[April 8, 2026, Macau] The POLY MGM MUSEUM will unveil a new phase of its Silk Roads Beyond Borders exhibition on April 11, 2026, reinforcing Macau’s role as a vital pivot for cultural exchange between China and the West. With newly added European masterpieces, a rare Persian carpet, and innovative immersive experiences, the exhibition now offers audiences an even richer, more expansive narrative of Eurasian cultural exchange along the Silk Roads.

Macau as a Global Cultural Bridge

The exhibition’s latest chapter highlights Macau’s unique position as a meeting point of East and West, presenting a vivid dialogue between Chinese and European art, craft, and innovation. The new additions are presented in conversation with the museum’s original collection, creating a dynamic recreation of the artistic and craft exchanges that once flourished across Eurasia.

Building on this evolution, MGM expands both the breadth and academic depth of the exhibition, leveraging Macau — and the museum — as an international platform to share Chinese culture and tell compelling stories of civilizational exchange with the world.

Two Icons from Venice Debut in Asia

With the support of the Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macau, two important 18th‑century works by Venetian School masters will be unveiled in Asia for the first time: The Molo from the Bacino di San Marco by Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal) and Ca’ Foscari and Palazzo Balbi on the Grand Canal by Michele Marieschi. On loan from Italy’s Fondazione Paolo e Carolina Zani, these oil‑on‑canvas works capture Venice’s prosperity as an important node on the Silk Roads.

The Venetian School is renowned for its precise depictions of urban splendor and commercial prosperity. As a vital European hub connecting East and West along the Silk Roads, Venice flourished from the Middle Ages onward through sustained trade between China and the West; Marco Polo’s 13th‑century journey further strengthened the cultural ties between China and Italy along this historic route. The two works on display delicately present Venice’s prosperity as a transshipment port for Silk Road goods entering Europe. Displayed alongside Chinese silk, porcelain, and other artifacts, they vividly illustrate the historical processes through which the Silk Roads facilitated cultural exchange.

The exhibition further juxtaposes these masterpieces with Golden City, a modern depiction of Venice by acclaimed French‑Chinese artist Zao Wou‑Ki, creating a dialogue across centuries and underscoring Macau’s unique cultural significance as a platform for Sino‑Western exchange.

Textile Treasures in Dialogue: Tracing the Aesthetic Flow of the Silk Roads

Another highlight of the upgrade is the addition of a celebrated Farahan Carpet with Herati Pattern from the Museu Medeiros e Almeida in Lisbon, Portugal. It is displayed alongside MGM’s own Dragon‑Patterned Throne Carpet.

By comparing the materials, motifs, and weaving techniques of these two carpets, visitors gain an intuitive understanding of the two‑way flow of textile artistry along the Silk Roads — and how everyday craft traditions reflect centuries of aesthetic exchange between Chinese and Western civilizations, enriching both traditions.

Diverse Interactive Experiences Extend the Silk Road Narrative

Interactive experiences further extend the Silk Road narrative beyond the newly added artifacts, deepening visitor engagement through multimedia storytelling and immersive programming.

A highlight is the newly launched “Marco Polo VR Experience”, nominated for numerous awards including the 2025 Auggie Awards for “Best Art/Video Work” and the 2025 VISIONI VR Competition, and an official entry for FIVARS 2025. This 10‑minute immersive journey transports visitors back more than 700 years, placing them in Marco Polo’s footsteps as they travel from Venice across key sites of East–West cultural exchange. The experience resonates directly with the Venetian masterpieces on display, offering a multi‑sensory bridge between historical imagination and artistic interpretation. The VR program is complimentary with museum admission.

The museum also presents “Museum Encounter – the Tang Story”, an immersive program staged for visitors aged 5 or above. Guided by professional actors, audiences step into the vibrant world of the Tang dynasty in a “living museum” experience every Saturday and Sunday evening. Details and ticketing information are available at: https://www.tickets.mgm.mo/zh-hant/museum-encounter-the-tang-story

Silk Road Voyages — Take Your Journey Beyond the Museum

Step into the world of the Silk Roads through its relics, stories, and immersive encounters — and let your journey continue beyond the POLY MGM MUSEUM.

As part of the “Silk Road Voyages” promotion, running now through May 17, same‑day ticket holders can join an instant lucky draw (one entry per person) for a chance to take home museum cultural‑creative merchandise inspired by the exhibition. Each week, one lucky visitor will also win the grand prize — a Silk Road travel package for two — tracing iconic cities and regions along the historic route. Culture lovers are invited to seize this moment and begin shaping their own Silk Road cultural‑exchange story.

Where the Journey Goes Next

The story of the Silk Roads is only gaining momentum. In the months ahead, the POLY MGM MUSEUM will broaden this cultural landscape with new exhibitions and programs that bring historical treasures and intangible cultural heritage from across the region into view. As the museum moves forward, it will continue creating spaces where Chinese culture and the world meet, ideas travel, and new connections take shape — a contemporary echo of the exchanges that once animated the Silk Roads.

Note: The POLY MGM MUSEUM will close on April 9 and 10 to install the exhibition’s new phase, reopening to visitors on April 11.

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About POLY MGM MUSEUM

POLY MGM MUSEUM is a cultural landmark dedicated to preserving China’s invaluable intangible heritage and promoting global cultural dialogue. Located at MGM in Macau — a city at a historic crossroads on the Maritime Silk Road — the museum adheres to Chinese national standards for the exhibition of grade-one cultural relics, positioning it at the forefront of China’s connection to the world. The museum embodies the harmonious blend of “East meets West”, “Antiquity and Modernity”, “Virtuality and Reality”, and “Culture and Technology”. Driven by an innovative curatorial vision, it offers visitors an immersive experience by combining traditional Chinese craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. The exhibitions feature traditional Chinese intangible heritage crafts from key countries along the “Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road”, all expressed through the lens of modern architecture. The POLY MGM MUSEUM stands as a testament to the 5,000-year-old Chinese civilization and reflects Poly Culture and MGM’s commitment to preserving the cultural treasures of the Chinese nation for generations to come.

About Poly Culture

Poly Culture is a leading enterprise group primarily focused on cultural and artistic operations, supervised by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC). Established in 2000, it was honored by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China as a “National-level Cultural Industry Demonstration Base” and has amassed more than 10 wins of “China’s Top 30 Culture Enterprises”.

Poly Culture Group owns and controls over 150 subsidiaries, including well-known brands like Poly Theater, Poly Auction, Poly Film, Poly Art Education, Poly WeDo, and Poly Art Museum. In recent years, Poly Culture has actively expanded its presence in cultural communication, tourism, asset management, digitalization, and other sectors, achieving notable growth.

Poly Culture, guided by the principles outlined by President Xi Jinping and anchored in his thoughts on culture, is committed to delivering top-notch cultural products and services to the public. The group aims to present China’s stories and amplify its voice through refined cultural and artistic endeavors. It strives to be a “leading creator of a brighter future”, focusing on key missions such as upholding socialism, rallying public support, fostering a new generation with sound values and ethics, developing Chinese culture, and building a positive image of China. Poly Culture is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of China’s rich traditional heritage, fostering the growth and prosperity of cultural endeavors and industries, and contributing to the advancement of cultural confidence and the construction of mode.

About MGM

MGM is an abbreviation for MGM China Holdings Limited (HKEx: 2282) and is a leading developer, owner and operator of gaming and lodging resorts in Greater China. We are the holding company of MGM Grand Paradise, SA which holds one of the six gaming concessions to run casino games in Macau. MGM Grand Paradise, SA owns and operates MGM MACAU, the award-winning premium integrated resort located on the Macau Peninsula and MGM COTAI, a contemporary luxury integrated resort in Cotai. 

MGM MACAU is a Forbes Five-Star luxury integrated resort inspired by the arts with every element of the resort infused with creativity and style. MGM MACAU has approximately 600 guest rooms and suites and boasts a number of distinguishing features, including the architecturally stunning European-inspired Grande Praça, housed under a soaring glass ceiling. The POLY MGM MUSEUM spanning almost 2,000 square meters, is constructed in accordance with Chinese national standards for the exhibition of Grade-One cultural relics. MGM MACAU’s world class facilities also include conference and event facilities, spa, and seven signature restaurants and bars to fulfill any gastronomic craving. Our property is conveniently located on the Macau Peninsula and is directly connected to the luxury retail shopping complex, One Central.

Designed as the “jewelry box” of Cotai, MGM COTAI offers approximately 1,400 hotel rooms and suites, meeting space, high end spa, retail offerings, food and beverage outlets as well as the first international Mansion at MGM for the ultimate luxury experience.  MGM has joined hands with renowned Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou to set up the “Macau 2049” residency in MGM Theater. The Spectacle at MGM COTAI becomes the record holder of the largest free-span gridshell glazed roof (self-supporting) on January 19, 2019, making it the first architectural and structural GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for Macau, China. MGM COTAI is being developed to drive greater product diversification and bring more advanced and innovative forms of entertainment to Macau as it grows as a global tourist destination. MGM COTAI is the only mega complex and hotel in Macau to gain three-star certification in both Green Building Design and Operation Label, as well as the first hotel in the Greater Bay Area and second in Greater China to receive the certifications.

MGM China is majority owned by MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) one of the world's leading global hospitality companies, operating a portfolio of destination resort brands including Bellagio, ARIA, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and Park MGM. For more information about MGM Resorts International, visit the Company's website at www.mgmresorts.com.

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