[April 13, 2026, Macau] Macau took on a vibrant cultural spotlight as MGM and Poly Culture Group convened the “POLY MGM MUSEUM Cultural Exchange Program 2026—Weaving the Legacy of Silk Roads” on April 11. Guided by the Art Exhibitions China and China Poly Group, and organized by the POLY MGM MUSEUM, with more than 500 attendees and speakers from Mainland China, Macau, Italy, and Portugal. The event brought together high-level forums, the signing of multiple MOUs, new partnerships, and major exhibition announcements — including new additions to the museum’s ongoing Silk Roads Beyond Borders exhibition. These efforts advance the museum’s mission to reinterpret Silk Road heritage for global contemporary audiences, encourage innovative Chinese Western cultural expression, and deepen long term inter museum collaboration.

 

Wang Bo, Chairman of Poly Culture Group, POLY MGM MUSEUM, together with Pansy Ho, Chairperson and Executive Director of MGM China Holdings Limited, Vice Chairman of the Board Committee and Museum Director, POLY MGM MUSEUM, sent video messages extending their well wishes for the successful conclusion of the event. Distinguished guests included Camelo Ficarra, Consul General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macau; Sun Xiaobing, Deputy Director of Art Exhibitions China; Bai Bing, Deputy Director of the Department of Publicity and Cultural and Sports Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR; Li Jun, Director of the Cultural Heritage Bureau of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region; Leong Wai Man, President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR; Jia Fuchun, Deputy Director of Henan Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage; Pang Yani, Senior Curator, Director of Shaanxi History Museum; Xin Lixue, Director of China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea; Bai Fawu, Secretary of the CPC Committee of Gansu Provincial Museum; Massimiliano Capella, Director, The Paolo and Carolina Zani Foundation of Art and Culture, Brescia, Italy; Maria Mayer, Director of Museu Medeiros e Almeida, Lisbon, Portugal; Zhao Lifan, Deputy Director of the Guangdong Museum (Guangzhou Lu Xun Museum); LaoZhu, Professor of History Department of Peking University, Director of the World Art History Institute (WAI) at Shanghai International Studies University (SISU); Li Jun, Head of the Department of Arts and Design at the University of Macau; Feng Xue, Department Chief of the International Liaison Department of Art Exhibitions China; Guicciardo Sassoli de' Bianchi Strozzi, President of Nuova Artemarea ETS; Xu Bei, Chief Brand Officer of Poly Culture Group and Director of Board Committee, POLY MGM MUSEUM; Kenneth Feng, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of MGM China Holdings Limited, Director of Board Committee, POLY MGM MUSEUM; Cristina Kuok, Senior Vice President of Arts and Culture of MGM and Director of Board Committee, POLY MGM MUSEUM; and many cultural relics and museum experts from Macau and overseas.

 

Five New MOUs Expand a Cross Regional Museum Network

The POLY MGM MUSEUM signed cooperation agreements with five major cultural institutions across key regions of China: Capital Museum (Beijing), Xinjiang Museum, Gansu Provincial Museum, Shaanxi History Museum, and Guangdong Museum (Guangzhou Lu Xun Museum).

 

These Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) establish long term collaboration in exhibitions, academic research, resource sharing, and talent development — strengthening a cross regional network that reflects the Silk Roads’ legacy of openness and exchange.

 

In his message, Wang Bo remarked, “Since the POLY MGM MUSEUM opened in 2024, we have focused on bringing academic rigor, artistic imagination, and technological innovation into resonance, allowing ancient civilizations to speak with renewed vitality today. This exchange is about breaking down inter-museum barriers and building a framework for shared resources, exhibitions, talent, and scholarship. Guided by the Silk Road spirit, we aim to create new platforms for civilizational dialogue, drive new forms of cultural expression, and shape a collaborative future for the museum sector.”

 

In her message, Pansy Ho noted, “Macau has long been an important node on the Maritime Silk Road, and under the unique advantages of ‘One Country, Two Systems’, it remains a vital window for exchange and mutual learning between Chinese and Western civilizations. The POLY MGM MUSEUM will continue to use Macau as our starting point — uniting cultural and museum partners from home and abroad, promoting the two-way flow of cultural resources through both ‘bringing in’ international strengths and ‘going out’ to share Chinese culture globally, and expanding our cultural ‘circle of friends’. Through these efforts, we aim to enable Chinese culture to innovate through inheritance and grow through exchange, adding deeper cultural strength to the stories of both China and Macau.”

 

Two High Energy Forums Explore New Models of Cultural Dialogue

The day’s program featured two high energy forums that spotlighted mutual learning and cultural innovation. The first session, “Harmony and Coexistence: Forging a Shared Future Through Dialogue and Innovation”, explored how the spirit of the Silk Roads can be reimagined for today’s world, with speakers examining new ways to translate its legacy into contemporary cultural practice.

 

The second forum, “Curating Confluence: Museums as Nexuses for Sino-Western Cultural Exchanges”, turned the focus to Macau, discussing how the city’s museum and cultural sector can spark deeper Chinese Western dialogue through fresh curatorial approaches and innovative forms of expression.

 

Experts and scholars from Macau, Beijing, Shaanxi, Xinjiang, Guangdong, Hainan, Italy, and Portugal contributed perspectives across disciplines and regions. Their discussions extended the Silk Roads’ breadth into the deeper currents of civilizational exchange, opening new avenues for innovative museum storytelling, mutual learning among cultures, and fresh approaches to cultural communication. A subsequent roundtable brought the discussions into action, with representatives aligning concrete exhibition collaborations and future development plans.

 

In her closing remarks, Leong Wai Man, President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR, noted, “I’d like to thank all of today’s speakers for their insightful sharing and professional perspectives, which have brought valuable ideas and to Macau’s cultural development. In the face of an increasingly complex and fast-changing international landscape, it is more important than ever to uphold dialogue among civilizations, foster mutual respect, and build consensus. As a vital window and platform for exchange between Eastern and Western civilizations, this is both Macao’s distinct character and its mission. We look forward to leveraging the outcomes of this event to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with cultural and museum institutions from the Mainland and around the world, jointly  explore more innovative models, and allow culture to serve as a bond connecting the world, so that Macau may truly become a model city for mutual learning between Eastern and Western civilizations.”

 

New Exhibition Confluence in Glass: East–West Artistry Across Time to Debut in the Fourth Quarter

The museum also announced its upcoming exhibition, Confluence in Glass: East–West Artistry Across Time, opening in the fourth quarter of the year. Presented in collaboration with the National Museum of China and the Zibo Ceramic and Glass Museum, the exhibition will showcase more than 180 exceptional works illuminating three millennia of Chinese Zibo glassmaking craftsmanship across three thematic chapters.

 

Curatorial highlights will include dialogues between ancient Chinese and Western glass, dynamic juxtapositions of historical and contemporary pieces, immersive integrations of physical objects with digital interpretation, and live demonstrations that illuminate the artistry behind traditional techniques.

 

New Highlights Added to the Current Silk Roads Beyond Borders Exhibition

Meanwhile, the museum’s current annual exhibition, Silk Roads Beyond Borders, has been refreshed with a new suite of international highlights. The latest additions include original works by Venetian School masters Canaletto and Michele Marieschi, alongside a rare Persian carpet on loan from a Portuguese museum.

 

Enhanced with VR experiences and immersive themed journeys, the latest phase of the exhibition now offers a vivid, multi-dimensional panorama of Silk Road cultural exchange — bringing audiences deeper into the artistic, historical, and cross civilizational currents that shaped the ancient routes.

 

Strengthening Macau’s Role in Global Cultural Exchange

As a historic crossroads of the Maritime Silk Road and a long-standing meeting point of Chinese and Western cultures, Macau offers uniquely fertile ground for international cultural collaboration.

Building on this legacy, the POLY MGM MUSEUM will continue expanding its global partnerships and amplifying Macau’s role as a bridge for cross cultural dialogue — supporting China’s broader aim to deepen cultural exchange with the world. These efforts further establish the museum as a dynamic platform for top tier exhibitions, academic exchange, museum cooperation, and diverse cultural programming, bringing fresh momentum to Macau’s work in connecting cultural strengths across the globe.

 

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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.

 

 

For media enquiries, please contact:    

Juliana Kung Director of Public Relations MGM Tel: (853) 8806 3424 Email: julianakung@mgm.mo

Karen Lam Assistant Director of Corporate Relations MGM Tel: (853) 8806 3421 Email: karenlam@mgm.mo