Media

The University Museum and Art Gallery (UMAG), The University of Hong Kong (HKU) is delighted to announce Perckhammer’s Peking: A Photographic Documentation of China’s Capital City in the 1920s, an exhibition of work by Heinz von Perckhammer (1895–1965). A prominent South-Tyrolean photographer and photojournalist, who grew up in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Perckhammer travelled to various regions of China and documented daily life, rituals and architecture in images that display a Westerner’s curiosity for Chinese customs and culture.  

Today, the illustrations in Perckhammer’s publication are of great historical value since they document the beginnings of China’s modernisation and social change in Beijing during the early years of the Republic. For the aspiring photojournalist, the 1920s presented an era of transformation and the fifteen hundred photographs taken by Perckhammer constitute an archive of extraordinary scope and diverse subject matter. Although the publication includes only 200 images, Peking offers a compelling account of the artist’s fascination with various subjects, such as the Imperial Palace, religious architecture, city views, street scenes and glimpses of daily life. These subjects fascinated the artist and drove him to document his experiences.  

The peak of his professional activity occurred at a time when photography had gained wider practice, regular exhibitions and increased recognition in China. This work propelled his career when Perckhammer returned to Europe and began working as a photojournalist for the Berlin-based illustrated weekly Die Woche in 1929. 

For more images and exhibit captions, please click here. 

Details of the Exhibition 
Period: November 1, 2024 (Friday) to February 2, 2025 (Sunday) 

Opening Hours:  
9:30 am–6 pm (Tuesday to Saturday) 
1 pm–6 pm (Sunday) 
Closed on Mondays, Public and University Holidays  
Venue: 1/F, Fung Ping Shan Building, UMAG, HKU, 90 Bonham Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong 
Tel/Email: (852) 2241 5500 (General Enquiry) / museum@hku.hk 
Admission: Free admission; In light of the HKU Tourist Flow Management Scheme, please enter via the ground floor of the Fung Ping Shan Building  
Website: https://umag.hku.hk/exhibition/perckhammers-peking-a-photographic-documentation-of-chinas-capital-city-in-the-1920s/ 

Connect with UMAG on Social Media: 
Facebook: http://bit.ly/umag_facebook 
Instagram: @umag_hku, #UMAG, #PerckhammersPeking, #Perckhammer 
YouTube: http://bit.ly/umag_youtube 
LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/umag_linkedin 
Weibo: @香港大學美術博物館UMAG 

About UMAG 
UMAG was founded in 1953 as the Fung Ping Shan Museum. It was originally established as the Fung Ping Shan Library in 1932 in honour of its benefactor. For more information on UMAG, please click here. 

Media Enquiries 
Tel: (852) 2241 5513, Email: musnews@hku.hk 
When using any of the copyrighted images, please cite acknowledgement as ‘Image Courtesy of The University of Hong Kong Libraries’.