Hong Kong Palace Museum’s Fifth Bi-city Youth Cultural Leadership Programme Concludes with Inaugural Ideas Market

Young cultural leaders present innovative ideas shaped by an immersive eight-week journey

The fifth edition of the Bi-city Youth Cultural Leadership Programme (Bi-city Programme), the Hong Kong Palace Museum’s (HKPM or the Museum) flagship youth learning and exchange initiative, concluded with the inaugural Ideas Market held at the HKPM from 25 to 26 August. With Swire Properties as the Lead Sponsor, the Bi-city Programme is supported by the Palace Museum and the Office of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Beijing.

The Ideas Market brought together 22 university students from Beijing and Hong Kong to showcase innovative ideas inspired by their eight-week learning journey across Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, as well as internships with leading cultural and commercial organisations in Hong Kong. Guests attending the event, including Dr Louis Ng, Museum Director of the HKPM, Mabelle Ma, Chief Development Officer of Swire Properties, and Ada Wong, Chair of Ednovator, our programme partner, all engaged with students’ proposals and exchanged views.

At the two-day Ideas Market, students drew on insights and learnings gained through their internships to explore the future of Hong Kong’s cultural landscape from a youth perspective. Their proposals ranged from leveraging co-creation in public art to foster children’s imaginations and a sense of belonging towards the West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK), to guiding members of the public who typically visit the WestK Art Park and waterfront for leisure to step inside the museums.

Dr Louis Ng, Museum Director of the HKPM, said, “In the ‘Bi-city Programme’ this year, we have specially organised the Ideas Market to provide these young people with a physical platform to engage with the public, sharing their understanding of the city, their observations on arts and culture, and their creative ideas. I hope they will apply what they have learned to their future studies and careers, injecting inspiration and diversity into the cultural industries. We are grateful for the support of Swire Properties, and looking forward to further collaborating in cultivating talents for our society.”

Mabelle Ma, Chief Development Officer of Swire Properties, said, “Arts, culture, and youth empowerment are integral to Swire Properties’ placemaking strategy. I am delighted that through visits to our mixed-use developments in Beijing, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong, the students have gained first-hand insights into how we leverage our placemaking skills to build projects which are deeply integrated into local communities, using arts and culture to foster connections between people. Their innovative thinking and unique perspectives have also proven to be very inspiring, allowing us to rethink the future of urban and cultural development from the viewpoint of the younger generation.”

Ada Wong, Chair of Ednovator, said, “When AI can answer in seconds, culture becomes all the more vital — it binds a society together and carries its humanity. Future cultural leaders must observe, ask questions, and connect people through art and creativity. What I valued most over these eight weeks was not only the polish of the students’ proposals, but that they learned to empathise and then to act. That is cultural leadership — the part no machine can do for us.”

Over eight weeks, students explored leading cultural institutions and landmark destinations across Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, including Beijing’s Palace Museum, the 798 Art District, Hong Kong’s WestK, and Swire Properties’ developments, including Taikoo Li Sanlitun, INDIGO Beijing, Taikoo Li Julong Wan, Taikoo Hui, Guangzhou and Taikoo Place, Hong Kong.

On 23 July, the students also participated in an exchange session with Clarence Leung, Under Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs of the HKSAR Government, Dr Louis Ng, Museum Director of the HKPM, and Tim Blackburn, Chief Executive of Swire Properties. They shared views on youth engagement, cultural exchange and community placemaking. Students also completed four-week internships with leading organisations including WestK, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the HKSAR Government and Swire Properties, gaining hands-on experience in areas such as arts administration, programme curation and cultural venue operations. This year, three students interning at Swire Properties collaborated with the Eastern District Office to engage various stakeholders, including the government, community figures, and the public, to develop preliminary ideas for revitalising public spaces near Taikoo Shing.

Since its launch in 2022, the Bi-city Programme has engaged nearly 170 university and tertiary students from Beijing and Hong Kong, fostering cross-city dialogue and nurturing the next generation of cultural leaders. The programme is co-designed with Ednovators, a Hong Kong-based education-focused charity.