Chinese Culture Festival 2026's "Encountering Chinese Culture" Performing Arts Carnival to be held in Kwai Fong on June 28
The Chinese Culture Festival (CCF) 2026, organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), will hold the "Encountering Chinese Culture" Performing Arts Carnival starting at 2pm on June 28 (Sunday) at L3 Atrium, Metroplaza in Kwai Fong. Convening the artistic prowess of the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong, the event brings highlights from multiple distinctive stage programmes of the Festival and intangible cultural heritage (ICH) performances into the community for public enjoyment. Admission is free, and members of the public are welcome to bring their families along to experience the beauty of Chinese culture and arts. This programme is also one of the programmes of Hong Kong ICH Month 2026.
The Jiangsu Performing Arts Group Kun Opera Theatre, a participating troupe of this year's CCF in late July, has sent two outstanding young actors, He Xinyue and Song Bofan, to Hong Kong to join the Carnival. They will perform the Kunqu excerpt "Wandering in the Garden and The Interrupted Dream" from the centuries-old masterpiece "The Peony Pavilion". Kunqu opera was listed by UNESCO as one of the "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity". Allowing for an up-close encounter with the essence of this traditional art form, widely revered as the "mother of Chinese operas", this performance will include an interactive segment. The audience can experience some basic Kunqu stylistic movements under the actors' guidance.
The audience can also enjoy highlights from several stage programmes organised by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles Hong Kong Member Association. Among them is the excerpt "Wild Geese" from the "Echoes of the Silk Road · New Sounds of Hu Music" Concert. Performed by Inner Mongolian morin khuur virtuoso and khoomei (throat singing) vocalist Xi Xiuquan (Hang Gai), together with Mongolian-style dancer Zhang Baokang, this piece interweaves robust Hu music with bold, spirited choreography to express a deep, passionate attachment to the grasslands and homeland. Two dance excerpts from "City of Lights" are equally captivating, each displaying a unique character: "New Silhouette" draws upon Han paper-cutting art as its central theme, seamlessly blending auspicious imagery with contemporary choreography. In "The Unbound Awakening", dancers embody the "Five Aggregates" of Buddhist philosophy to portray the self-awakened transformation of urban dwellers.
In addition, a trainees' ensemble from the Music Office of the LCSD will stage a Chinese music performance with a repertoire of pieces overflowing with landscape imagery and folk traditions. The programme includes a dizi ensemble "Selling Vegetables" inspired by Shanxi folk songs; an erhu solo "Birds Singing in a Desolated Mountain", which depicts the chorus of birds in hidden valleys; a liuqin and zhongruan ensemble "Suzhou Lyric" incorporating the melodies of Suzhou Pingtan; and a suona ensemble "A Joyful Harvest" driven by a brisk tempo and the joy of a bountiful season.
To bring the Carnival to a spectacular finale, Hong Kong puppeteer Wong Fai and his troupe will present two family-friendly productions: a rod puppet show "Journey to The West - The Flaming Mountain", and "Crazy Monkey", a production that combines string and hand puppetry. The puppeteers will also step off the stage to interact with audiences, allowing people of all ages to appreciate the intricate artistry of traditional puppetry at close quarters.
To introduce the public to the rich lineup of this year's Festival, a roving exhibition of the CCF 2026 will be held from June to July. Details are as follows:
Date:
Venue:
June 12 - 25
Foyer Exhibition Area, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
June 25 - 28
Exhibition Corner, Yuen Long Theatre
June 28 (on the day of the Carnival)
L3 Atrium, Metroplaza, Kwai Fong
July 17 - 28
Foyer, Kwai Tsing Theatre
For details of the Carnival, please visit www.ccf.gov.hk/en/programme/encountering-chinese-culture-showcase/.
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 sense of national identity and cultural confidence, thereby facilitating patriotic education. It also aims to attract top-notch artists and arts groups from the Chinese Mainland and other parts of the world for exchanges in Chinese arts and culture. The CCF 2026 is held from June to September. It hosts various forms of distinctive stage programmes and related extension activities, film screenings, thematic exhibitions, talks, workshops, as well as community and school activities, affording the public and visitors more opportunities to appreciate and experience the beauty of fine traditional Chinese culture. For more information, please visit www.ccf.gov.hk.
Photo source: ccf.gov.hk
