Hong Kong Culture Festival 2019 ”Oriental Impressions” Promotes Cultural Exchange

CHINA  – 13 September 2019 – The fifth edition of “Hong Kong Culture Festival”, organised by Intangible Cultural Heritage Earthpulse Society and supported by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), will take place from September till November 2019.

From Left: Ms Juliana Lam, Managing Director of Julius Group; Mr Zhao Zhijun and Mr Wucius Wong, Curators of two Hong Kong Ink Art Walk 2019 exhibitions, and Mr Hing Chao, Chairman of Intangible Cultural Heritage Earthpulse Society attended the press conference of Hong Kong Culture Festival 2019.

The press conference of Hong Kong Culture Festival 2019 was held on September 12 at City Garden Hotel. At the press conference, Mr Hing Chao, Chairman of Intangible Cultural Heritage Earthpulse Society introduced the event concept while Mr Wucius Wong and Mr Zhao Zhijun, curators of two Hong Kong Ink Art Walk 2019 exhibitions shared their insights on art, and Master Tam presented the rarely seen performance of Lion Dance Theatre.

Sponsors and organisers attending the event including Ms Esa Leung, Head of Intangible Cultural Heritage Office; Ms. Juliana Lam, Managing Director of Julius Group; Mr. Zhou Jianfeng, Managing Director of Wah Kwong Maritime Transport Holdings Limited; Ms. Annie Jea, General Manager of City Garden Hotel; Ms. Jolie Lo, Sales Administration Manager of Celestial Pictures Limited; Mr. Park Jongtaek, Director of Korean Cultural Center in Hong Kong; Dr. Mui Kwong Chiu, renowned composer in Hong Kong; Dr. Celina Chin, Executive Director of Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra; Master Anthony Lam, Grandmaster of Lam Chun Fai Hung Kuen Academy; Master Tam Ting Pong, Chairman of Hong Kong Dragon Lion Unicorn Pai Yau Dances Sport Association and Master Nam Yuk Tong, Chairman of Hakka Kung Fu Culture Research Society.

This year, the organiser will collaborate with Inner Mongolia, South Korea and Japan for various cultural programmes. These unique crossovers inspired the organiser to promote these unique cultures representing the different facets of the orient. Under the theme “Oriental Impressions”, the festival presents a rich array of programmes, such as visual and performance arts, to showcase the cultural gems of the Orient and to enhance public awareness about intangible cultural heritage.

Among all the artistic showcases dedicated to intangible cultural heritage, for the first time, “Hong Kong Ink Art Walk 2019” will take place in September and October, bringing distinguished ink artworks from leading galleries in the city to the Hong Kong audience. The programme this year is presented by Sino Group. Through this platform, it is aimed to summarise the fruits of their cultural exchanges in other cities, breaking out the existing mode by comprising different elements and creating interesting art form fusions.

Curated by ink artist Wucius Wong, “Hong Kong Waters Korean Mountains: Hong Kong and Korea Exchange Art Exhibition” is a visual summary of a cultural trip of a group of Hong Kong artists who, under Wong’s leadership, travelled to Jeju Island, South Korea, for landscape painting. These paintings indulge the audience in the scenic beauty of Hong Kong waters and Korean mountains. “Cacophony of Colours between the Fragrant Harbour and the Steppe: Hong Kong and Inner Mongolia Water Colour Exhibition” presents extraordinary watercolour paintings by cross-regional artists led by Zhao Zhijun, influential artist, portraying life in Inner Mongolia and Hong Kong.

The spectacular programme of performing arts will definitely keep the audience at the edge of their seats — especially the religion-meets-culture “Joy in Mysterious Music”. Performed by the Hong Kong Taoist Orchestra of Fung Ying Seen Koon, it reinterprets the traditional aesthetics of Taoist and Chinese music by blending in an engaging narrative, taking the audience on a fascinating journey to an ancient oriental empire. The organisers will also team up with Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra to stage the “17^th Hong Kong Synergy 24 Drum Competition — Lion Dance Drum Section” — a performance about Chinese traditional Lion Dance Drumming.

Another highlight is “Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Mart”, a three-day market packed with traditional ICH performances, putting the most valuable essences of traditional folk arts on the stage. Definitely unmissable is “Hong Kong Dragon and Lion Dance Fiesta”, featuring lion and dragon dances as well as the Lion Dance Theatre combining lion dance, martial arts and feng shui, while “Hakka Unicorn Dance and Kung Fu Carnival”, performing by Hakka Kung Fu Research Society to bring back the traditional Unicorn Dance passed down by local Hakka villages 2,500 years ago.

This year’s festival is also honoured by the participation of the Korean Cultural Center in Hong Kong – two Korean Buddhist monks will visit the city to give an enlightening “Korean Buddhist Monks Drumming Performance” at ICH Mart Opening Ceremony – a spiritual voyage around the world of Korean Buddhism.

The programme is also enriched by Hong Kong’s traditional cultural gems, such as “Nanyin Performance”, a breathtaking showcase of the traditional Chinese ‘Southern tunes’; “Glove and Line Puppets Performance”, which revives the ancient art of the Chinese puppet shows; and — for the first time — “Culture of Traditional Chinese Medicine” — a versatile section comprising health consultation, therapeutic herbal teas and traditional Chinese Dit Da. There will also be a fun-packed series of workshops related to each performance for the public to explore the local and foreign intangible cultural heritage.

The 3^rd International Lingnan Hung Kuen Festival will be organised by Lam Chun Fai Hung Kuen Academy, with workshop and seminar. The 3^rd Hung Kuen Competition will take place on the next day following with a Classical Chinese Kung Fu Film Screening Martial Club presented by Celestial Pictures.

Hong Kong Culture Festival aims to preserve and revitalise intangible cultural heritage by promoting public awareness and engagement in traditional culture — especially the youth. As an integrated platform for cross-cultural collaboration, Hong Kong Culture Festival is dedicated to fostering creative talents and injecting innovation into the traditional culture.

Programmes of HKCF2019