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The grand finale event of the "New York Celebrates Hong Kong 2008" festival was held tonight (October 22, New York time), capping the celebrations of Hong Kong's diverse culture and creative entrepreneurship in New York City.
This evening's event highlighted Hong Kong's eminence as a culinary capital with about 90 guests treated to an exquisite dining experience as well as a demonstration on Hong Kong's refined culinary art with narration by well-known Chinese food expert Ed Schoenfeld.
The media campaign featuring a 30-second vignette showing Hong Kong's cosmopolitan culture and economic vitality will run until the end of October and continue to be screened prominently on the NBC Universal's Jumbo Tron in bustling Times Square. The media campaign also features a 45-second version of the vignette that is shown on video-screens in New York City's famous yellow taxi cabs.
Director of the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office, New York Ms Monica Chen said, "The festival, a potpourri of various events of different nature, showcases the various facets of Hong Kong's talents."
Ms Chen said Hong Kong's unique historical background, proximity to Mainland China and the city's ever-wanting desire for excellence, has made Hong Kong a "Gourmet's Paradise".
"A culinary capital of Asia, Hong Kong is famous for its exotic fusion of Eastern and Western cuisine and captures a wide variety of culinary delights to boot," she said.
Ms Chen pointed out that New York community was offered an opportunity to learn more about the evolving "modern heritage" of Hong Kong's continuously vibrant and transformative city through the "New York Celebrates Hong Kong 2008" Festival.
"The various programmes we have presented aim to provide the New York community with a panoramic view of Hong Kong's economic vitality and cultural diversity," Ms Chen said.
During the dinner, guests were treated to a slideshow of the various events that took place during the festival, including the launch event for New York media; the "Hong Kong Panorama: A Rhapsody of Cantonese Opera" with Cantonese opera performances by Hong Kong's renowned Cantonese opera troupe - Ming Chee Sing Chinese Opera Company; Cantonese opera workshops at two local schools: Frank Sinatra School of the Arts and Parsons, the New School for Design; the lecture "A New Vision: Chinese Spirit, Global Design" featuring internationally acclaimed Hong Kong designer Eric Chan and architect/designer Calvin Tsao; an international symposium in conjunction with "Vertical Cities: Hong Kong/New York" and "A Showcase of Hong Kong Contemporary Dance: Silver Rain" featuring Hong Kong's City Contemporary Dance Company.
Ms Chen said the festival had the full support of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, with Hong Kong Secretary for Home Affairs Mr Tsang Tak-sing launching the media campaign for the festival as well as officiating at the premiere of the "Hong Kong Panorama: A Rhapsody of Cantonese Opera" performance at Queens Theatre in the Park.
Hong Kong Secretary for Development Mrs Carrie Lam spoke at the plenary session at the symposium in conjunction with the "Vertical Cities: Hong Kong/New York" exhibition organised by the Skyscraper Museum in New York City, where she spoke on the relationship between vertical density and sustainable solutions in Hong Kong and New York. During her visit to New York City, Mrs Lam also officiated at the "A New Vision: Chinese Spirit, Global Design" lecture at Asia Society and also at the "Silver Rain" performance at the Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts at Pace University.
Mr Donald Tong, who has just taken up the appointment of Hong Kong Commissioner for Economic and Trade Affairs, USA, was a guest of honour at tonight's "A Taste of Hong Kong" event.
"New York Celebrates Hong Kong 2008" festival is a month-long celebration throughout New York City of Hong Kong's creativity and entrepreneurship. Through art exhibits, opera and dance performances and educational symposiums, the festival offers an opportunity to learn about the evolving "modern heritage" of the continuously vibrant and transformative city of Hong Kong.
The festival is hosted by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York and supported by the Hong Kong Tourism Board.
Ends/Thursday, October 23, 2008
Issued at HKT 12:40
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