Over 400 specialists and scholars from 30 countries and regions have gathered in Hong Kong to exchange knowledge and share the latest research findings in the field of cultural heritage conservation.
They are here to attend the International Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works 2014 Hong Kong Congress which opened today.
The congress is being held at City Hall from today until September 26 under the theme "An Unbroken History: Conserving East Asian Works of Art & Heritage".
Chief Secretary Carrie Lam said at the opening ceremony that the Government and the community have a shared vision to treasure Hong Kong's past.
Apart from preservation, the Government has been investing heavily in upgrading its museums to strengthen their roles as the repositories of knowledge and heritage, she said.
A highlight of the congress is a session on preventive conservation and the environment, which will discuss how to safe-keep cultural heritage objects in a sustainable way.
At the ceremony today, the institute's President Sarah Staniforth presented the Forbes Prize award, the highest honour in the field of conservation of cultural heritage, to Beijing Palace Museum Director Shan Jixiang.
