Opening hours
Monday10:00 ～ 17:00
Tuesday10:00 ～ 17:00
Wednesday10:00 ～ 17:00
Thursday10:00 ～ 17:00
Friday10:00 ～ 17:00
SaturdayClosed
SundayClosed
Public Holiday Closed
Fee
Free admission
Suggested time for visit
30 minutes
Remarks
Step-free access available
If you would like to understand more about the life of Professor Jao Tsung-I, then the Jao Tsung-I Petit Ecole, with its extensive collection of 40,000 titles and over 200 rare books and paintings, is a must-visit attraction.
Opened in 2003, the museum is located at Tang Chi Ngong Building on the campus of The University of Hong Kong. Inside the museum, there is an exhibition room where painting, calligraphy or antique exhibitions are held regularly, as well as other art exhibitions related to Professor Jao’s collection in conjunction with other partners. For example, in 2017, an exhibition called “The Companionship of Art” featured artists who have a close relationship with Professor Jao from the 1960s to 1980s, such as Ding Yanyong, Lau Bing Hang and Wong Hon Yiu. The introduction and materials of each exhibition can be found on their website prior to the shows, so it is definitely worthwhile to research on these before your visit. Moreover, exhibition brochures are available at the museum, providing you a great introduction on the study of Jao and his works.
Other than the exhibitions, at the core of the museum is its book collection, including 40,000 books donated by Professor Jao and the Charitable Fund, many of which were used in his research. By exploring these contents, you can understand more about the origins of his ideas. In addition, the Special Collections Room features a library with 24-hour regulated temperature control, where the rare books and personal collection are kept. At the same time, the priority of the Academic Gallery, where academic research is held, is to promote the publication of studies on Jao, such as by promoting work abroad that has he，Therefore, not only are the exhibits valuable, the book collection is equally a prized treasure. However, the catalogue for this precious book collection is not open to public. Pre-booking is certainly needed if you would like to browse through the collection.
Tang Chi Ngong Building came into operation in 1931, and was used as a key location for Chinese and other humanities programmes. In 1995, it became a declared monument.