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Visitors flocked to the Lunar New Year Lantern Carnival at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre (HKCC) Piazza tonight (February 6) to enjoy spectacular lantern displays, boisterous entertainment and colourful shows in celebration of the Spring Lantern Festival.
Organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the Carnival, featuring colourful lanterns and lighting, has become a hotspot for photo-taking. The Piazza was decorated with LED lights, in addition to the Floral Tunnel and Garden Maze lanterns featuring cherry blossoms, peonies and roses to create a romantic ambience. Additionally, the thematic lantern exhibition "Glittering Toys - A Showcase of Chinese Zodiac" showcased the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac interwoven with Chinese folk toys as well as eight "auspicious circle" lantern installations, all conveying wishes of good fortune to members of the public. The thematic lantern exhibition will continue until February 26.
The National Song and Dance Troupe of Inner Mongolia Hing'a brought the audiences spectacular folk songs and dances as well as distinctive xöömei throat singing and matouqin instrumental performances. Carnival-goers also took the chance to see Mongolian folk art including bark-painting and paper-cutting, Guangdong folk craft like dough figurines, finger painting and local palatial lantern-making by craft masters. Other programmes such as Cantonese opera excerpts, Cantonese folk music, Chinese ethnic dances, a dragon dance, a lantern quiz, fortune-telling, game stalls and a wish-making corner were equally attractive.
Organised by the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, the "Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition on Craftsmanship of Festive Lion/Dragon Making" is currently being held at the HKCC foyer, displaying paper models of golden dragons, festive lion dances and Hailufeng unicorns to showcase traditional techniques by three local paper-craft masters. The exhibition will run until February 8.
Ends/Monday, February 6, 2012
Issued at HKT 21:16
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