
Hongkongers perform ‘lost music' of ancient China in the West for the first time
Advertisement
The recent tour by the Hong Kong Gaudeamus Dunhuang Ensemble is part of wider efforts by the city to forge cultural ties overseas.
Since 2018, the group has performed more than 60 concerts in Hong Kong and mainland China, as well as one in Tokyo.
It played at the international Museum Summit on March 27, as Hong Kong wrapped up a month of high-profile cultural events.
But the 'Go West' tour was a landmark, allowing audiences in Europe to experience such music for the first time.
Advertisement
Leonie Ki Man-fung, founder and honorary director of the ensemble, said the musicians had realised her dream of reviving music featured in murals and scores from the caves of ancient Dunhuang in Gansu province, located in northwest mainland China, that date back as far as the 4th century.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


RTHK
03-07-2025
- RTHK
WestK Shanghai Week a 'great success': Betty Fung
WestK Shanghai Week a 'great success': Betty Fung The Chief Executive Officer of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, Betty Fung, said Hong Kong artists made their mark during the 2025 WestK Shanghai Week. File photo: RTHK The West Kowloon Cultural District's (WestK) first major event outside Hong Kong -- the 2025 WestK Shanghai Week -- was an immense success and drew over 300,000 participants in Shanghai via online and offline channels. That's according to Betty Fung, Chief Executive Officer of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority. Speaking on RTHK's Backchat programme, Fung said the Shanghai Week project is part of WestK's broader plan to go global. "We presented seven major signature programmes across six venues in Shanghai, I think by any standard this was a bold attempt, [and] required a lot of resources and coordination," she said. "I think I can call it a great success." The WestK chief said there is great demand on the mainland and elsewhere for original content from the SAR, and the programmes that were brought to Shanghai contained a strong Hong Kong element. The original Cantonese musical, "The Impossible Trial", for example, received overwhelming success in the mainland city, she said. Another major accomplishment, Fung added, was helping talented, up-and-coming Hong Kong artists and performers make their mark outside the city. "Through this week of events, many of them had become beloved artists in Shanghai, and there were people actually queuing up outside the theatres to ask for signatures.' Going forward, Fung said WestK will continue to work on establishing itself on the regional and international stage. "I. M. Pei: Life Is Architecture exhibition is now in Shanghai and will go to Doha in Qatar later this year, and also our programmes like the Hong Kong Palace Museum exhibitions will be on show at the Capital Museum in Beijing,' she noted. 'So this 'going global' strategy will continue not just to mainland cities but many different parts of the world." Fung said she's exploring the possibility of taking WestK highlights to cities where there is a large Cantonese-speaking population, saying she believes there is great demand for artistic and cultural content from Hong Kong.


South China Morning Post
04-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
New venue in Hong Kong should iron out its kinks
Kai Tak Stadium has won deserved acclaim for its debuts as Hong Kong's new prime venue for major sporting and entertainment events. Credit must be given for intensive preparations such as trial runs to identify problems that can arise around mega-events involving huge crowds. Advertisement The Hong Kong Rugby Sevens and concerts by British group Coldplay and Cantopop star Nicholas Tse Ting-fung stress-tested the city's latest showpiece. It passed with flying colours, showcasing its ability to handle large-scale events seamlessly. Moreover, it hosted a K-pop concert in the 10,000-seater Kai Tak Arena alongside one of Tse's concerts. Ultimately, however, customer experience also determines whether it lives up to high expectations. In that respect it is good that complaints about blocked views are being addressed. More than 230 complaints filed with the city's consumer watchdog after Coldplay's four shows at the 50,000-capacity stadium were followed by more after Tse's concerts. Advertisement According to the Consumer Council, in one case involving HK$6,000 the complainant said that when buying four tickets, the system did not indicate that they were for seats with obstructed views, which only became apparent on receipt of printed tickets.


South China Morning Post
29-04-2025
- South China Morning Post
Success of ‘Art March Hong Kong' reaffirms city's status as dynamic international art hub
03:39 Major events reaffirm Hong Kong as a global art hub Major events reaffirm Hong Kong as a global art hub Visitors to Hong Kong last month would have seen first-hand how the dynamic metropolis has fully embraced art. Advertisement Major international events, including the 12th edition of Art Basel Hong Kong and the city's own Art Central fair, had – very visibly – taken up residency in the heart of the city, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and Central Harbourfront, where local galleries hosted exhibitions and parties. Other activities including special auctions under the 'Art March Hong Kong 2025' celebration initiated by Hong Kong's art and culture hub, the West Kowloon Cultural District, and the fourth Museum Summit, organised by the city's Leisure and Cultural Services Department, emphasised how Hong Kong has achieved its aim to become an international art hub. It is now also the third-largest centre for art auctions in the world. Art patron Alia Al-Senussi (left) and painter Fatina Kong believe the Hong Kong government's efforts have helped the city to achieve its aim to become a global art hub. Organisers say this year's three-day Art Basel Hong Kong drew an estimated 91,000 visitors, including 'prominent private collectors and art patrons from over 70 countries and territories', who came to look at artworks from the collections of 240 galleries from across the globe. Among them was collector and art patron Alia Al-Senussi, who has also served as Art Basel's United Kingdom, Middle East and North Africa representative for over a decade. She believes international art galleries and artists are drawn to Hong Kong because it offers both inclusivity and opportunity. 'People travelling to a new place often get intimidated by the idea of something foreign or different to them,' she says. 'But when artists and collectors in the art world come to Hong Kong, they understand how to make those connections to people, even from their own hometowns – and so, being in Hong Kong makes the world small, but in the most special way. Advertisement 'Whether it's at Duddell's over lunch, or in the convention centre at a booth, or over a drink at Dragon-i late at night … it's a really perfect place to come and be able to make those connections.' Her Libyan heritage and education in the UK and the United States have made her an ideal interlocutor for the global art scene. For years, she has visited Hong Kong for art collaborations and curated exhibitions, including one at restaurant and cultural space Duddell's in Central, featuring Saudi Arabian artist and doctor Ahmed Mater, believed to be the first artist from that country to showcase his work in the city.