Hong Kong’s First Large-Scale “Chinese Culture Festival”

With a visionary motto of ‘Sustaining a Heritage of Aesthetic Beauty, Celebrating the Magnificence of Chinese Culture’, the Chinese Culture Festival (CCF) aims to promote Chinese culture and enhance the public’s cultural confidence through a colourful palette of art and cultural programmes running from Jun to Sep 2024.  A fantastic lineup of art forms ranging from Chinese opera pieces performed by award-winning talents, large scale dance dramas, to thematic exhibitions that verge high tech innovation with traditional Chinese aesthetics will be presented.  In the rim of international cultural exchanges. it is believed that these esteemed programmes will facilitate regional cultural leaders to partake in the latest art scenes and encourage further networking and dialogues. 

Ancient Chinese Opera Classics Revisited  

The Chinese Opera Festival, as a signature event of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, forms the core of the CCF and continues its mission of gauging ‘the best of the best’ Chinese opera troupes from all over the country.  Award-winning Chinese opera maestros to be featured are all supreme in performing exquisite traditional arts, and are instrumental in sustaining audience resonance and attracting new generations of opera lovers.  This year, the festival is bringing together eight prominent opera genres from different regions of the Mainland and Hong Kong, showcasing masterpieces of Cantonese Opera, Northern Kunqu, Peking Opera, Yue Opera, Liuzi Opera and other regional operas.  Outstanding opera troupes are all set to perform classic pieces like The Jade Dragonfly by the Fujian Fanghua Yue Opera Troupe, the famous Kunqu classic The Palace of Eternal Life by The Northern Kunqu Opera Theatre and the action-intensive full-length Mu Guiying by the Zhejiang Wu Opera Research Centre.   

To ensure that the audience fully grasps every word of dialogue and lyric, the Chinese Opera Festival provides both English and Chinese surtitles for all performances, enabling them to fully enjoy the delicate drama and vocal stylings on stage. 

Encouraging Cultural Exchange Through ‘City in Focus’  

CCF takes it as a mission to designate one focal city per year under City in Focus programme. This year, a series of programmes will display the charm and specialties of Shanghai.  A highly anticipated work not to be missed is The House of Wulong, a representative work by the late Peking Opera master Zhou Xinfang (aka Qilintong), which will be performed by the Shanghai Jingju Theatre Company.  Chen Shaoyun, currently the leading exponent of the Qi School and a renowned Peking Opera virtuoso, will demonstrate the masterful demeanour of the ‘four skills in performing and five acting rules’ in the Qi tradition of laosheng (old male) role.   

Other City in Focus programmes include the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra with its finely selected music pieces under the baton of the acclaimed conductor Tang Muhai; and an exhibition titled ‘The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Fragrance of Time – In Search of Chinese Art of Scent’, jointly organised by the Shanghai Museum and the Hong Kong Museum of Art. 

Courageous Heroine Mulan Dances out Her Pride  

Another attraction that worth a special visit to Hong Kong is the spectacular dance drama Mulan, winner of China’s Lotus Award for Dance Drama in 2018.  This dance programme is a finely choreographed interpretation of the popular story of Hua Mulan who disguises as a man to fight for her father in the army.  Lead dancer Hao Ruoqi combines her classic dance training with martial arts to imbue the character of Mulan with grace, strength and agility.  Impressive set designs include a multi-ton revolving circular stage in cyclical motion which represents life, death, and remembrance.  Performed by Ningbo Performance & Arts Group, Mulan is choreographed by renowned choreographers Zhou Liya and Han Zhen.   

The inaugural CCF will also feature high-quality provincial and local stage productions like the opening programme of the International Arts Carnival 2024 – Me and My Youth performed by the China National Acrobatic Troupe, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra‘s The Ancient Tea Horse Route and the Hong Kong Dance Company‘s Fun Ride with Big Beard – Dancing Poems 2.0.  Also in the lineup are exemplary local arts projects recognised by the China National Arts Fund, film screenings, exhibitions, extension activities and lecture series.    

It is worth noting that various local arts organisations have joined forces in organising and promoting Chinese culture.  To encourage young participants to join in the Festival, Chinese Culture for All: A Special Performance Series and Chinese En Route to Campus will offer free activities for youths and students. 

Chinese culture does matter, and Hong Kong possesses all the advantages to excel high as an East-meets-West cultural centre for international exchange and serves as a window to channel arts and culture with Chinese characteristics.  With over 100 stage performances and extension activities, CCF expects to attract audiences, from enthusiasts of both local and worldwide.   

More information can be found here: www.ccf.gov.hk