Invitation for global audiences to see, hear and experience HK's creative energy | Cultural Exchange | Bernard Charnwut Chan

Hong Kong is set to make cultural history this month as the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority unveils its inaugural WestK Shanghai Week 2025. From June 18 to 22, this landmark initiative showcases Hong Kong’s creative excellence that is set to spark new cross-border collaborations. 

As WKCDA’s first-ever cross-disciplinary festival curated and co-organized outside the city, WestK Shanghai Week heralds a new era for Hong Kong’s cultural outreach on the international stage.

WestK will collaborate with six of Shanghai’s most respected cultural venues – including the Power Station of Art, Shanghai Culture Square and the iconic Zhang Yuan – to present seven flagship programs that highlight Hong Kong as a dynamic cultural bridge to the mainland and the world.

At the heart of the festivities lies the mainland debut of I M Pei: Life Is Architecture. This exhibition, coorganized by M+ and PSA, offers Shanghai audiences an unprecedented insight into the legendary architect’s transcultural legacy. 

Rare models, drawings, and photographs illuminate Pei’s journey from the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong to the Grand Louvre in Paris, culminating in thought-provoking discussions.

The Hong Kong Palace Museum’s first overseas exhibition, City Rhythms: Chinese Traditional Culture Reinterpreted, at the Zhang Yuan garden is equally groundbreaking. Sixteen Hong Kong artists blend tradition and innovation through contemporary art, video and music, reflecting the creative pulse connecting Hong Kong and Shanghai.

The critically acclaimed Cantonese musical The Impossible Trial presents its powerful story at Shanghai Culture Square for a 10-show run. Concurrently, the Xiqu Centre’s daring Farewell My Concubine reimagines Cantonese opera for a new generation at Wanping Theatre. 

Meanwhile, jazz enthusiasts can indulge in three nights of electrifying performances at JZ Club, showcasing Hong Kong’s emerging musical talent.

WestK Shanghai Week showcases innovative dance, with the Hong Kong Dance Company dazzling at the Shanghai International Dance Centre, merging martial arts with contemporary dance.

With WestK Shanghai Week 2025, Hong Kong is cultivating enduring cultural connections and paving the way for Asia’s creative future. 

This landmark initiative heralds a new era, where Hong Kong’s artistic vision resonates on the global stage, inviting audiences worldwide to see, hear and experience the city’s unique creative energy.

Bernard Charnwut Chan is chairman of Tai Kwun Culture & Arts Co Ltd