“Luminous Brilliance: The Artistry of Zibo Liuli” Opens This October at POLY MGM MUSEUM in Macau

This October, the POLY MGM MUSEUM will unveil Luminous Brilliance: The Artistry of Zibo Liuli, a major new exhibition presented in collaboration with the National Museum of China and the Zibo Ceramics and Glass Museum. Running through March 2027, the exhibition brings nearly 180 historic and contemporary glass masterpieces to Macau, offering an unprecedented look at liuli — China’s traditional art of glassmaking — and its role as a bridge between civilizations for more than three millennia.

Since opening in November 2024, the POLY MGM MUSEUM has partnered with leading cultural institutions to build a “living museum” that blends cultural depth with immersive visitor experiences, advancing cultural exchange and mutual learning across borders. Following its acclaimed exhibitions on the Maritime and Land Silk Roads, the Museum now turns to liuli as a new lens for understanding cross-cultural dialogue, craftsmanship, and artistic innovation.

A New Perspective on the Silk Roads: Three Chapters of Liuli Art

Zibo, in Shandong province, is one of China’s most storied glassmaking centers, with over a thousand years of continuous tradition. Its glassmaking techniques are recognized as national intangible cultural heritage, and from the Ming and Qing dynasties onward, Zibo glass travelled along the Silk Roads to destinations across Asia and beyond. Today, these luminous works arrive in Macau — a city shaped by centuries of East-West exchange — to continue that dialogue in a contemporary context.

The exhibition unfolds across three chapters that illuminate the history, aesthetics, and contemporary creativity of liuli.

Forging a Millennium Legacy

This chapter traces the deep roots of Chinese glassmaking, from Warring States–period “dragonfly-eye” glass beads and rare Boshan kiln relics from the late Yuan to early Ming dynasties to the exquisite craftsmanship of Qing dynasty Imperial court glass. Roman, Sasanian Persian, and Islamic glass from the National Museum of China are displayed alongside Chinese works, revealing how materials, techniques, and aesthetics travelled and transformed across civilizations.

Eternal Iridescence

Through techniques such as blowing, lost wax casting, inside painting, and carving, this chapter showcases the radiant color palette and distinctive Eastern aesthetics of liuli. The works highlight the fusion of technical mastery and artistic expression that defines the tradition.

Exquisite Objects of Timeless Elegance

The final chapter presents outstanding contemporary glass artworks, illustrating how today’s artisans build upon ancient foundations while exploring new artistic languages. Chinese and international works appear together, highlighting the global dialogue shaping glass art today.

A Fusion of Past and Present: An Immersive Exhibition Experience

Luminous Brilliance: The Artistry of Zibo Liuli uses a multi-layered curatorial approach to reveal the richness of liuli. Ancient Chinese and Western glassworks are displayed in dialogue, mapping the pathways of cultural exchange. Traditional craftsmanship is juxtaposed with contemporary creation, showing how ancient techniques continue to evolve in today’s cultural landscape.

The exhibition design reflects Macau’s unique blend of Chinese and Western heritage. Incorporating Lingnan architectural elements — the traditional southern Chinese style defined by central courtyards, airy layouts, and garden inspired spatial flow — the museum features a central liuli garden, anchored by the exquisite Twelve Flower Deities installation. This immersive environment of color and light connects the three exhibition chapters through a unified narrative experience. Works by internationally renowned American glass artist Dale Chihuly, from the MGM collection, will also be showcased, creating a vivid encounter between Western glass and Chinese liuli traditions — a fusion that together transcend time and space.

Technology Enhanced Storytelling and Craft Exploration

Poly Culture’s patented multifunctional holographic display cases for cultural heritage preservation bring the stories behind the artworks to life through digital interpretation and interactive features. Visitors can engage with the displays through touch-enabled, sensory features that make the experience feel vivid and close. They can explore the craftsmanship, symbolism, and cultural significance of the works in detail. An interactive craft zone illustrates the glassmaking process — from selecting raw materials and firing the kiln to carving and finishing — allowing visitors to appreciate both the artistry and the intangible heritage embedded in the craft.

Signature works such as the Grape Shaped Glass Bottle, Liuli Phoenix Crown, and Butterflies and Spirit Serpent Floral Crown will be on view, offering insight into the cultural symbolism and technical brilliance of Chinese glassmaking.

Art of Living: Extending Diverse Cultural Experiences

To complement Luminous Brilliance: The Artistry of Zibo Liuli, the POLY MGM MUSEUM will introduce a series of online and offline programs that bring liuli craftsmanship into everyday life. These activities allow visitors to go beyond the exhibition and experience how liuli’s colors, techniques, and artistic language continue to shape modern living.

During the exhibition period, a large-scale glass art installation will transform MGM MACAU’s Grande Praça, the property’s central atrium, into a radiant liuli garden. Guests can wander through this immersive landscape of light and color, experiencing the dreamlike interplay of glass and daylight. The space also features exclusive interactive photo moments and a curated selection of cultural creative products, inviting guests to appreciate, engage with, and collect liuli from multiple perspectives — extending the museum experience into daily life.

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About POLY MGM MUSEUM

POLY MGM MUSEUM is a cultural landmark dedicated to preserving China’s invaluable intangible heritage and promoting global cultural dialogue. Located at MGM in Macau — a city at a historic crossroads on the Maritime Silk Road — the museum adheres to Chinese national standards for the exhibition of grade-one cultural relics, positioning it at the forefront of China’s connection to the world. The museum embodies the harmonious blend of “East meets West”, “Antiquity and Modernity”, “Virtuality and Reality”, and “Culture and Technology”. Driven by an innovative curatorial vision, it offers visitors an immersive experience by combining traditional Chinese craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. The exhibitions feature traditional Chinese intangible heritage crafts from key countries along the “Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road”, all expressed through the lens of modern architecture. The POLY MGM MUSEUM stands as a testament to the 5,000-year-old Chinese civilization and reflects Poly Culture and MGM’s commitment to preserving the cultural treasures of the Chinese nation for generations to come.

About Poly Culture

Poly Culture is a leading enterprise group primarily focused on cultural and artistic operations, supervised by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC). Established in 2000, it was honored by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China as a “National-level Cultural Industry Demonstration Base” and has amassed more than 10 wins of “China’s Top 30 Culture Enterprises”.

Poly Culture Group owns and controls over 150 subsidiaries, including well-known brands like Poly Theater, Poly Auction, Poly Film, Poly Art Education, Poly WeDo, and Poly Art Museum. In recent years, Poly Culture has actively expanded its presence in cultural communication, tourism, asset management, digitalization, and other sectors, achieving notable growth.

Poly Culture, guided by the principles outlined by President Xi Jinping and anchored in his thoughts on culture, is committed to delivering top-notch cultural products and services to the public. The group aims to present China’s stories and amplify its voice through refined cultural and artistic endeavors. It strives to be a “leading creator of a brighter future”, focusing on key missions such as upholding socialism, rallying public support, fostering a new generation with sound values and ethics, developing Chinese culture, and building a positive image of China. Poly Culture is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of China’s rich traditional heritage, fostering the growth and prosperity of cultural endeavors and industries, and contributing to the advancement of cultural confidence and the construction of mode.

About MGM

MGM is an abbreviation for MGM China Holdings Limited (HKEx: 2282) and is a leading developer, owner and operator of gaming and lodging resorts in Greater China. We are the holding company of MGM Grand Paradise, SA which holds one of the six gaming concessions to run casino games in Macau. MGM Grand Paradise, SA owns and operates MGM MACAU, the award-winning premium integrated resort located on the Macau Peninsula and MGM COTAI, a contemporary luxury integrated resort in Cotai. 

MGM MACAU is a Forbes Five-Star luxury integrated resort inspired by the arts with every element of the resort infused with creativity and style. MGM MACAU has approximately 600 guest rooms and suites and boasts a number of distinguishing features, including the architecturally stunning European-inspired Grande Praça, housed under a soaring glass ceiling. The POLY MGM MUSEUM spanning almost 2,000 square meters, is constructed in accordance with Chinese national standards for the exhibition of Grade-One cultural relics. MGM MACAU’s world class facilities also include conference and event facilities, spa, and seven signature restaurants and bars to fulfill any gastronomic craving. Our property is conveniently located on the Macau Peninsula and is directly connected to the luxury retail shopping complex, One Central.

Designed as the “jewelry box” of Cotai, MGM COTAI offers approximately 1,400 hotel rooms and suites, meeting space, high end spa, retail offerings, food and beverage outlets as well as the first international Mansion at MGM for the ultimate luxury experience.  MGM has joined hands with renowned Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou to set up the “Macau 2049” residency in MGM Theater. The Spectacle at MGM COTAI becomes the record holder of the largest free-span gridshell glazed roof (self-supporting) on January 19, 2019, making it the first architectural and structural GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for Macau, China. MGM COTAI is being developed to drive greater product diversification and bring more advanced and innovative forms of entertainment to Macau as it grows as a global tourist destination. MGM COTAI is the only mega complex and hotel in Macau to gain three-star certification in both Green Building Design and Operation Label, as well as the first hotel in the Greater Bay Area and second in Greater China to receive the certifications.

MGM China is majority owned by MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) one of the world's leading global hospitality companies, operating a portfolio of destination resort brands including Bellagio, ARIA, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and Park MGM. For more information about MGM Resorts International, visit the Company's website at www.mgmresorts.com.

For media enquiries, please contact:    

Juliana Kung

Director of Public Relations

MGM

Tel: (853) 8806 3424

Email: julianakung@mgm.mo

Serena Chin

Director of Corporate Communications

MGM

Tel: (853) 8806 3412

Email: serenachin@mgm.mo