Quanzhou Marionette Show Returns to Hong Kong with Ancient Chinese Puppetry at Chinese Culture Festival 2025.

2025-08-13 14:30 Last Updated At：08-17 11:39

Award-winning Quanzhou string puppetry to grace Chinese Culture Festival 2025 in September with timeless charm of ancient art

The Quanzhou Marionette Show Inheritance and Protection Center will return to Hong Kong this September with its acclaimed programme "Ancient Chinese Puppetry with Timeless Charm", featuring seven classic short plays at the Chinese Culture Festival 2025, organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD). Led by Chen Yinghong, a representative inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage, seasoned and emerging puppeteers will showcase millennia-old Minnan (southern Fujian) folk traditions through exquisite puppet modelling, refined string manipulation and the genre's unique musical style.

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Award-winning Quanzhou string puppetry to grace Chinese Culture Festival 2025 in September with timeless charm of ancient art Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

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Award-winning Quanzhou string puppetry to grace Chinese Culture Festival 2025 in September with timeless charm of ancient art Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Quanzhou string puppetry, historically known as "hanging silk puppet", has a long tradition that dates to the Qin and Han dynasties. It was introduced to Fujian by migrants coming from the central plain between the Jin and Tang periods. It has had a repertory of over 700 traditional plays and a unique musical genre called "kuilei diao" (or puppet tune, played on ancient instruments such as foot-pressed drums, bell-shaped gongs with corresponding performance techniques), comprising more than 300 set tunes. The art form has developed sophisticated string manipulation skills and unique puppet-head carving, figure modelling and production techniques. Its repertoire retains numerous Minnan folk customs and the dialect. It was included on the first list of Intangible Cultural Heritage at the National Level in 2006, followed by its inscription on UNESCO's Register of Good Safeguarding Practices of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2012.

"Ancient Chinese Puppetry with Timeless Charm", which won the prestigious 10th Wenhua Award in 2002, has captivated audiences across over 80 countries and regions on five continents. This diverse repertoire brings to life the rich heritage of Quanzhou string puppetry through a selection of timeless classics: "Lantern Festival Delight" recreates the vibrant Minnan folk tradition of "Cai Jie" (street parades) during Quanzhou's Lantern Festival, featuring lively folk dance elements such as "chest slapping," "jumping drums" and the lion dance, making it a perennial favourite; "The Drunken Royal Concubine" ingeniously blends Peking opera vocals with "kuilei diao", showcasing the fascinating exchange between northern and southern theatrical arts; "Ruolan's Journey", an excerpt from the ancient play "The Palindromic Poems on the Brocade", poignantly depicts the arduous journey of Su Ruolan across 1,000 miles in search of her husband.

In addition, the puppeteers breathe life and soul into the marionettes through precise and delicate string manipulation. In "The Little Monk's Descent into the Mountain", the little monk puppet exhibits a repertoire of intricate stumbling gaits, vividly capturing his flustered haste through wind and rain; the Zhong Kui puppet in "The Drunkenness of Zhong Kui" performs nuanced actions such as lifting a wine pot, drinking, and even hiccupping; the "Lion Dance" combines string and palm puppetry techniques to portray an affectionate mother-and-cub lion duo at play; the monkey puppet in "Taming the Monkey" astounds by playing a guitar, riding a bicycle and grooving to disco beats, showcasing Quanzhou string puppetry's innovative spirit while honouring tradition. The programme also features an interactive segment during each performance, offering audiences a rare chance to engage up close with the intangible cultural heritage artistry.

Founded in 1952, the Quanzhou Marionette Show Inheritance and Protection Centeris a principal guardian of Quanzhou string puppetry. The troupe has performed across different countries and regions, and has been featured in numerous national-level arts events, including China Central Television's Spring Festival Gala. Notably, the troupe participated in the 2019 New Year Traditional Opera Gala.

"Ancient Chinese Puppetry with Timeless Charm"by the Quanzhou Marionette Show Inheritance and Protection Centerwill be held at 7.30pm on September 12 and 13 (Friday and Saturday) at the Theatre of the Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre. Lyrics and dialogues are with Chinese and English surtitles. Tickets priced at $280 and $320 are available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. Group booking discounts and package booking discounts are available for purchasing selected CCF stage programmes, the "Chinese Opera Film Shows" of the Chinese Opera Festival (COF) 2025 and the "Legacy and Vision: Conversations with Chinese Cultural Masters" lecture. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7323 or visit www.ccf.gov.hk/en/programme/ancient-chinese-puppetry-with-timeless-charm.

The CCF, presented by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and organised by the Chinese Culture Promotion Office under the LCSD, aims to promote Chinese culture and enhance the public's national identity and cultural confidence. It also aims to attract top-notch artists and arts groups from the Mainland and other parts of the world for exchanges in Chinese arts and culture. The CCF 2025 is held from June to September. Through different performing arts programmes in various forms and related extension activities, including selected programmes of the COF, "Tan Dun WE-Festival", film screenings, exhibitions, as well as community and school activities and more, the festival provides members of the public and visitors with more opportunities to enjoy distinctive programmes that showcase fine traditional Chinese culture, thereby facilitating patriotic education and contributing to the inheritance, transformation and development of traditional Chinese culture in Hong Kong. For more information about programmes and activities of the CCF 2025, please visit www.ccf.gov.hk.

FEHD Releases May Gravidtrap Indexes for Aedes Albopictus, Highlights Areas of Concern and Control Measures.

FEHD releases fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in May

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (May 21) released the fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes and density indexes for Aedes albopictus in May, covering 12 survey areas, as follows:

District

Survey Area

May 2026

First Phase Gravidtrap Index

First Phase Density Index

Eastern

Shau Kei Wan and Sai Wan Ho

9.1%

1.4

Islands

Tung Chung

2.0%

1.0

Kowloon City

Hung Hom and To Kwa Wan

6.7%

1.5

Tai Po

Tai Po East

2.2%

2.0

Tai Po West

15.5%

1.0

Tuen Mun

Tuen Mun South

9.1%

1.4

District

Survey Area

May 2026

Area Gravidtrap Index

Area Density Index

Central and Western

Kennedy Town and Shek Tong Tsui

16.8%

1.3

Eastern

Chai Wan

15.4%

1.0

North Point and Quarry Bay

18.9%

1.4

Southern

Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau

20.8%

1.7

Sha Tin

Sha Tin Town Centre and Fo Tan

18.3%

1.4

Tsuen Wan

Tsuen Wan Town

6.9%

2.3

The fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in May includes First Phase Gravidtrap Indexes covering six survey areas and Area Gravidtrap Indexes covering six survey areas. Among which, six survey areas recorded gravidtrap indexes above 10 per cent, while Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau in Southern District recorded a gravidtrap index above 20 per cent. Meanwhile, the gravidtrap indexes of six survey areas, namely Kennedy Town and Shek Tong Tsui in Central and Western District; North Point and Quarry Bay in Eastern District; Shau Kei Wan and Sai Wan Ho in Eastern District; Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau in Southern District; Tai Po East in Tai Po District; and Tuen Mun South in Tuen Mun District, have recorded a decrease as compared to the indexes recorded in the last survey period, reflecting the progress of relevant mosquito control work.

With reference to the data from the past few years, the gravidtrap indexes start to rise from April or May every year. The actual timing and extent of the rise are affected by factors like weather conditions and rainfall. The average temperature and rainfall recorded in April this year were higher than those in the same period last year, creating favourable conditions for mosquito growth and breeding. As a result, the rise in gravidtrap indexes occurred earlier this year. With the increase in rainfall in May, the gravidtrap indexes are expected to rise further.

For survey areas which recorded indexes exceeding 10 per cent, in accordance with the mechanism implemented by the FEHD in response to the chikungunya fever (CF) situation (i.e. strengthening mosquito control work in areas with a gravidtrap index between 10 per cent and 20 per cent, instead of 20 per cent or above under the original mechanism), the FEHD is collaborating with relevant departments and stakeholders to identify locations with high mosquito infestations and carry out intensive and targeted mosquito control measures. The FEHD has initiated two prosecutions against the relevant construction site contractors following the discovery of mosquito breeding at construction sites in Tai Po District and Southern District. Moreover, following the discovery of stagnant water or stagnant water containers in a park, a construction site, a private housing estate, a clinic and a private premises in Tai Po District, Central and Western District, as well as Southern District, the FEHD has issued five statutory notices to the responsible persons-in-charge, requiring the clearance of such items within a specified timeframe. The FEHD, the relevant departments and stakeholders are following up on the mosquito control work, and will also organise exhibitions, distribute leaflets and posters, and notify residential estates that have subscribed to the gravidtrap Rapid Alert System, advising property management agents and residents to stay vigilant and work together in taking mosquito prevention and elimination measures. In addition, the FEHD will strengthen the monitoring of the gravidtrap index in the areas to review the effectiveness of the mosquito control work.

Public participation is crucial to the effective control of mosquito problems. The FEHD appeals to members of the public to continue to work together in strengthening personal mosquito control measures, including:

tidy up their premises and check for any accumulation of water inside the premises;

remove all unnecessary water collections and eliminate the sources;

check household items (those placed in outdoor and open areas in particular), such as refuse containers, vases, air conditioner drip trays, and laundry racks to prevent stagnant water;

change water in flower vases and scrub their inner surfaces thoroughly, and remove water in saucers under potted plants at least once a week;

properly cover all containers that hold water to prevent mosquitoes from accessing the water;

properly dispose of articles that can contain water, such as disposable meal boxes and empty cans; and

scrub drains and surface sewers with alkaline detergent at least once a week to remove any mosquito eggs.

Starting in August 2025, following the completion of the surveillance of individual survey areas, and once the latest gravidtrap index and the density index are available, the FEHD has been disseminating relevant information through press releases, its website and social media. It aims to allow members of the public to quickly grasp the mosquito infestation situation and strengthen mosquito control efforts, thereby reducing the risk of CF transmission.

Following recommendations from the World Health Organization and taking into account the local situation in Hong Kong, the FEHD sets up gravidtraps in districts where mosquito-borne diseases have been recorded in the past, as well as in densely populated places such as housing estates, hospitals and schools to monitor the breeding and distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which can transmit CF and dengue fever. At present, the FEHD has set up gravidtraps in 62 survey areas of the community, with a surveillance period of two weeks. During the surveillance period, the FEHD will collect the gravidtraps once a week. After the first week of surveillance, the FEHD will immediately examine the glue boards inside the retrieved gravidtraps for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes to compile the Gravidtrap Index (First Phase) and Density Index (First Phase). At the end of the second week of surveillance, the FEHD will instantly check the glue boards for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes. Data from the two weeks of surveillance will be combined to obtain the Area Gravidtrap Index and the Area Density Index. The gravidtrap and density indexes for Aedes albopictus in different survey areas, as well as information on mosquito prevention and control measures, are available on the department's webpage (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pestcontrol/dengue_fever/Dengue_Fever_Gravidtrap_Index_Update.html#).

Quanzhou Marionette Show Returns to Hong Kong with Ancient Chinese Puppetry at Chinese Culture Festival 2025.

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