Splendid Jiangsu Cultural Exchange and Industrial Promotion Event was Launched in Hong Kong, Boosting Mutual Cooperation in Cultural and Creative Industries

On April 14, the Splendid Jiangsu' cultural exchange and industry promotion event was launched in Hong Kong. The event aims to deepen collaboration between Jiangsu and Hong Kong in the cultural and creative industries, with a focus on integrating 'culture, technology, and finance",

On April 14, the Splendid Jiangsu' cultural exchange and industry promotion event was launched in Hong Kong. Photo by Bastille Post

Ms. Xu Ying, Standing Committee Member of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee and Head of the Publicity Department of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee, cited three stories that highlight the close exchanges between Jiangsu and Hong Kong. First, the Bauhinia flower sculpture at the Golden Bauhinia Square in Hong Kong was built by Nanjing's Chenguang Group. Second, in January of this year, the first direct high-speed train to Wuxi—G386—began service, allowing Hong Kong residents to 'listen to Suzhou Pingtan, enjoy traditional opera, and appreciate cultural and creative products' onboard. Third, last August, the original Jiangsu dance drama "Dream of the Red Chamber" was performed four times in Hong Kong, drawing over 6,000 audience members and selling out every show.

Ms. Xu Ying, Standing Committee Member of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee and Head of the Publicity Department of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee, Photo by Bastille Post

Ms. Xu remarked that after many years, returning to Hong Kong made her truly appreciate the remarkable changes it has undergone. She also mentioned that the second "Jiangsu Football City League" resumed a few days ago, and sincerely invited Hong Kong residents to come and watch the matches.

Mr. Cheuk Wing-hing, Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. Cheuk Wing-hing, Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, extended a warm welcome to the Jiangsu delegation. He stressed Hong Kong's commitment to playing a key role in "bringing in" and "going global", solidifying its position as a hub for cultural and artistic exchange between China and the world. He noted that last year's Chinese Culture Festival featured performers from the Jiangsu Centre for the Performing Arts, who presented the dance drama "Dream of the Red Chamber", which quickly sold out. This year's festival will also feature a performance by the Kun Opera Theatre of the Jiangsu Performing Arts Group. He believed that the promotional event is not only a brilliant showcase of Jiangsu's cultural industry, but also a new starting point for cultural cooperation between Jiangsu and Hong Kong.

Mr. Tang Ying-yen, Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Founding Chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Jiangsu Community Organizations, Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. Tang Ying-yen, Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Founding Chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Jiangsu Community Organizations, pointed out that in 2025, Jiangsu's GDP exceeded 14 trillion RMB for the first time, with per capita GDP ranking first among all provinces and regions in China. He also noted that Jiangsu's total import and export volume has ranked second in China for over two consecutive decades. He called on Hong Kong residents to seize the opportunities presented by the National 15th Five-Year Plan and emphasized that the Hong Kong Jiangsu Community Organizations will continue to promote cooperation between the two regions, "transitioning from economic and trade connectivity to people-to-people connectivity".

Photo by Bastille Post

In the field of technology development, a representative from Original Force, Ltd in Jiangsu introduced that the corporation currently employs over 2,800 people, operates in multiple countries, ranks among the top three globally in production scale, and has been nominated three times for the Annie Awards (often referred to as the "Oscars of Animation"). The corporation is now dedicated to achieving large-scale mass production of cultural content using a 3D digital toolchain.

Meanwhile, a representative from Jiangsu Xinhua Daily Media Group presented the group's research and development achievements in the field of AI large models, noting that the new technology can reduce video production costs by 60% to 80%.

Photo by Bastille Post

The promotion event consisted of five parts, featuring technological projects such as a 3D animation toolchain and China's first intelligent robotic production line for intangible cultural heritage tie-dyeing (showcased through video demonstrations), as well as displays of embroidery brands and products from Jiangsu. The signing ceremony for key cultural enterprises from Jiangsu and Hong Kong was also held on site, alongside the release of the "Jiangsu-Hong Kong Creative Industry Cooperation Initiative".

Photo by Bastille Post

The concurrently held exhibition and sales event will run until April 15, which is divided into three sections: "History and Culture", "Inheritance and Fashion", and "Integration and Innovation", offering bespoke tailoring experiences and live demonstrations of intelligent production methods for intangible cultural heritage items. On the afternoon of the 15th, around 20 core members of the Federation of HK Jiangsu Women Organisations, along with intangible cultural heritage enthusiasts, will gather to take part in an immersive guided tour to experience Jiangnan silk craftsmanship firsthand.

On April 15, the Kunqu art exchange activities has moved to Chiang Chen Studio Theatre at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

The event will also bring Kunqu Opera to various venues in Hong Kong, featuring a crossover flash mob performance combining Kunqu with street dance. On April 15, the Kunqu art exchange activities has moved to Chiang Chen Studio Theatre at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. In the morning, an art lecture on the modern Kunqu production "Returning Home on a Snowy Night" was held, followed by a special performance of Kunqu opera at 7 pm, including classic pieces such as "The Peony Pavilion: Strolling in the Garden".

Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

Prof Richard M. Walker, Head of the Department of Government and International Affairs and Lee Shau Kee Foundation Chair Professor of Public Administration at Lingnan University, has been given the prestigious Routledge Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Research Society for Public Management (IRSPM) in recognition of his sustained dedication and outstanding contributions to the field. Prof Walker is the first scholar in Hong Kong to receive this honour, bringing distinction to Hong Kong's academic community and emphasising Lingnan University's international leadership in the discipline.

Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University expressed his sincere congratulations to Prof Walker on this accolade, and said, "In recent years, Prof Walker has actively integrated Computational Social Science with public management research, and established the Governance and Bureaucracy Lab (GOVBUR Lab) at Lingnan University. The Lab examines new challenges, including the effectiveness and governance of artificial intelligence applications in the digital age, embodying the University's special vision of combining a liberal arts education with cutting-edge science. These international partners include several of the world's top 100 universities, such as Duke University, University of Michigan, and New York University in the US, Yonsei University in South Korea, and Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands, which further consolidates our position as a leading research-oriented liberal arts university, comprehensive in arts and sciences, in the digital era."

Prof Walker said he was greatly honoured to receive this international recognition, and that "I believe one of the research endeavours that contributed to this award is a replication project that I led, funded by the Research Grants Council (RGC), National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), and the Public Policy Research Funding Scheme of the Chief Executive’s Policy Unit. The project analyses the applicability of Western public administration theories in Asia. Given that university education and research in Asian public administration draw predominantly on Western concepts and often overlook the unique economic, political, social, and institutional contexts in Asia, replicating experimental studies of citizen satisfaction with public services as well as performance indicator data analysis, are essential, and allow us to develop updated theoretical frameworks grounded in empirical findings and to bring Asian data into the global scholarly conversation."

Beyond refining traditional academic theories, Prof Walker has also used big data to examine very large volumes of literature, which show that the research theme of Management Innovation (MI) in public service has itself developed into an independent field of study. He is currently co-authoring a book on Management Innovation in Public Services with Prof Fariborz Damanpour of Rutgers University, to be published by the Oxford University Press. This will be the first academic work to systematically explore the topic, and study how rational and institutional factors shape the development and implementation of management innovation in public service organisations.

To increase Lingnan University's international influence, Prof Walker has founded the GOVBUR Lab, which incorporates perspectives from public administration and political science to focus on dynamic issues such as citizen-government relationships, artificial intelligence, and governance efficacy. The Lab will form partnerships and arrange academic exchanges with the world's top universities, bringing together distinguished visiting scholars such as Prof Wang Yuhua from Harvard University, Prof Meng Tianguang from Tsinghua University, Prof Lü Xiaobo from the University of California, Berkeley, Prof Oliver James from the University of Exeter, and Prof M. Jae Moon from Yonsei University, and further extend Lingnan University's academic influence in international public management research and contribute to consolidating Hong Kong's position as an international higher education hub.

The Routledge Lifetime Achievement Award is presented by the council of the IRSPM. It was first given in 2007, and goes to only one distinguished scholar each year.

Prof Richard M. Walker (right) delivers a keynote speech on his latest research, and receives the Routledge Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 annual conference of the International Research Society for Public Management.