Inaugural event, with music, dance, Chinese opera, multi-arts stage performances, film shows and meet-the-artists sessions, runs to September.
Tantalising Highlights of Hong Kong’s Inaugural Chinese Culture Festival
Tantalising highlights of some of the music, dance, Chinese opera, multi-arts stage performances, film shows, exhibitions, talks, meet-the-artists sessions and masterclasses featured during Hong Kong’s inaugural Chinese Culture Festival – now running until mid-September – were on show in the city at last month’s “Encountering Chinese Culture” Carnival.
The inaugural festival, the flagship event of the Chinese Culture Promotion Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, aims to promote “Chinese culture and patriotic education as well as enhancing national identity amongst the people of Hong Kong”.
Traditional Culture Given Contemporary Appeal
The one-day carnival, held at Sha Tin Town Hall and New Town Plaza on June 9, featured excerpts from different stage programmes of the festival, including an electrifying performance by the award-winning Refiner Drums troupe, titled “Fight Between the Bull and the Tiger”.
The troupe, which was formed in 2007 by a young Hong Kong drummer, Jason Leung, and now comprises more than 20 members, showcased drum music from Jiangzhou in Shanxi province, northern China, which has been listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of China. The concert served as a preview of the show titled “The Concert of Drum Music Art Ensemble of Jiangzhou, Shanxi and their Hong Kong Inheritors” (3pm, July 21, Auditorium, Sha Tin Town Hall), which is one of the headline events during the four-month festival.
“The performance tells the story of the two animals’ meeting, then staring one another down, then the duelling of the bull and the tiger, represented by the two drummers,” Leung says. “Shanxi Jiangzhou drum music was a nearly forgotten craft in China about 20 to 30 years ago, until artists from Shanxi Jiangzhou Drum Troupe visited different villages and rediscovered what had been lost.” Leung and his group now work closely with the percussionists in Shanxi to revitalise these traditional pieces. The group collaborates with modern composers to rearrange and inject contemporary elements into folk music, making the traditional art form relatable to an international audience. “When we are drumming, you can see that we make different movements as a part of the storytelling,” he says. “The performance is not only about producing sounds that can be enjoyed by the audience’s ears, but also we want to create a feast for their eyes.”
Infusion of Uniquely Hong Kong Elements
Hong Kong performers and artisans stress that the Chinese Culture Festival is not just about preserving traditional arts and culture; it also aims to infuse cultural classics with novel elements unique to Hong Kong. “I was born and raised in Hong Kong and believe the city is in a great position to be a hub for promoting Chinese culture … thanks to our closeness to the mainland and our decades of international experience,” says Albert Tam, artistic director of the forthcoming magic show “Chinese Magical Arts’ Wonder” (8pm August 2-3; 3pm August 4, Auditorium, Tsuen Wan Town Hall). The absorbing production sees Tam gather a group of talented performers from mainland China and Hong Kong to astound audiences with captivating Chinese magic and impressive acrobatic arts.
The carnival also gave the attending public the opportunity to look more deeply into an important element of a well-known Chinese art form. Veteran artisan Chow Yin-wan, who makes elaborate Cantonese opera headdresses, says spectators should take note of the intricate craftsmanship involved in creating the shows, which distinguishes Cantonese opera from other theatrical performances. “A perfect Cantonese opera show requires a good costume and a good headdress that matches each character,” she says. “Every headdress is specially crafted to reflect the personality and status of the performer. “The seven-star headband worn by women warriors, for example, has been redesigned so that it is smaller than the headband used in Beijing opera, allowing the performers to swiftly put it on and move quickly and easily on stage.”
Those people who are interested in taking a closer look at such old-meets-new designs can visit a special exhibition titled “Loong Legacies: Arts, Design & IP Product Exhibition and Talks” at Hong Kong Central Library (August 30-September 4). The exhibition shows how local artists and designers are reinterpreting the classic Chinese motif of the loong, meaning “dragon”, and turning it into accessible modern products and artworks for contemporary audiences.
Facilitating Exchanges Between Cities
Each year the festival will be highlighting a “City in Focus” with a selection of dedicated programmes. This year the spotlight will fall on Shanghai’s vibrant arts and cultural scene with three key performances. One of the festival’s must-see performances will be the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra’s original music compilation titled “New Oriental Chinese Music Scene” (8pm, August 5, Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall, August 6, Auditorium, Tsuen Wan Town Hall). The globally renowned group remixes classic Shanghainese folk music in an elegant, confident, contemporary style.
Festival audiences can expect two other “City in Focus” attractions. One features Shanghai Jingju Theatre Company’s new production of the Shanghai-style opera show, Seven Heroes and Five Gallants (Part One, 2.30pm, August 3, Part Two, 7:30pm, August 4, Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre), which demonstrates brilliant martial art skills. The troupe will also perform The House of Wulong (7:30pm, August 2, Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre), a classic work about tragic love.
The other event is an exhibition, titled “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Fragrance of Time – In Search of Chinese Art of Scent” (Now until October 16, Special Gallery, 2/F, Hong Kong Museum of Art), organised jointly by the Hong Kong Museum of Art and Shanghai Museum. It takes visitors on an olfactory journey covering the history of the use of scent in China, while showcasing precious artefacts, including ceramics, bamboo carvings, paintings and bronze objects from the Neolithic period to the 20th century.
Another highlight for those who are interested in happenings in other Chinese cities is the acclaimed show, “City Under the Moon – Dance Drama: Mulan” (7.30pm, September 14, 2.30pm, September 15, Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre), by Ningbo Performance & Arts Group. Acclaimed choreographers Zhou Liya and Han Zhen use Chinese dance to put a contemporary spin on the Ballad of Mulan, the story of heroine Hua Mulan, who stepped forward to serve in the army, disguised as a man, in place of her ailing father, a retired general. The show was awarded the prestigious China Dance Lotus Award, the nation’s highest honour for dance, in 2018 and since then has won critical acclaim while touring the world.
For more details, go to the official Chinese Culture Festival website.
author Morning Studio editors