An exhibition titled "The Story of Jao Tsung-i" to commemorate the life and achievements of the master of Chinese studies opened to the public in Hong Kong, China's Special Administrative Region, on Wednesday.

By presenting more than 200 items of Jao's life photos, personal letters, artworks, academic studies and other archival materials, the exhibition shows his dedication to the studies of Chinese history, culture and art, leaving precious cultural wealth for the city, the country and the world.

Jao, born in 1917 in south China's Guangdong Province and died in Hong Kong in 2018, was highly esteemed for his broad research from ancient history, regional history, oracle bone inscriptions, bamboo slips and silk manuscripts, bibliographic research, the Song of Chu ancient anthology, Dunhuang studies, the history of religions and archaeology to Chinese literature.

He was considered one of the most influential contemporary masters of Chinese studies, and was often on a par with another master Ji Xianlin, who died in 2009, as "Jao of the South and Ji of the North."

At the opening ceremony, Lau Kong-wah, the Secretary for Home Affairs at Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, said that the exhibition shows Jao's life in various aspects, which helps people to better understand his rigorous academic attitude and efforts in promoting Chinese culture.

He added that the HKSAR government is also helping to set up a memorial for Jao to fulfill the wishes of his descendants and friends.

As one of the HKSAR's celebration activities to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the exhibition is co-presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of HKSAR government and the University of Hong Kong, and jointly organized by the Hong Kong Heritage Museum and the Jao Tsung-I Petite Ecole of the University of Hong Kong.

The exhibition will run through February 17, 2020.