********************************************************
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong-Taiwan Cultural Co-operation Committee:
Organised by the Hong Kong-Taiwan Cultural Co-operation Committee (HKTCCC) in association with the Hong Kong Economic, Trade and Cultural Office (HKETCO) in Taiwan, "Hong Kong Week 2013@Taipei" officially opened in Taipei today (November 29).
Showcasing the unique characteristics of Hong Kong, a series of cultural and arts programmes including six exhibitions and two arts performances will give the Taiwan audience a taste of Hong Kong's multi-faceted scenes of East meets West and its mixture of ancient and modern.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of Hong Kong Week 2013 in his capacity as Vice Chairperson of the Hong Kong-Taiwan Economic and Cultural Co-operation and Promotion Council, the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Tsang Tak-sing, noted that the first Hong Kong Week launched in Taipei last year showcased Hong Kong's rich culture to the Taiwanese audience through a series of well-received cultural programmes. He said he believed the significance of staging Hong Kong Week in Taipei was its impact in promoting ties between the arts and cultural sectors of the two places, which in turn would help foster more exchanges and the sharing of experiences with the aim of generating innovative ideas and expanding the reach of Chinese culture.
The Convenor of the Hong Kong-Taiwan Cultural Co-operation Committee, Mr Fredric Mao, said he would like to see Hong Kong Week evolve into a long-term co-operation platform for cultural and arts practitioners in Hong Kong and Taiwan, bringing them more opportunities for exchanges for the benefit of audiences and the sector. He thanked all participating parties for their efforts, as well as the venue operators and partners in Taiwan for their sterling support and co-ordination in ensuring the smooth running of the event.
Also attending today's opening ceremony were the Chairman of the Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council (THEC), Mr Liu Te-shun; the Convenor of the Taiwan-Hong Kong Cultural Co-operation Committee under the THEC, Mr Lo Chih-cheng; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services of Hong Kong, Mrs Betty Fung; the Director of the HKETCO, Mr John Leung, cultural leaders and other personalities from Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Today's opening ceremony began with a special fashion show on cheongsams. Incorporating traditional and modern creativity, the fashion show launched the Hong Kong Week 2013 event under this year's theme, "Legacies and Innovations".
The opening programme of Hong Kong Week 2013 is "A Century of Fashion: Hong Kong Cheongsam Story" exhibition. The 130 exhibits of cheongsam can tell the historical change of Hong Kong and the story of how Hong Kong women grew up. The artefacts, historical photos and videos on display are all invaluable. The cheongsam fashion show at the opening ceremony is one of the extension activities of the exhibition. Through showcasing 46 cheongsam by 23 designers in Hong Kong and Taiwan, traditional cheongsams are added with stylish elements in a new interpretation.
Other exciting programmes include "Hong Kong DesignĄDStyles" exhibition which demonstrates the unlimited creativity of Hong Kong designers. It also makes use of graphic, spatial, products and new media design to allow the audience to feel the atmosphere of Hong Kong from different angles.
Moreover, by displaying the works of Hong Kong artists of the new generation, the contemporary art exhibition "All Are Guests" explores the complex relationship between people and the city.
The comic art exhibition "A parallel tale: Taipei in 80s x Hong Kong in 90s" combines the works of 10 Hong Kong and Taiwan comics artists. They use "parallel tales" as a theme to jointly create the story of the two cities, showing their own unique comic culture while promoting interaction and exchange between the comics artists of the two places. Concurrently, the extension activity "The Rise and Surge in 80s/90s' Hong Kong and Taiwan - Exhibition of Hong Kong comics master Ma Wing-shing" will further open up comic dialogues between the two cities.
On the performing arts front, audiences are looking forward to the shows by two flagship Hong Kong performing art groups. They are the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, which will perform a classical music concert titled "Jaap's Shostakovich 5" for music-lovers in Taiwan; and the Hong Kong Dance Company, which will stage the distinctive dance poem "Spring RitualĄDEulogy", blending traditional calligraphy into dance.
All exhibition and performance programmes are matched with different extension activities including artists' talks, sharing sessions, craftsmanship workshops, masterclasses, meet-the-artists sessions and sharing sessions between Hong Kong and Taiwan.
In addition, to celebrate Hong Kong Week in Taiwan for the second year, a new issue of "Art & Culture @Hong Kong" has been issued. The public will be able to get a free copy at the exhibition and at the performance venues.
"Art & Culture@Hong Kong" reveals an array of fascinating details about Hong Kong. The attractively designed picture book presents the latest on the cosmopolitan city's art, culture, design, green efforts, creative industry personalities, heritage revitalisation, as well as its unique blend of East and West. The booklet, which also gives a glimpse into an interesting outlying island, includes stories about a Taiwan writer who has made Hong Kong home and a Hong Kong designer who has adopted Taiwan as his home. An e-book version has also been uploaded to the HKETCO website (www.hketco.hk) and the Brand Hong Kong website (www.brandhk.gov.hk).
For more information about Hong Kong Week activities, please refer to its official website (www.hongkongweek-taiwan.hk) or the official facebook fanpage of Hong Kong Week (www.facebook.com/hongkongweektaiwan.hk).
Ends/Friday, November 29, 2013
Issued at HKT 19:49
NNNN
