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To celebrate the Spring Lantern Festival, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department will present a wide range of activities including festive lantern carnivals, lantern displays and the new programme "Youth Night". Admission to all activities is free.
Featuring a variety of entertainment, three lantern carnivals will be held at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre (HKCC) Piazza on March 5, at North District Park on March 6, and at Tung Chung Man Tung Road Park on March 7 respectively.
The Shanxi Arts Troupe, supported by the Office of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs of the Ministry of Culture, will showcase spectacular ethnic dance, singing and instrumental performances at the three lantern carnivals. Arts and crafts masters from Guangdong and Hong Kong will also demonstrate Chinese folk crafts at each carnival, including Foshan woodblock New Year paintings, Foshan lion head-making, dough sculpturing, Chinese knot-making and grasshopper weaving. Chinese floral button making will also be featured at the HKCC and North District Park carnivals.
The carnivals will also be enriched with elements of intangible cultural heritage, including a traditional lantern made by local paper craft masters which will be displayed at the HKCC carnival, Quanzhen Temples' Taoist Ritual Music which will be featured at the North District Park carnival, and Shaolin martial arts which will be showcased at the Tung Chung Man Tung Road Park carnival.
Details of the three lantern carnivals are as follows:
1. Urban Lunar New Year Lantern Carnival
Date : March 5 (Thursday)
Time : 7.30pm to 10pm
Venue : HKCC Piazza
Programme: Spectacular ethnic songs and dances, Chinese folk craft demonstrations, Cantonese opera excerpts, huqin performances, dragon dances, a lantern quiz, Chinese knot-making and lantern displays
2. New Territories East Lunar New Year Lantern Carnival
Date : March 6 (Friday)
Time : 7.30pm to 10pm
Venue : North District Park
Programme: Spectacular ethnic songs and dances, Chinese folk craft demonstrations, Chinese music and Taoist music performance, dances, romantic golden oldies, magic and physical theatre, a wish-making corner, a lantern quiz and lantern displays
3. New Territories West Lunar New Year Lantern Carnival
Date : March 7 (Saturday)
Time : 7.30pm to 10pm
Venue : Tung Chung Man Tung Road Park
Programme: Spectacular ethnic songs and dances, Chinese folk craft demonstrations, Shaolin Kung Fu, a Chinese traditional stage arts show, a Chinese instrumental concert, lion dances, a lantern quiz and lantern displays
The new programme "Youth Night" will be held at the above venues for one night after each carnival from 7.30pm to 9.30pm, showcasing the youthful energy and creativity through a variety of programmes.
The traditional lantern made by local paper craft masters, organised by the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, will run from March 4 to 10 at the HKCC carnival. The display features a lantern made of three rams and the God of Fortune, symbolising an auspicious year for every visitor.
Another Lunar New Year lantern display, "Double Happiness", is running at the HKCC Piazza until March 22. The display features the traditional wedding customs of various Asian countries and regions including Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
For more information on the above events, please call 2591 1340 or visit the website: www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/eo/territoryevents/lunarnewyearlantern/lunarnewyearlantern2015.html.
Ends/Monday, March 2, 2015
Issued at HKT 18:31
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