Ladies and Gentlemen,  A very good evening to you.

It has been over 20 years since I moved to Vancouver and although it is now my permanent home, my family heritage lies across the Pacific in China, in Hong Kong in particular.

Vancouver, like Hong Kong, is often referred to as a gateway city. I see so many similarities between my old home town and my new one.  More than ever before, closer ties are developing between China and the world, through the Vancouver gateway….. exchanges in trade and commerce and education, exchanges of people and ideas.

But for me, an important part of any relationship, perhaps the most important aspect, is one which encourages mutual understanding and respect, and I believe nothing is more important in this regard than cultural exchange. 

That is why, 10 years ago, my family decided to establish The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation - to encourage a global appreciation of Chinese culture, and that is also why we decided to support this marvelous exhibition, The Forbidden City: Inside the Court of China’s Emperors; first in Toronto, where the project was conceived and curated by the Royal Ontario Museum, and now in Vancouver, where the Vancouver Art Gallery is putting its own spin on these wonderful treasures which have been generously loaned to Canada by The Palace Museum in Beijing.

In fact, our Foundation has worked closely with The Palace Museum for many years, in particular in publishing children’s books, some of which we will leave with you this evening.  They are now available in both traditional and simplified Chinese characters and in Korean. Lately, with the co-operation of China Institute in New York, an English version was published. You can even find them in the Vancouver Art Gallery book store.

I hope that through this exhibition, my fellow Canadians will gain a deeper appreciation for the rich Chinese heritage which has so much to contribute to our multicultural society.

Our partners, the Vancouver Art Gallery, have developed a robust program of education and outreach which will ensure that all sectors of society, especially students and young people, will benefit from this unique opportunity.

In fact, this project has been realised through a wide ranging collaboration between the ROM, the VAG, Beijing’s Palace Museum and our co-sponsors in Vancouver, China National Offshore Oil Corporation.  I sincerely thank them all for their support.

I hope all of you enjoy this evening and had a glimpse of the exhibition, and will come back with your friends and family.  So thank you all for joining us and I wish you a wonderful evening.