On the evening of September 27th, a special event titled "Under the Mid-Autumn Moonlight" kicked off at the Jao Tsung-I Academy in Hong Kong. Fifteen consuls in Hong Kong from different countries, along with nearly a hundred foreign business and financial professionals and local citizens, celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival together and experienced the unique charm of Chinese traditional customs.
The event featured a themed cultural bazaar that combined traditional Chinese clothing fashion shows, folk music performances, intangible cultural heritage demonstrations, and culinary experiences. It provided an immersive experience to appreciate the traditional cultural values of "family reunion, full moon, and national unity." The opening ceremony showcased a joint effort between Hong Kong and Chengdu called "Chengdu Hanfu Week", which featured performances by actors portraying historical figures such as "Madame Huarui", "Sima Xiangru" and "Fan Li". They interacted with the audience and foreign guests. Subsequently, they also held a Hanfu flash mob at the Hong Kong West Kowloon Station and Victoria Park. The event concluded with a grand performance of Chaozhou Luogu (or gongs and drums), which is one of China's intangible cultural heritages. The powerful and uplifting drum beats received continuous applause from the audience.
In addition to the captivating audiovisual performances, a craftsmanship workshop on intangible cultural heritage was set up in the folk customs pavilion. Amidst the melodious sounds of Lingnan Guqin music, participants had the opportunity to experience the production of wooden palace lanterns, dian cha (or tea art creating) techniques, and taste Chinese delicacies such as mooncakes. Under the guidance of inheritors of intangible cultural heritage, many consuls enthusiastically participated in activities such as calligraphy writing, embroidery learning, and palace lantern making. Morvarid Najafi, an entrepreneur from Iran, who held his self-made palace lantern expressed that it was interesting to participate in such a festive celebration in Hong Kong and gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and traditions.
The exhibition on intangible cultural heritage also intentionally included a dialogue on Cantonese embroidery and Sichuan embroidery. The embroidery techniques presented unique beauty and charm resulting from their inheritance in two different regions, leaving foreign guests captivated.
Organized by the Bauhinia Cultures Holdings, the current cultural event "Under the Mid-Autumn Moonlight" was designed as a global cultural emblem through Hong Kong, an important cultural platform between cultures of East and West. The organizers aimed to showcase the elegance of Chinese traditional culture to the world while connecting people from different regions to appreciate regional integration and enjoy the beauty of cultural exchange.
月圆中秋:15国驻港领事赏中华“非遗”
描彩绘、做宫灯,广绣和蜀绣的同场“对话”,悠扬的古筝与雄浑的大锣鼓各展民乐之美……9月27日晚,“2023月圆中秋——中秋文化香港专场活动”在香港饶宗颐文化馆举办。15个国家驻港领事及近百名外国工商金融界人士和市民游客一起欢度中秋,感受中国传统民俗的独特魅力。
当晚的活动现场,打造了集国风汉服秀、民乐表演、非遗制作、美食体验于一体的“中秋文化集市”,让人沉浸式地感受“人圆、月圆、家圆、国圆”的中秋传统文化价值内涵。在古筝、琵琶、箫合奏的悠扬乐曲声中,香港与成都联手打造的“衣起锦官城”成都汉服周正式开启,由演员扮演的“花蕊夫人”、“司马相如”和“范蠡”等历史文化名人,与现场观众、外国友人互动交流,接下来他们还将赴西九龙高铁站、维多利亚公园开展汉服秀快闪。而与浪漫开场相呼应的,是活动尾声压轴表演的国家非遗音乐潮州大锣鼓,作为潮州音乐的演奏形式之一,潮州大锣鼓气势磅礴、激扬振奋的鼓点引得全场掌声连连。
除了精彩的视听表演盛宴之外,在民俗展示馆还设置了非遗手作体验工作坊。在清幽的岭南古琴曲声里,体验红木宫灯制作、点茶非遗技艺,品尝月饼等中华美食等。在非遗技艺传承人的指导下,多位驻港领事兴致勃勃地参与其中,书写汉字、学习刺绣、亲手制作喜气洋洋的红木宫灯。一位来自伊朗的企业家Morvarid Najafi拿着自己制作的宫灯,称在香港参与这样庆祝中秋的方式很有趣,能够了解到更多有关中国文化和传统的内涵。
本次非遗展示还特意加入了“广绣和蜀绣”的对话环节,刺绣技艺在两种不同地域的传承中,呈现出独特的美感和韵味,令外国友人流连忘返。
本次“月圆中秋”文化活动,由紫荆文化集团主办。主办方表示,通过香港这个中西方文化交汇中心的重要平台,将致力于将“月圆中秋”打造成为全球性的文化名片,向世界展示中国传统文化之风采,并联通各地人文,一同感悟区域交融之情,共赏文化互通之美。
文|记者 王漫琪
图|主办方提供
译|陈萱
责编 | 王楠
校对 | 张家梁