The second Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival opens today (April 6) at the central lawn of Victoria Park. Members of the public are given the opportunity to explore the multifaceted charm of Hong Kong’s pop culture in interesting and interactive ways. Presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, this year’s festival is themed around “Arts and Action”, taking audiences on a journey through time to experience the dynamic inheritance, diffusion, integration and breakthroughs of the city’s pop culture.

     Officiating at the opening ceremony today were the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung; Legislative Council Members Ms Joephy Chan and Mr Kenneth Fok; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mr Vincent Liu; and the Chairman of the Museum Advisory Committee, Professor Douglas So. Curated by celebrated fashion designer Dorian Ho, the ceremony was a creative fusion of fashion with film, martial arts, comics, music, dance and more. Singer Gin Lee’s performance of rearranged film tunes, combined with a fashion show powered by artificial intelligence, created a unique and stylish atmosphere. Martial arts athletes Lau Chi-lung, Lydia Sham and Samuei Hui brought freshness to literary classics as they turned themselves into martial heroes from Jin Yong’s novels, demonstrating their skills together with other young talents in front of an LED comics backdrop.
 
　　The opening programme “ImagineLand” started immediately after the opening ceremony. Sponsored by Create Hong Kong, this large-scale outdoor music carnival is held from noon to 10pm today and tomorrow (April 6 and 7). Daytime programmes include “Gen S Concert” starring over 50 units of singer-songwriters from different regions, including Miu Sakamoto, daughter of Japanese maestro Ryuichi Sakamoto; RHYME SO from Japan/Australia; Meaningful Stone from Korea; and Taiga from Mainland China. Also on the lineup are distinguished singer-songwriters of different eras, namely Lowell Lo, Samantha Lam, AGA Kong, Mansonvibes and many more. A series of crossovers highlight the continued development of Hong Kong’s pop music as music-makers tirelessly pass the legacy down to younger generations. “Memory Lane”, another daytime offering, makes use of film set, role play and costumes to re-enact classic scenes in “Kung Fu Hustle” and “A Guilty Conscience”, whereas “Funarts Corner” gives visitors firsthand experience with music, arts tech and handicrafts in its booth activities. Evening programme “Movie Under the Stars”, showing “Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain” (4K digitally restored version, 1983) and “A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella” (1995) in two consecutive nights respectively, allows carnival-goers to appreciate classical movies on the grass.
 
　　Apart from “ImagineLand”, the second edition of the festival offers a broad range of programmes, their formats covering stage performance, thematic exhibition, film screening, and library and outreach activities. Its rich content spans across literature, various art forms and martial arts, clearly showcasing how Hong Kong’s vibrant and diverse pop culture stands out from the rest.
 
     Many programmes this year are dedicated to three masters – literary legend Jin Yong, famed lyricist James Wong and composer Joseph Koo. These include “A Path to Glory – Jin Yong’s Centennial Memorial, Sculpted by Ren Zhe”; the classic martial arts drama costumes and props exhibition under the “Arts or Action, Why Not Both?” series; “A Laugh at the World: James Wong” exhibition; “ART!ON POP Concert”; “The Godfather of Cantopop – Joseph Koo” and “Martial Arts．Heroes” Chinese music concerts; and library activities namely “Music Document Highlights of Joseph Koo & James Wong”, and “Exhibition on Dr Louis Cha Collection and Subject Talk on Jin Yong’s Works”.
 
　　Other major offerings include “Of Fists and Swords – Kaleidoscope of Hong Kong Martial Arts Films”; “Coming to a Theatre Near You – Gems of Hong Kong Film Trailers”; “Fame in a Flash – A Tour of AVON Recording Studios”; “From Arts to Action Music Concert” and “ICH Extraordinary: Chinese Martial Arts and Films” kung fu demonstration under the “Arts or Action, Why Not Both?” series.
 
　　The Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival 2024 offers a wide array of programmes, offering a blend of dynamism and relaxation, East and West, old and new. For more details, please visit the festival website at www.pcf.gov.hk/en or call 2601 8703.

     The second Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will open tomorrow (April 6). With “Arts and Action” as its theme, this year’s festival takes audiences on a journey through time to explore the charm of Hong Kong’s pop culture, showing the dynamic inheritance, diffusion, integration and breakthroughs within it.
 
     Today (April 5), the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, attended the festival programme parade at the central lawn of Victoria Park. In his welcoming remarks, Mr Yeung said that over 530 000 people had attended the Pop Culture Festival activities presented by the LCSD last year. On top of promoting culture and arts, the festival had also attracted crowds and driven other organisations to present related activities, bringing new impetus into the city’s economy. He added that representatives of tourism, food and beverage and retail industries were invited to this programme parade so that they would know the programmes to be offered in this year’s festival and devise suitable planning in offering concessions to encourage consumption, which would in turn promote the economy. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is hoping that by shaping tourism with culture and promoting culture with tourism, Hong Kong’s pop culture could be appreciated by more people both at home and abroad, and a stronger sense of pride toward Hong Kong’s culture could be built among local people. Good stories of Hong Kong could also be shared with more tourists and people overseas, and the city’s pop culture could continue to thrive.
 
     More than 20 programmes have been lined up for the second edition, covering a diverse range of formats including stage performances, thematic exhibitions, film screenings, library activities and outreach programmes (See Annex). Its rich content spans across literature, various art forms and martial arts, showcasing the vibrancy and diversity of Hong Kong’s pop culture in a comprehensive manner.
 
     This year marks the centenary of the birth of literary legend Jin Yong, as well as the 20th anniversary of the passing of famed lyricist James Wong. The late composer Joseph Koo was a creative genius who had worked closely with them over the years. In this connection, this year’s festival introduces many programmes themed around the three masters. These include “A Path to Glory – Jin Yong’s Centennial Memorial, Sculpted by Ren Zhe” at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum; “Classic Martial Arts Drama Costumes and Props Exhibition” under the “Arts or Action, Why Not Both?” series; “Martial Arts．Heroes” concert featuring Joseph Koo’s TV drama theme tunes adapted from Jin Yong’s martial arts novels; “Music Document Highlights of Joseph Koo & James Wong” and “Exhibition on Dr Louis Cha Collection and Subject Talk on Jin Yong’s Works” at the Hong Kong Public Libraries; “A Laugh at the World: James Wong” exhibition at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum; and “ART!ON POP Concert” where famous producer Carl Wong and esteemed singers will reinterpret Joseph Koo’s and James Wong’s repertoire.
 
     To enable members of the public to explore the diversity of Hong Kong’s pop culture, the LCSD will hold “ImagineLand”, the festival’s opening programme, tomorrow at the central lawn of Victoria Park. This two-day large-scale outdoor carnival features a creative mix of music, film, fashion and arts tech. Highlights include the “Gen S Concert” featuring local, mainland and overseas singer-songwriters of different generations; “Memory Lane” which re-enacts classical film scenes; “Funarts Corner” which consists of interactive art booths on various themes including music, arts tech and handicrafts; as well as “Movie Under the Stars” where carnival goers can watch celebrated films on the grass.
 
     Other notable festival offerings include “Of Fists and Swords – Kaleidoscope of Hong Kong Martial Arts Films”, “Coming to a Theatre Near You – Gems of Hong Kong Film Trailers”, “Fame in a Flash – A Tour of AVON Recording Studios” and “From Arts to Action Music Concert”. “Of Fists and Swords” allows audiences to revisit iconic local period wuxia and kung fu films, whereas “Coming to a Theatre Near You” features more than 100 precious film trailers to track the key trends and changes in Hong Kong cinema. “Fame in a Flash”, on the other hand, offers audiences a rare chance to delve deep into AVON Studios, widely known as the hall of fame for Hong Kong’s pop music. Participants can trace the footsteps of countless legendary singers and catch a glimpse of the little-known secrets in the music circles. Albert Au will join hands with different young singers to reinterpret the beloved classic songs in “From Arts to Action Music Concert”.
 
     The Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival 2024 features a wide array of programmes, offering a blend of dynamism and relaxation, East and West, old and new. The opening programme “ImagineLand” is sponsored by Create Hong Kong. For more details, please visit the festival website at www.pcf.gov.hk/en or call 2601 8703.
 
     “A Path to Glory – Jin Yong’s Centennial Memorial, Sculpted by Ren Zhe” and “Of Fists and Swords – Kaleidoscope of Hong Kong Martial Arts Films” are also under the Chinese Culture Promotion Series. The LCSD has long been promoting Chinese history and culture through organising an array of programmes and activities to enable the public to learn more about the broad and profound Chinese culture. For more details, please visit the website www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/ccpo/index.html.