“This is truly an interest thing!” As a convener of Hong Kong and Taiwan Cultural Co-operation Committee, a leading promoter of Hong Kong Week, Mao Junhui, for the success of the event, has outpoured all his enthusiasm without any reservation. Even now, his recollection of the details still fresh in his memory. “The performance of Hong Kong in Taipei was indeed very popular! Even at the time when Hong Kong Week was about to close, Hong Kong dancers and Taiwan artists still staged co-operatively a dance marathon. They took their turns dancing, walking and communicating with audiences. The dance marathon lasted more than six hours! ”

He thought farther-----to Hong Kong, this is just an attempt of a new mode. “The Hong Kong Week” held not long ago is only a beginning. The mode yet to be improved, composed of performances in various art forms, has conveyed a full range of artistic image of Hong Kong. With this image, Hong Kong could equally conduct cultural exchange and art dialogue with other regions. Like dance marathon staged in Hong Kong Week, people can dance hand in hand closely and freely.

On the surface, exchanges between Hong Kong and Taiwan are coming and going. Both people are familiar with each other. Actually, the people between Hong Kong and Taiwan do not understand each other deeply. The word “food” comes to their minds first when Hong Kong people talking about Taiwan while the word “shopping” comes to their minds when Taiwanese talking about Hong Kong. If you ask about their impression of culture of both regions, the answer would be nothing but film and pop music. There will be not much knowledge of other areas. Comparatively speaking, people in Hong Kong seem to know more about Taiwan. This is because Taiwan Month has been annually held in Hong Kong since 2006 and with its richer content, people in Hong Kong have got familiar with Lin Huaimin and Lai Shengchuan,” Mao Junhui said. On the contrary, Hong Kong’s art performance was rarely staged in Taiwan. Before the “Hong Kong Week”, the latest performance of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra in Taiwan was about 20 years ago. May be some artists and groups from Hong Kong have visited Taiwan every now and then, but they were not strong enough to be known to all in Taiwan like “a stone drop into the sea”.

However, Mao Junhui believes that the culture in Hong Kong is rich enough to be brought to the world. It was about two years after the contact of two “Cultural Committees” of Hong Kong and Taiwan, Mao Junhui got an idea to hold “Hong Kong Week” in Taiwan in order to introduce today’s art of Hong Kong. Soon, the idea was put into practice. With the support of Hong Kong LCSD, people from Hong Kong and Taiwan had actively discussed all kinds of practical matters including program and venue, and finally agreed to hold Hong Kong Week 2012 -- Culture Creative@ Taipei.

The program of Hong Kong Week covers plays, concerts of Chinese Music, Pop Music, Contemporary dance and Cartoon exhibition, etc. Besides, a series of cultural and art exchange meetings and conferences interspersed. Hong Kong art was fully presented from all aspects for the first time. “Of course, there is still a lot more to do for future improvement. For example, the visual art was not included this time”. Mao Junhui said, “Performing arts attract audiences. To let Taiwan people quickly recognize Hong Kong art easily is just our first step. Our plan is to make a long-lasting platform where all Hong Kong art forms will be staged.”

Hong Kong Week was successful. The performances were: I Have a Date with Autumn presented by Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, the drama Wanli 15 Years by Zuni·Icosahedron, Jewel From Hong Kong performed by the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, Let’s Swing, Taipei jointly played by two top big bands, Hong Kong Saturday Night Jazz Orchestra and Taipei Groovvin’ Jazz Orchestra, and dance marathon Two Cities and Two People·Dancing Exchanges Between Hong Kong and Taipei presented by 18 Hong Kong dancers together with Taiwan artists. All of which received warmly in Taipei has made audiences know more about the distinctive Hong Kong art. Mao Junhui said, “We will make Hong Kong Week a constant art festival and to be held in more cities.”

The performances help to adjust Hong Kong’s cultural polices. Since then, Hong Kong art groups have got recurrent funding for outside performances from Hong Kong Home Affairs Office. It is even better today that each year the 9 leading art groups in Hong Kong could get grants for the performing arts. Mao Junhui said emotionally: “Thanks to these funding that Hong Kong Week can get different art groups involved and that makes it possible and sucessful.”

(photo by West Kowloon Cultural District Authority)