Follow #ASHKHeritageSite10 on social media for more on our celebrations!

A Letter from Our Chairman

February 9, 2022

Dear Asia Society Members in Hong Kong,

Ten years ago today, we inaugurated our beautiful new campus.  By that time, we have been in operation in this city for 22 years.  It has been a wonderful three decades but especially in our new home.  By most if not all accounts, we have been a very positive voice in Hong Kong and beyond to bring the two sides of the Pacific as well as the Asian countries closer to one another.

Challenges abound such as the present difficult U.S.-China relations.  It only means that our work is more critical today than ever.  We will continue to serve as an objective and rational voice for all.

I remember very well that day exactly 10 years ago.  The weather was extremely cold but participants’ hearts were tremendously warm.  Since that day and under the leadership of our capable Executive Director Alice Mong, we have gone on from strength to strength.  Annually we have conducted about four times more programs than before we moved in.  The diversity of events are probably unmatched in town, and I dare say in the region.  Our wonderful campus has become not only home to us but to anyone who visits.  They immediately fall in love with the place.  We have also collaborated extensively with our sister centers -- from New York City to Zurich, Switzerland and now, Paris, France and points in between.  As some of you know, the founding of our centers in Japan, Korea, India, Switzerland and France can all trace back to Hong Kong.  I am pleased that we have contributed much to the global Asia Society family and to the Hong Kong community.

Tough as COVID-19 and the inevitable financial strain, we have in many areas shined.  Thanks partly to technology and to my young colleagues, for example, we were perhaps the first to do online programs on the pandemic.  Our first was in February 2020; next week we will have our 33rd edition.

The Asia Society Hong Kong cannot be where we are without you our faithful members.  I also want to thank our local board and our many colleagues.  I am regularly in touch with our global co-chairs John Thornton and Ambassador Chan Heng Chee as well as president Kevin Rudd.  Together we have made a very good thing out of the Asia Society in our decade young campus.

Please watch out for online program announcements and I hope to see you in person hopefully in the not too distant future, circumstances allowing.  Until then, please keep safe and remain healthy!

With gratitude,
Ronnie

Ronnie C. Chan
Chairman
Asia Society Hong Kong Center

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Recovery, Resilience, Resurgence showcases 80+ photographs by Hedda Morrison, Lee Fook Chee and Brian Brake that trace Hong Kong’s history over a span of three decades of great change, from the 1940s to the 1970s. They highlight Hong Kong’s post-war recovery in 1946-1947, resilience of the 1950s, and resurgence of the 1960s-1970s. Recovery, Resilience, Resurgence is curated by Edward Stokes who founded The Photographic Heritage Foundation. The exhibition coincides with celebrations to commemorate 10 years of our heritage site.
《復甦生息、逆中求存、重振旗鼓》中三位攝影師Hedda Morrison、李福志及Brian Brake活現香港在上世紀中期連續多個年代的面貌，80多張攝影作品展現歷時30多年的蛻變：從1946至1947年間戰後復甦生息，到1950年代逆中求存，1960至1970年代則重振旗鼓令舉世矚目。本展覽由歷史遺珍攝影基金會創始人艾思滔策劃，展期橫跨中心舊軍火庫會址成立10 週年誌慶。

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Our 2021 Annual Gala Dinner marked the momentous occasion of our 10 years in the current heritage site, we honor 10 exceptional visionaries who have been instrumental in our journey, and present a dialogue between Amb. Chas W. Freeman, Jr. and our Chairman Ronnie C. Chan.