OCI Public Talk: Chinese symbolism and culture depicted in museum artefacts

Dates: Friday, January 23, 2026 - 13:00 to 14:00
Location: Online via MS Teams

Image showing the title of the talk and a picture of the speaker

Please join us for an insightful talk by Dr Fang ZONG into the rich cultural history of Chinese objects and artefacts within museum collections.

About the talk:

China has a rich cultural heritage that stretches back thousands of years, and the use of symbolism is at the heart of Chinese culture. Chinese symbolic culture is prevalent in museum objects, artefacts, and motifs like bats (blessings), deer (prosperity) and peaches (longevity) embody profound meanings beyond mere decoration.

Dr ZONG Fang, a museum professional in Chinese culture, will introduce a range of Chinese motifs featured on
museum objects and discuss their symbolic meanings, from auspicious animals and birds to noble plants and flowers. Dr Fang will also compare the symbolism between Chinese and English cultures.

About the speaker:

Dr ZONG Fang, formerly a biomedical researcher with a PhD from the Karolinska Institute, is now a museum professional, freelance consultant and curator of Chinese culture. She has studied museum practice and Chinese art across international institutions and has worked at the Manchester Museum for over a decade. Her contributions to the Chinese collection and the development of the Lee Kai Hung Chinese Culture Gallery were recognised with the University of Manchester’s 2024 Exceptional Performance Award.

The talk will be held online via MS Teams and a recording of the talk will be made available on this page afterwards.

Please register on Eventbrite here to attend: Chinese symbolism and culture depicted in museum objects and artefacts Tickets, Fri, Jan 23, 2026 at 1:00 PM | Eventbrite

Update 26/01.26: Please find the recording from the talk below and a transcript available here