Hong Kong Showcases Vibrant Arts at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025

2025-08-22 00:06 Last Updated At：00:18

Hong Kong performers bring East-meets-West creativity to Edinburgh Festival Fringe

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London (London ETO) supported three Hong Kong performance programmes at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025, highlighting the city's vibrant arts scene. The performances featured the One Table Two Chairs Charitable Foundation, zheng musician Wan Xing and a cappella group Yat Po Singers.

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Hong Kong performers bring East-meets-West creativity to Edinburgh Festival Fringe Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

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Hong Kong performers bring East-meets-West creativity to Edinburgh Festival Fringe Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Director-General of the London ETO, Miss Fiona Chau, addressed the audience before two performances staged on August 20 (Edinburgh time). She highlighted Hong Kong's vision of further enhancing its role as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, as supported by the National 14th Five-Year Plan.

"The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is firmly committed to nurturing home-grown talent and expanding global opportunities for our artists. We are investing in world-class arts infrastructure, such as the new 50 000-seat stadium at the Kai Tak Sports Park, and have launched flagship events such as the inaugural Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo in 2024, which gathered leading artists and institutions from around the world," Miss Chau remarked.

Noting the growing connections between Hong Kong and Edinburgh, particularly in the cultural and business sectors, Miss Chau welcomed Edinburgh enterprises to explore the diverse business opportunities that Hong Kong has to offer. She highlighted the introduction of a two-tier liquor duty system in Hong Kong last year as an example of the city's strategy to facilitate business. This initiative has encouraged the trade and auctions of high-end liquor in Hong Kong, thereby giving impetus to the development of other high value-added sectors such as logistics and storage, tourism, as well as high-end food and beverage consumption. These developments open the door for even broader collaboration between Edinburgh and Hong Kong.

Running from August 1 to 25 in Edinburgh, the United Kingdom (UK), the Festival showcased three Hong Kong programmes: "Cantonese Opera x Children's Interactive Theatre: Dic Dic Chang Chang Playground" by One Table Two Chairs Charitable Foundation; "Rock Hard – A Theatrical A Cappella Adventure" by Yat Po Singers; and "Waves of Tradition: A New Horizon in Scottish-Chinese Music" by Wan and two UK musicians, Eleanor Dunsdon and Gregor Black. These performances underscored Hong Kong's vibrant cultural contributions and its role in international cultural exchanges.

Stay Safe: CHP Issues Heat Illness Precautions Amid Rising Temperatures

DH reminds public to take precautions against heat-related illnesses during very hot weather

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (August 13) reminded members of the public to take appropriate precautions against heat-related illnesses, such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, during very hot weather.

In a high-temperature environment, excessive sweating and difficulty in heat dissipation can cause stress to the body. Members of the public should take the following precautions:

Hydrate in a timely manner to prevent dehydration;

Wear light-coloured, loose-fitting and breathable clothing to minimise heat absorption and facilitate perspiration and heat dissipation;

Keep indoor areas well ventilated and maintain appropriate temperature and humidity, e.g. by opening windows or using a fan or air-conditioning;

Avoid strenuous exercise and prolonged activities such as hiking or trekking;

Arrange outdoor activities in the morning or the late afternoon, if possible, and bring enough water; and

Avoid beverages containing caffeine, such as coffee and tea, as well as alcoholic beverages, which may speed up water loss through the urinary system.

In addition, infants and children, the elderly, pregnant women, individuals with chronic illnesses such as heart disease or high blood pressure, overweight people and outdoor/manual workers are more susceptible to heat stroke. These groups should pay special attention to the following:

Infants and young children: Avoid going outside when the temperature is high. If they must go outside, adults should ensure they stay in places with moderate temperatures and good ventilation or air-conditioning. Infants and young children should never be left unattended in a confined space such as a vehicle;

The elderly, pregnant women, individuals with chronic illnesses and overweight people: Pay close attention to health conditions and seek help as soon as possible if experiencing any abnormalities in health indicators such as blood pressure, heart rate, etc or if there are fluctuations in health conditions. Avoid going out when the temperature is high. Make sure there is good ventilation, or turn on a fan or air-conditioner to keep an appropriate temperature indoors. High temperatures can also worsen the condition of people with chronic illnesses (such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases). Therefore, they should have an ample supply of their usual medication and keep in contact with family members, neighbours and the community. People should seek immediate help if they feel unwell.

Outdoor/manual workers: Reschedule work to cooler hours as far as feasible. If working in a hot environment is unavoidable, provide shade where practicable and use ventilation and heat dissipation equipment. Once work has begun, gradually adjust the pace of work and take breaks in the shade to regain strength.

The DH reminded the public that heat stroke is one of the most common health risks in hot weather. Over the past five years, there have been over 200 hospital admissions due to heat stroke each year in Hong Kong, with two to five fatal cases occurring mainly during the summer months from May to September. Vulnerable groups are more susceptible to heat stroke. Symptoms include dizziness, headache, nausea, shortness of breath or confusion. In severe cases, patients may suffer from convulsions or become unconscious, which can be life-threatening if they are not cooled down and resuscitated in a timely manner.

Members of the public are also advised to pay attention to the latest weather, as well as the real-time and forecasted ultraviolet (UV) index released by the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO). When the UV index is high (6 or above), the public should note the following:

Avoid direct sunlight exposure to the skin and the eyes;

Apply broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen liberally, with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 or higher, when participating in outdoor activities. Reapply every two hours if staying outdoors for long periods, or after swimming, sweating or towelling off;

While using DEET-containing insect repellents for personal protection against mosquito-borne diseases, apply sunscreen before insect repellent;

Seek shade;

Wear UV-blocking sunglasses;

Wear loose-fitting clothing with long-sleeves; and

Wear a wide-brimmed hat or use an umbrella.

If symptoms develop, such as dizziness, headache, nausea, shortness of breath or confusion, rest and seek help immediately, and seek medical advice as soon as possible.

For more health information, the public may visit theCHP's heat strokepage andUV radiation page; the HKO's Dial-a-Weather (1878 200),latestweather report and forecast,UV Indexand weather information forhiking and mountaineering; andpress releasesof the Labour Departmenton precautions against heat stroke for outdoor workers and their employers when the Heat Stress at Work Warning is in force.

Hong Kong Showcases Vibrant Arts at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025

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