New Cantonese Opera "Ancient Tune of Guangling" to Premiere at Chinese Culture Festival 2026, Recreating the Wei-Jin Style through Traditional Artistry

New Cantonese opera "Ancient Tune of Guangling" to premiere at Chinese Culture Festival in September to honour timeless legend and scholarly integrity of Wei-Jin period

The Chinese Culture Festival (CCF) 2026, organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), brings together an outstanding local creative and artistic team this year to present the new Cantonese opera production "Ancient Tune of Guangling". Serving as the finale of the 14th Chinese Opera Festival, this highly anticipated work will be staged at the Sha Tin Town Hall from September 11 to 13. Renowned Cantonese opera virtuosos Loong Koon-tin, Tang Mi-ling, Yuen Siu-fai and Liu Kwok-sum will share the stage with emerging young artists Man Shuet-kau, To Wing-sum and Ng Lap-hei to portray the unyielding spirit and scholarlyintegrity of Ji Kang - one of the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove" during the turmoil of the Wei-Jin era. Together, they will recreate the Wei-Jin style through the traditional artistry of Cantonese opera.

The "Ancient Tune of Guangling", an ancient "qin" (Chinese zither) masterpiece, carries a tragic legend of the famed scholar Ji Kang that has endured for millennia. Set during the Sima clan's usurpation in the late Cao Wei dynasty, the play follows Ji Kang, who receives this "qin" music from an immortal in a dream. As Sima Zhao seeks to draw intellectuals into his service, Ji Kang evades the conscription by severing ties with his close friend Shan Tao, who was ordered to summon him to office. Later, speaking out for justice in the Lü brothers' legal dispute, Ji Kang is falsely accused by scholar Zhong Hui, giving Sima Zhao the pretext to execute him. At the execution ground, Ji Kang calmly plays the "qin", his soul departing as the strings snap amid the final echoes of the "Ancient Tune of Guangling".

The production strictly follows the traditional "bang-huang" melodic system and established "qupai" (set tune-patterns), complemented by an elevated, classical diction to evoke once more the ways of the world and societal ethos during the Wei-Jin period. While contributing to the preservation of the Cantonese operatic tradition, this new creation embodies a core artistic spirit of Chinese opera - namely, to "stir the emotions, sharpen observation, foster fellowship, and give voice to grievance" - with the aspiration of touching the cultural sensibilities across different generations and striking a contemporary chord. The play delineates the intricate complexities of human nature and political intrigue amidst a turbulent era, while integrating modern stage aesthetics and lighting design to breathe new life into this traditional tale.

The play is penned by local poet Woo Kwok-yin as playwright, alongside veteran Cantonese opera practitioner Leung Wai-hong as artistic director and director. Celebrated stars Loong Koon-tin (as Ji Kang), Tang Mi-ling (as Ji Kang's wife, Lady Cao), Yuen Siu-fai (as Shan Tao) and Liu Kwok-sum (as Sima Zhao/the immortal) join forces with a talented cohort of young performers including Man Shuet-kau (as Sima Zhao's wife, Wang Yuanji), To Wing-sum (as Zhong Hui) and Ng Lap-hei (as Lü An). Together, they grace the stage to carry forward the heritage of Cantonese opera traditions and illuminate the brilliance of Chinese culture.

"A New Cantonese Opera 'Ancient Tune of Guangling'" will be held at 7.30pm on September 11 and 12 (Friday and Saturday), and at 2.30pm on September 13 (Sunday) at the Auditorium of Sha Tin Town Hall.Lyrics and dialogue are with Chinese and English surtitles. Tickets priced at $180, $280, $380 and $480 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. The CCF 2026 offers various discount schemes, such as group booking discounts, package booking discounts and the newly introduced "Generations Together 1+1" discount. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7325 or visit www.ccf.gov.hk/en/programme/a-new-cantonese-opera-ancient-tune-of-guangling/.

The programme offers a pre-performance talk and a post-performance talk in Cantonese. The pre-performance talk will be held at 7.30pm on September 3 (Thursday) at AC2, 4/F, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. The speakers include Loong Koon-tin, Tang Mi-ling, Yuen Siu-fai, Woo Kwok-yin and Leung Wai-hong while To Wai Sau-ming, Marilyn will be the moderator. Admission is free, and online registration is required (www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/chinese_opera/programs_1963.html#tab_13_0). If the spaces for online registration are full, those interested may wait at the venue's entrance for a standby space on the day of the session. Any unclaimed spots will be released 10 minutes after the session begins on a first-come, first-served basis. The post-performance talk will be held after the performance on September 13 (Sunday). The speakers are Loong Koon-tin, Tang Mi-ling, Yuen Siu-fai, Liu Kwok-sum, Man Shuet-kau and Ng Lap-hei while To Wing-sum will be the moderator. Members of the audience are welcome to stay behind to join.

The programme will also feature a session under the "Chinese Culture for All: A Special Performance Series" to be held at2.30pm on September 11 (Friday) at the Auditorium of Sha Tin Town Hall, with free admission specially for local primary and secondary school students. Loong Koon-tinandTang Mi-ling will join hands with To Wing-sum and Ng Lap-hei to perform an excerpt fromthe "Ancient Tune of Guangling", accompanied by easy-to-follow demonstrations and guided appreciation, allowing students to experience the unique charm of Cantonese opera, a world-class intangible cultural heritage item. Interested schools can call 2268 7325 for details.

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. This year's CCF is held from June to September. For more information, please visit www.ccf.gov.hk.

The poster of "Ancient Tune of Guangling," Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Chinese Culture Festival 2026 will present a new Cantonese Opera, "Ancient Tune of Guangling", in September. Photo shows To Wing-sum's styling as Zhong Hui in the production. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Chinese Culture Festival 2026 will present a new Cantonese Opera, "Ancient Tune of Guangling", in September. Photo shows Man Shuet-kau's styling as Sima Zhao's wife, Wang Yuanji in the production. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Chinese Culture Festival 2026 will present a new Cantonese Opera, "Ancient Tune of Guangling", in September. Photo shows Yuen Siu-fai's styling as Shan Tao in the production. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Chinese Culture Festival 2026 will present a new Cantonese Opera, "Ancient Tune of Guangling", in September. Photo shows Tang Mi-ling's styling as Lady Cao, Ji Kang's wife, in the production. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Chinese Culture Festival 2026 will present a new Cantonese opera, "Ancient Tune of Guangling", in September. Photo shows Lung Koon-tin's styling as Ji Kang in the production. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Chinese Culture Festival 2026 will present a new Cantonese Opera, "Ancient Tune of Guangling", in September. Photo shows Liu Kwok-sum's styling as Sima Zhao in the production. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health leads delegation to commence visit to Hainan Province

The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, today (August 13) led a delegation to commence their visit to Hainan Province to meet with local health officials and visit the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone (Pilot Zone) in Hainan.

Professor Lo met with Deputy Director of the Hainan Medical Products Administration Mr Wang Gang in the morning, and highlighted the important measures put forward by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government in the aspect of developing Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub.

Professor Lo said, "Hong Kong is proactively aligning with the direction of the National 15th Five-Year Plan and pressing ahead with the development of Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub by complementing technological innovation with institutional innovation. We are enhancing the regulatory standards for drugs and medical devices in Hong Kong on all fronts, including the implementation of the '1+' drug approval mechanism, the establishment of the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation within this year, and the implementation of the 'primary evaluation' mechanism for new drug registration since March this year. In addition, Hong Kong is actively taking forward the standardisation of clinical data in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, with a view to expediting the registration and launch of innovative drugs and medical devices in Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas markets."

At his subsequent meeting with the Director of the Health Commission of Hainan Province, Mr Li Wenxiu, the two sides had a detailed exchange on issues including the development of Chinese medicine (CM), the high-quality development of public hospitals, and information sharing on the prevention and control of diseases.

Professor Lo said, "The HKSAR Government has long been actively promoting the development of CM, including the release of the first Chinese Medicine Development Blueprint last year, and the commissioning of the two flagship projects for CM development, namely The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong and the permanent premises of the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute. These measures will further consolidate Hong Kong's role as a bridgehead for the global expansion of CM, to better serve and contribute to the overall national development of CM."

Regarding the high-quality development of public hospitals, Professor Lo emphasised that the HKSAR Government will continue to actively promote the accreditation of more public hospitals under the China's International Hospital Accreditation Standards (2021 Version), with a view to ensuring the management and healthcare quality of local hospitals are on par with international standards while demonstrating the excellence of the national healthcare standards to the international community, thereby facilitating the national standards to go global.

In the afternoon, the delegation visited the Boao Hope City Ever Lasting International Innovation Medicine Exhibition, Ruijin Hainan Hospital (Boao Research Hospital), affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine,and the Boao Yiling Life Care Centerlocated in the Pilot Zone, and met with the Chief Director of the Administration of the Pilot Zone, Mr Fu Sheng. Professor Lo said, "Serving as an important strategic node of the country's healthcare reform, the Pilot Zone is the only special medical zone on the Mainland benefitting from preferential policies. Focusing on introducing innovative drugs and medical devices from around the world and developing medical tourism, the Pilot Zone is a pioneer of the country's efforts to promote real-world data studies and a testing ground for major national projects of innovation in new drugs and healthcare technologies. Hainan Province's accumulated experience in areas such as the approval of drugs and medical devices for clinical use and the development of cross-boundary healthcare serves as a valuable reference for Hong Kong.

"Hong Kong and Hainan Province enjoy a close co-operative relationship. On the basis of complementarity and mutual benefits, we will further promote exchanges and mutual learning of experiences between the two places in the healthcare field, and jointly promote the development of 'Healthy China'."

Members of the delegation include the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam; the Senior Advisor (Secretary for Health's Office), Dr Joe Fan; the Director of the Real-World Study and Application Centre, Professor Cheung Ching-lung; as well as officers of the Health Bureau, the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority. They will visit a local pharmaceutical enterprise tomorrow before returning to Hong Kong in the afternoon.

Secretary for Health leads delegation to commence visit to Hainan Province Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health leads delegation to commence visit to Hainan Province Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health leads delegation to commence visit to Hainan Province Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health leads delegation to commence visit to Hainan Province Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health leads delegation to commence visit to Hainan Province Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health leads delegation to commence visit to Hainan Province Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health leads delegation to commence visit to Hainan Province Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health leads delegation to commence visit to Hainan Province Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health leads delegation to commence visit to Hainan Province Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases