Aloes is indeed a treasure born out of the cultural exchange between the East and the West. It transcends national and religious boundaries to bring world cultures to unity. The significant role played by aloes in this world fits in well with the purpose of achieving Peace and Harmony as expounded by the exhibition, the theme of which is World Cultures!

Next year will mark the 25th Anniversary of the Founding of the Champion Technology Group. Our subsidiary, Multitone Electronics Plc, which joined the Group in 1993, just celebrated its 70th Birthday! This is the fourth event in our Peace and Harmony exhibition series which we have organized to mark the happy occasion. I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of the Champion Technology Group, A Better Tomorrow, Chinese World Cultural Heritage Foundation, and World Cultural Relics Protection Foundation, to express my gratitude to all parties involved in making this exhibition possible. In particular, I would like to thank Mr. Tsang Tak-sing, GBS, JP, Secretary for Home Affairs of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Consuls-General, government officials, and all prominent guests including those from the Mainland and overseas for attending the opening ceremony, making it a memorable and meaningful day.

I have to thank the members of the office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the World Cultures Festival for making available to us the Hong Kong City Hall, an ideal venue for an event of this nature.

I need to thank the Consuls-General who have kindly participated by contributing their messages: Mr. Bader S. Al-Tunaib of the State of Kuwait; Mr. Mehmet Raif Karaca of Turkey; Dr. Ker Sin Tze of Singapore; Mr. Les Luck of Australia; Mr. Andrew Seaton of the United Kingdom; Mr. Robert Schuddeboom of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; Ambassador Amikam Levy of Israel; Mr. Ashud Ahmed of Bangladesh; Ms. Adele Bryant of New Zealand; Mrs. Alessandra Schiavo of Italy; Mr. Przemyslaw M. Jenke of the Republic of Poland; Mr. Werner Lauk of the Federal Republic of Germany; Mr. Mohamed Fahmy of Egypt; Mr. Arnaud Barthélémy of France; and Ms. Maria Castillo Fernandez of the European Union. I am truly grateful to them for sparing their valuable time this summer in writing us those wonderful messages. For those who have not been in touch because of the summer holiday, your kind thoughts are also well appreciated.

I also want to express my sincere appreciation to the respected scholars: Mr. Tang Hoi-chiu, Chief Curator of the Hong Kong Museum of Art; and Dr. Joseph S. P. Ting, former Chief Curator of the Hong Kong Museum of History and Honorary Fellow of the Hong Kong Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, who have kindly furnished us with their messages; and Ms. Dong Zhenghe, Top Calligrapher and Associate Research Fellow of the Palace Museum in Beijing for her inscription. Their participation has made the journal all the more profound, turning it into an insightful monumental masterpiece. My thanks also go to Mr. Zheng Xinmiao, Director of the Palace Museum; and Ms. Carol Michaelson, Curator of China in the Department of Asia of the British Museum and Honorary Committee Member of the Chinese World Cultural Heritage Foundation, for their continuing support.

Next on my thank you list are Ms. Helena Hui and Ms. Mabel Chan of Trinity International Limited for their kind assistance in the exhibition.

I am also thankful to those who have dedicated time to the planning and co-ordination of the exhibition. They are members of the Editorial Committee, Curators’ Committee, Research Team, Graphic Design Unit, Website Design Team, and Coordination Unit.

Last but not least, I am really grateful to all those who have made this event come true, and I send them my best wishes. They are: Sir Archie Chan, Lady Irene Chan, Mr. Peter Chan, Ms. Grace Fong, Ms. Fung Hin Fung, Ms. Guo Bao Qin, Ms. Piera Ho, Ms. Joanne Kan, Ms. Lei Li Ping, Mr. Lawrence Li, Mrs. Ruth Li, Mr. Li Xiao Dong, Ms. Li Xiao Hui, Mr. Tong Ying Kit, Mr. Eric Yang, Mr. Zhang Zhe, and those great anonymous aloes enthusiasts who have kindly provided support for this exhibition.

I hope I have covered all in the above. Had I missed your name by any chance, you could be sure that my hearty thanks are always with you. May I wish you good health, continued success, and perpetual prosperity!

Paul Kan