Hong Kong Week 2026@Chengdu to Showcase 60 Diverse Cultural Performances and Activities, Presenting Creative in Arts and Culture

Hong Kong Week 2026@Chengdu presents creative excellence in arts and culture

The Hong Kong Week 2026@Chengdu, running from September 4 to 20 in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, will be organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and supported by the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of Sichuan Province, the Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the Chengdu Municipal People's Government Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, the Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Culture, Broadcast-TV, and Tourism as well as the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Chengdu. Over a span of 17 days, the arts festival will present about 60 performances and activities, fully demonstrating Hong Kong's diverse cultural strengths. Dance, music, theatre, films, intangible cultural heritage (ICH), toy culture and design will each take the stage, bringing a cross-disciplinary arts extravaganza to the Chengdu audience.

The opening programme will be the grand dance drama "Kung Fu Artistry" from the Hong Kong Dance Company. Choreographer and director Yang Yuntao, art director and costume designer Man Lim-chung, as well as music director and composer Patrick Lui team up to blend martial arts, dance, multimedia and jazz into the performance, recalling the legendary story of Bruce Lee’s transformation from a street youth to a global star.

Music programmes will be dazzling. The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra's "A Music Journey to Sichuan", under the baton of National Class One Conductor Xiao Chao, will present classical folk and contemporary works reflecting Hong Kong and Sichuan culture. Led by the Resident Conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Lio Kuokman, the "Lio Kuokman, Eric Lu and HK Phil" concert will bring to the audience composer Yao Chen's newly commissioned "Waltz of the Rolling Giants", a piece inspired by the giant panda, and Chopin's "Piano Concerto no. 1 in E minor" performed by International Chopin Competition Gold Medallist Eric Lu. Internationally renowned musician Tan Dun, Hong Kong's Ambassador for Cultural Promotion, will lead the Chengdu Symphony Orchestra and talented artists, including Hong Kong's Louise Kwong, Christy Cheung and Lawrence Wong, to perform the symphonic poem "Sound River" which combines visuals and music. In addition, teachers and students from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and the Sichuan Conservatory of Music, will curate concerts to showcase their creativity through the "Echoes Across Project".

For pop culture, music director Ng Cheuk-yin will lead Hong Kong singers Ivana Wong, Archie Sin, Feanna Wong, Lil' Ashes and others, together with Chengdu popular rapper PO8, to present cross-generational Cantonese pop songs at "ImagineLand@Chengdu", an outdoor concert offering a refreshing and dynamic musical feast. For ballet, the Hong Kong Ballet will specially stage "Romeo + Juliet", choreographed by Septime Webre with the backdrop of Hong Kong in the 1960s, weaving the local culture into the Shakespeare's masterpiece.

The Hong Kong Arts Development Council will contribute three programmes. Théâtre de la Feuille's "Book of Mountains and Seas - The Fates of Mountains and Rivers" reimagines ancient mythology through contemporary physical theatre and original music. TS Crew's "No Dragon No Lion" is a dynamic production that fuses Hong Kong kung fu films, dragon and lion dance, and contemporary circus. The "Philo 3 - Wan Xing and Master Musicians from Hong Kong" concert blends traditional Chinese music, Hong Kong pop culture and world music elements, promising a rich and diverse musical experience.

On films, "Making Waves - Navigators of Hong Kong Cinema", presented by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) and supported by the LCSD's Hong Kong Film Archive, will showcase a curated selection of Hong Kong films highlighting sportsmanship, teamwork and self-breakthrough, fully embodying the resilient and relentless spirit of Hong Kong.

On the exhibition front, "A Day of Wandering: Hong Kong ICH and Contemporary Art Exhibition" will introduce Hong Kong's ICH items and display the cultural transmission and innovation from different perspectives. "The Musician Series of the Hong Kong Central Library - Enchanting Melodies from the City" thematic exhibition will introduce musicians who have made invaluable contributions to Hong Kong's music scene, underscoring the richness of Hong Kong's musical culture. CCIDA will present the "Hong Kong Toy Culture and IP Exhibition", which traces the history of Hong Kong toys, designers and brand creations to reveal the unique stories of Hong Kong’s original toys; and "Vertical Labyrinth: The Enchanted Densescape" exhibition, featuring furniture works that combine traditional craftsmanship with modern design, illustrating Hong Kong's distinctive EastWest fusion aesthetics.

Information on the programme dates and venues is set out in the Annex. Tickets are now available for sale. For details, please visit www.hongkongweek.gov.hk.

The Hong Kong Week 2026@Chengdu, Photo source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Immigration Department carries out in-flight escort repatriation operation repatriating six unsubstantiated non-refoulement claimants to their place of origin

The Immigration Department (ImmD) carried out an in-flight escort repatriation operation codenamed "Expel" yesterday (July 16), deploying officers to successfully repatriate six unsubstantiated non-refoulement claimants to Pakistan. The persons removed were all male illegal immigrants. Among them were discharged prisoners who had committed criminal offences and had been sentenced to imprisonment. Since the persons had repeatedly refused to accept repatriation arrangements and vigorously resisted during previous repatriation operations, the ImmD resorted to using an in-flight escort to effect the forced repatriation.

An ImmD spokesman said, "The ImmD has been committed to promptly removing unsubstantiated non-refoulement claimants from Hong Kong to maintain effective immigration control and safeguard the public interest. As there are currently no direct flights between Hong Kong and Pakistan, repatriating Pakistani claimants need to transit through a connecting airport to Pakistan. To enhance removal efforts, following the in-flight escort repatriation operations codenamed 'Expel' in November 2025 and March 2026, the ImmD once again arranged a special chartered flight from Hong Kong to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, then interchanged to a commercial flight to Pakistan to effect the in-flight escort repatriation operation. The ImmD successfully carried out the forced repatriation to remove six unsubstantiated non-refoulement claimants to their home country in this operation, and handed them over to the relevant government authorities. This has significantly enhanced the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the repatriation process, demonstrating the ImmD's firm determination to expedite repatriations against unsubstantiated non-refoulement claimants."

Under the updated removal policy effective from December 7, 2022, the ImmD may generally proceed with the removal of a claimant whose judicial review case has been dismissed by the Court of First Instance of the High Court, thereby enhancing the efficiency of and efforts in removing unsubstantiated claimants.

The ImmD will continue to explore different feasible solutions to expedite the repatriation of unsubstantiated non-refoulement claimants, and will actively co-ordinate with relevant authorities to optimise repatriation routes and the operation process. The ImmD will actively maintain close liaison with governments of major source countries of non-refoulement claimants, airline companies and other government departments to repatriate unsubstantiated non-refoulement claimants from Hong Kong as soon as practicable through all appropriate measures.