Legends awaken at Chinese Culture Festival

Hong Kong will host more than 280 programs inspired by Chinese folklore, classic stories and Sui-Tang culture during the third Chinese Culture Festival, which will run from June to September.

Organized by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the event will carry the theme “Legends” and bring together nearly 3,000 artists from Hong Kong, the mainland and overseas for performances, screenings, lectures and workshops.

Community and school outreach activities will also be held to broaden participation.

Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui noted in her festival message that the first two editions drew more than 900,000 attendees, with a growing number of younger audiences.

She said Hong Kong, with national support, will continue to strengthen its role as a hub for cultural exchange and showcase the country’s traditions to the world, contributing to the national goal of building a cultural powerhouse under the 15th Five-Year Plan.

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The festival will open with the ballet and Chinese dance production Lady White Snake, staged by the Shanghai Grand Theatre.

The performance blends Western and Eastern styles while preserving iconic scenes from the legend, such as the boat encounter and the flooding of Jinshan Temple, and incorporates cultural symbols like the great bell and the square-and-circle motif to create an Eastern stage aesthetic.

Other highlights include the Chinese Opera Festival, the play The Code of The Dynasty, which recreates Song-dynasty costumes and architecture, guqin concerts, and local troupes presenting technology-driven musical theater.

A major exhibition, “Prosperity and Magnificence – Civilisation of the Sui and Tang Dynasties in Shaanxi Province,” jointly organized with the Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Bureau, will display more than 165 relics from Shaanxi and Hong Kong.

The “Encountering Chinese Culture” Performing Arts Carnival will be held at Metroplaza in Kwai Fong, offering excerpts of stage productions and intangible cultural heritage performances, while Hong Kong Public Libraries will present exhibitions, book introductions and storytelling theater on society and culture from the Han to Tang dynasties.

The Hong Kong Film Archive will also screen themed film series, adding cinematic depth to the festival’s diverse programming.