Search Buddhist Channel
New Home for Hwajeong Museum
By Park Chung-a, The Korea Times, May 29, 2006
Seoul, South Korea -- Hwajeong Museum, which boasts a rare world-class collection of Tibetan Buddhist art, will reopen tomorrow at its new home in Pyongchang-dong in northern Seoul.
<< Shown above are a Tibetan Buddhist painting, “thangka,” left, and a Chinese porcelain jar, displayed at Hwajeong Museum. /Courtesy of Hwajeong Museum
Established by the Hahn Cultural Foundation in Itaewon in 1999, the museum has served as the repository and showcase for the artworks that Hahn Kwang-ho, pharmaceutical entrepreneur and chairman of the foundation, has collected from Korea and around the world in the past 40 years.
After more than two years moving, the museum will be reborn as an Asian art museum equipped with the most up-to-date facilities, housing large exhibition halls, seminar rooms and strong research staff to keep its reputation as a venue of numerous unique exhibitions up to date.
On the first floor of the new museum, the representative collection of Tibetan ``thangkas’’ will be displayed. Thangkas are Buddhist paintings used for meditation and ritual. The second floor is exhibition space for Korean ancient artworks as well as artworks from China, Japan, Vietnam and other Asian countries.
There are more than 3,000 Korean artworks including paintings, calligraphies, Buddhist paintings, ceramics, antique medicine jars and others. The Chinese collection comprises around 4,000 items including works of painting, calligraphy, and crafts such as ceramics, metal ware, lacquer ware, garments, ornaments, and embroidery.
The museum’s collection of Tibetan Buddhist art is unequalled in Korea, both quantitatively and qualitatively. There’s more than 2,500 artworks such as thangkas, Buddhist paintings, Buddhist sculptures, Buddhist altar objects, and sutras.
To celebrate the reopening of the museum, it will hold a special exhibition titled ``Gazing Upon Asian Art,’’ a perspective on distinctive Tibetan thangkas that represent Tibetan history and religious art. The exhibition brings Japanese and Korean collections all together at the Hwajeong Museum for the first time.
``We have always been confident that our Tibetan collection is the best of its kind in the world. However, despite its international reputation, I think our collection is not well known in Korea,’’ said Han Hye-joo, a director of the museum. ``I hope its reopening will be an opportunity for the museum to attract a large audience here.’’
The exhibition will continue until Aug. 30 No entrance fee. The exhibits will be updated every six months. Beginning next month, the museum will operate a shuttle bus that will stop at Insa-dong, Sagan-dong and Pyongchang-dong. For more information, call (02) 2287-2994.
Buddhist AI Chat Bot NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)
For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:
Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB
The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118
Note: Please indicate your name in the payment slip. Thank you.
Dear Friends in the Dharma,
We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.
Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:
One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.
How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.
For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:
Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB
The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118
Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.
Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.
Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.
Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.
Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.
Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!
May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,
With deepest gratitude,
Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team
Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau
We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.
If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv