To celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of the Institute of Chinese Studies, the Art Museum organised two celebration activities during July and August 2017.

The Art Museum organized an academic conference, "Ancient Chinese Goldsmithing Techniques and Their Contemporary Application", on 4 July 2017. Guest speakers included Professor Yang Junchang (Chief Scientist and Associate Director, Centre for Materials and Conservation Research in Archaeology, Northwestern Polytechnical University); Ms. Tan Panpan (Ph.D. Fellow, Northwestern Polytechnical University); Ms. Ji Juan (Assistant Researcher, Shaanxi Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage); Professor Xu Xiaodong (Associate Director, Art Museum, CUHK); Mr. Ho Koon Wan (Executive Director, Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Creative Centre); Ms. Tang Man Wai (Assistant Curator I (Conservation), Leisure and Cultural Services Department); Mr. Lai Wing Fai (Assistant Curator I (Conservation), Leisure and Cultural Services Department) and Dr. Tong Yu (Postdoctoral Fellow, Art Museum, CUHK). The conference had attracted more than 110 participants.

The exhibition, "Universe within Inches: Bronze Mirrors Donated by Professor Mark Kai-keung",  took place from 12 August to 17 September 2017. It featured 35 mirrors donated by Professor Mark Kai-keung. The earliest mirrors in Mark's collection can be traced back to the Warring States and Western Han periods, and the majority of them are from the Song to Qing dynasties. The mirrors in the collection came in a variety of shapes, including square, eight-lobed, octagonal, peach-shaped and bell-shaped, and showed rich decorative patterns. This exhibition was divided into four units: 1. Mirrors with animal, vegetal, figural, or architectural patterns; 2. Mirrors with mysterious images and scripts; 3. Mirrors inscribed with wishes; and 4. Production locations and workshops associated with the mirrors.

Bronze mirrors first appeared in China in approximately 2000 BC, and over the past 4,000 years, there has been a great demand for mirrors in China. Chinese producers have excelled in the design, craftsmanship, and casting methods of these mirrors. Ancient people not only used mirrors to reflect images but would also treat them as gifts, works of art for display, and even religious tools. The reflective mirror fronts are usually heavily corroded today and can no longer reflect clear images, but the décors on the mirrors' backs still attract us. Thus, all the mirrors in this exhibition are shown with their decorated backs.