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Free outdoor Asian cultural performances will be staged on Sunday (December 2) at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza from 2.30pm to 5pm. There will be Japanese performances such as wadaiko, judo, traditional music and dance as well as displays of Chinese traditional stage arts.
One of the highlights is wadaiko, to be performed by the Hong Kong Japanese School Primary Section Wadaiko Club and the Japanese International School Primary Section Wadaiko Club. In ancient Japan, wadaiko was often used in religious ceremonies and rites. The sound of wadaiko, which symbolises the sound of Buddha, was believed by Japanese farmers to cast out evil and plagues.
The Hong Kong Judo Kan will demonstrate different judo techniques, showing the modern Japanese martial art to Hong Kong audiences.
Kimono-clad performers of "Wakayagi Ryu-Ko no Kai" will present Japanese traditional dance. The dancers have to maintain good control in their steps and the position of their bodies.
The Jilin Dancing Group will perform Japanese folk dances: "Nanchu Soran", a Hokkaido dance which gives thanks to the sea god, and "Yocchore" which praises the gods for an abundant harvest.
Formed by a group of Japanese residents in Hong Kong, the Ensemble Dimanche will play a variety of music, from famous symphonies to themes from Japanese animation films.
There will also be Chinese traditional stage performances. Students from the Shaolin Monastery will perform a flag dance and traditional stage arts, while a "bianlian" (literally "changing face") master will change different coloured masks within a fraction of a second.
The Asian cultural performances are jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Consulate-General of Japan, and supported by "2007 China-Japan Exchange Year of Culture and Sports" and the Japan National Tourist Organisation.
Ends/Friday, November 30, 2007
Issued at HKT 14:24
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