DPM Heng Swee Keat at the Book Launch of "100 Masterpieces of the Asian Civilisations Museum"

亚洲文明博物馆主席 李坚辉先生
国家文物局局长 章慧霓女士 
亚博馆长 陈威仁先生
新报业媒体信托华文媒体集团社长 李慧玲女士
亚博 中文义务导览员 连文思博士

女士们，先生们，

大家早上好。

四海汇风华——亚洲文明博物馆百件珍藏 

很高兴能够和大家聚在一起，参加《四海汇风华——亚洲文明博物馆百件珍藏》新书发布会。

据我所知，这套书从构思到出版，背后也有一段有趣的“历史”。

2003年，亚洲文明博物馆成立了中文义务导览组，召集了一批对历史和文化有浓厚兴趣的义务导览员。

他们以深入浅出的解说，向访客介绍珍贵的馆藏，让访客对本区域悠久而独特的历史有了更深入的了解。

在累积了十多年的导览经验和心得后，导览组在2018年提出了一个建议，将导览员收集的文物资料和中文说明，发表在《联合早报》上。李慧玲社长欣然答应了他们的要求。

2020年，导览组又建议在这些文章的基础上筛选出一百件文物，以中文撰写关于亚洲文明博物馆馆藏的图文集。

在博物馆以及《联合早报》的大力支持下，他们动员了一群导览员，共同编辑和出版了这一套内容丰富、并且很有收藏价值的丛书。

在此，我热烈祝贺你们，顺利完成这项深具意义的任务！

这套书不仅让我们认识到博物馆里许多精美的馆藏。

更重要的是，它展示了亚洲不同文化之间，以及亚洲和世界之间的联系。

因为有了这种长期的文化交流，才产生了这些多姿多彩的艺术作品。这也是亚洲博物馆多年来收集的珍藏。

我国社会的多元性是我们的一大优势，让我们能够更好地理解和包容不同的文化和视角。

我希望我们能够继续保持开放态度，与世界各地的族群搭起交流合作的桥梁。 

我也希望通过这套新书，能让更多人到亚洲文明博物馆参观，加深自己对亚洲多元文明和历史文化的认识。

Asia and the World through 100 Masterpieces 

Let me now continue in English.

We are fortunate to be living in a region that is brimming with diversity.

In Southeast Asia alone, there are more than 100 ethnic groups and 650 million people speaking more than 1,000 languages and dialects. 

But it is not just about the diversity within Asia. Since ancient times, our region has also benefited from the exchange of goods, cultures and ideas with the rest of the world.  

The Tang Shipwreck exhibition in the ACM shows this vividly. It illustrates the vibrant maritime trading network that existed for centuries between China and Southeast Asia, and between our region and the world. 

In Singapore, this diversity and openness is core to who we are. We are a multicultural, multireligious, and multiracial society.  

This has offered us a unique vantage point to understand the connections between cultures and civilisations in Asia, and between Asia and the world.

Many of the masterpieces in your book illustrate these cross-cultural influences.

For example, there is the beautiful mounted incense burner in the shape of a horse, made in Europe in the 18th century. It combines materials from all over the world – Chinese porcelain, Japanese lacquer, gilt bronze from Europe, and even a piece of red coral from under the sea.

Or take the head of a bodhisattva from Gandhara, made in the 4th century. Interestingly, it has Greco-Roman features that are reminiscent of the Western sculptures that you see in Western museums!  

There is also the magnificent green-glazed ceramic ewer, from the Tang Shipwreck Collection. While the piece was made in China in the 9th century, it has design elements from Iran, suggesting that it was made for the Middle Eastern market. 

And there are many more examples in this book, and also beyond this book. 

At a time when there is increasing divisiveness in the world, such perspectives are all the more valuable. 

The masterpieces are magnificent works of art, but their value is not just in their beauty. 

Just as important, they help to illustrate the power of connections and openness. 

They are a timely reminder that openness is critical in helping us form a deeper understanding of the diverse traditions and heritage of all civilisations, and enriches all of our lives.  

So let us continue to remain open, build on our diversity, and create an even more vibrant and prosperous region in the years ahead. 

Conclusion

Finally, I would like to thank the ACM and Lianhe Zaobao for organising this book launch. 

I also want to thank the Mandarin guides, and indeed all our volunteer guides across the various languages, for playing an important role in helping people enjoy and access the treasures in our museums.

Our museums are valuable community spaces, where we can come together to explore our heritage and understand our past. 

In so doing, it is my hope that we expand what we have in common – not just within Singapore, but with the region and the world. 

With COVID safe management measures now eased and more physical events returning to our museums, I hope that Singaporeans and their families can also take the time to enjoy our museums and these activities.  

Thank you very much.