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The Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Tsang Tak-sing, spoke to the China National Radio's Huaxia Zhi Sheng in Beijing today (August 19) on the preservation and development of Cantonese opera. He said that Cantonese opera is a living art and it should be preserved and promoted among the people. It is the HKSAR Government's policy to support and maintain a cultural environment, as well as to work closely with the sector to build audiences and reinforce the unique market dynamics of Cantonese opera.
He said that in addition to setting up the Cantonese Opera Advisory Committee and the Cantonese Opera Development Fund, importance is also attached to the development of performing venues for Cantonese opera, nurturing of professional talent, heritage preservation and encouragement of creativity, as well as enhancing education, audience building, community participation, and co-operation and cultural exchange among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department has organised and sponsored more than 650 Cantonese opera performances and audience building activities in 2009/10, attracting a total of 500,000 audience. A Cantonese Opera Heritage Hall, dedicated to the preservation and study of Cantonese opera and housed a collection of over 23,000 artifacts, was also set up in the Hong Kong Heritage Museum.
Ends/Thursday, August 19, 2010
Issued at HKT 20:22
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