******************************************************
To celebrate the Spring Lantern Festival, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department will hold three lantern carnivals between February 4 and 6 in addition to its lantern exhibitions, "Glittering Toys - A Showcase of Chinese Zodiac" and "Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition on Craftsmanship of Festive Lion/Dragon Making", which are already running. Admission to the lantern exhibitions and carnivals is free.
The three lantern carnivals will be held at Tsuen Wan Sha Tsui Road Playground on February 4, at Tseung Kwan O Po Tsui Park on February 5 and at Hong Kong Cultural Centre (HKCC) Piazza on February 6. Festive lantern installations at the three venues will also be on display from February 3 to 6.
Apart from the colourful lantern installations, the lantern carnivals will include a range of entertainment. The National Song and Dance Troupe of Inner Mongolia Hing'a will showcase spectacular folk songs and dances as well as distinctive xöömei throat singing and matouqin instrumental performances. Mongolian folk art including bark painting and paper-cutting, demonstrations of Chinese folk craft such as dough figurines, finger painting by Guangdong masters and small palatial lantern making by local masters will also be on show.
Details of the three lantern carnivals are as follows:
1. New Territories West Lunar New Year Lantern Carnival
Date and time: February 4 (Saturday),
7.30pm to 10.30pm
Venue : Tsuen Wan Sha Tsui Road Playground
Programmes : Inner Mongolia ethnic songs and
dances, xöömei throat singing and
matouqin performances, Chinese folk
craft demonstrations, Chinese
instrumental performance, lion dance,
Cantonese operatic songs, lantern
quiz, fortune-telling, game stalls,
wish-making corner and roving
entertainment.
2. New Territories East Lunar New Year Lantern Carnival
Date and time: February 5 (Sunday),
7.30pm to 10.30pm
Venue : Tseung Kwan O Po Tsui Park
Programmes : Inner Mongolia ethnic songs and
dances, xöömei throat singing and
matouqin performances, Chinese folk
craft demonstrations, unicorn dance,
choral performance, harmonica,
accordion and saxophone performances,
arts pavilion, lantern quiz,
wish-making corner and roving
entertainment.
3. Urban Lunar New Year Lantern Carnival
Date and time: February 6 (Monday),
7.30pm to 10.30pm
Venue : HKCC Piazza
Programmes : Inner Mongolia ethnic songs and
dances, xöömei throat singing and
matouqin performances, Chinese folk
craft demonstrations, Cantonese opera
excerpts, Cantonese folk music,
Chinese ethnic dances, dragon dance,
lantern quiz, fortune-telling, game
stalls and wish-making corner.
Organised by Hong Kong Heritage Museum, the "Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition on Craftsmanship of Festive Lion/Dragon Making" will remain on display in the foyer of the HKCC until February 8. The exhibition displays paper effigies of golden dragons, festive lion dances and Hailufeng unicorns to showcase traditional techniques by three local paper-craft masters.
Another thematic lantern exhibition, "Glittering Toys - A Showcase of Chinese Zodiac", will continue lighting up the HKCC Piazza until February 26. Lantern designs based on the 12 animals of Chinese Zodiac are interwoven with Chinese folk toys, such as clay toys and cloth toys from different parts of China. For example, the dragon lantern is modelled on clay toys of Shaanxi Province. In addition, eight "auspicious circle" lantern installations with themes including Five Blessings to Your Family, Successive Years of Surplus and Seasons of Wishful Days wish good fortune to members of the public.
For more information on the above events, please call 2591 1340 or visit the website: www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Entertainment/EntertainmentOffice/b5/about/index.html.
Ends/Thursday, February 2, 2012
Issued at HKT 18:09
NNNN
