the supporting organisations of this exhibition.
I wish the exhibition a great success!
Deland, Leong Wai Man
President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government