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Making its debut in Hong Kong, Inner Mongolia University Arts Academy Arts Troupe will charm audience with spectacular Mongolian music and dance performance in the Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnivals organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.
The group has been well-received on the Mainland and has performed in different countries including the United States, Japan and Korea.
Displaying the unique culture of Mongolia, the group will perform traditional Mongolian dance, vocals and instruments in lantern carnivals at Ko Shan Road Park, Victoria Park and Sha Tin Park.
Among their performances, long song (Mongolian style of singing) and Horse Head Violin (Mongolian instrument) were declared UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage masterpieces.
The department will present a spectrum of activities including lantern carnivals, spectacular lantern display and lanterns exhibition to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. Admission to all programmes is free.
Featuring a variety of entertainment programmes, lantern carnivals will be held at Ko Shan Road Park & Ko Shan Theatre on October 5, at Victoria Park on October 6 and at Tsuen Wan Sha Tsui Road Playground, and Sha Tin Park, Sha Tin Town Hall Plaza and Podium on October 7.
The event at Victoria Park features attractive lantern displays entitled "Tang - The Era of Prosperity" showcasing the most prosperous era of China. People can enjoy the lantern display portraits of "The Four Great Poets" including Li Bai, Du Fu, Wang Wei and Li He; the fan-shaped lanterns with the era's popular poetry; two fresco paintings, located on the football fences, displaying fairies dancing and playing music. Together with Hong Kong Tourism Board's Lantern Wonderland and Wishing Lantern Trail, they will be on display until October 8.
Details of the carnivals are as follows:
1. Kowloon Region Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival
October 5 (Thursday), 7.30pm-10.30pm
Ko Shan Road Park & Ko Shan Theatre
Programmes: Mongolian music and dance, children chorus, traditional stage arts show and excerpts of Cantonese opera, lantern quiz, fortune-telling and lantern display
2. Hong Kong Island Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival
October 6 (Friday), 8pm-11pm
Victoria Park
Programmes: Mongolian music and dance, traditional stage arts show and excerpts of Cantonese opera, nostalgic games, lantern quiz, fortune-telling and lantern display
3. New Territories East Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival
October 7 (Saturday), 7.30pm-10.30pm
Sha Tin Park, Sha Tin Town Hall Plaza and Podium
Programmes: Mongolian music and dance, traditional stage arts show and excerpts of Cantonese opera, nostalgic games, lantern quiz, fortune-telling and lantern display
4. New Territories West Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival
October 7 (Saturday), 7.30pm-10.30pm
Sha Tsui Road Playground, Tsuen Wan
Programmes: Chinese Instrumental Concert and Dance, Golden oldies, traditional stage arts show,excerpts of Cantonese opera, Chinese puppet show, lantern quiz, fortune-telling and lantern display
People can enjoy the spectacular lantern displays "Radiant Homeland" at Kowloon Park until October 30, and "Chang'er Flies to the Moon"at West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade until October 8.
The display at Kowloon Park, designed in an unconventional style, depicts the stories of the Hong Kong people who transformed their homeland from a fishing village to Asia's World City - the "Pearl of the Orient", while the display at West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade beautifully designed with colourful lanterns brings the fabulous Chinese legend of "Chang'er Flies to the Moon".
All entries including winning designs of the 2006 Mid-Autumn Lantern Design Competition are now on display at the Exhibition Hall, 1/F, Low Block, Hong Kong City Hall. The exhibition is open to public until October 13.
People are urged to avoid littering and wax-burning while celebrating the festival.
For more information on the lantern carnivals, please call 2591 1340.
Ends/Wednesday, October 4, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:30
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