March is the month when the arts come into focus in Hong Kong. What had traditionally been a shoulder season in the tourist calendar after the Lunar New Year holidays has become the most “colorful” time of the year, buzzling with arts fairs, exhibitions, public arts installations and other attractions that draw visitors from around the world.

Building on the special administrative region’s shining arts trading records in the past few years, the signature Art Basel Hong Kong 2024 will feature 243 galleries from 40 countries and territories, with a 37 percent increase in the number of exhibitors compared with 2023, marking a welcome return to the show’s pre-pandemic scale.

At Art Central, art lovers can enjoy an extensive roster of artworks from Asia’s most innovative galleries and those of Hong Kong artists. Adding to the abundance of art this month, the two museums in the West Kowloon Cultural District have opened two new special exhibitions — The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Noir & Blac — A Story of Photography, at M+; and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Yuan Ming Yuan — Art and Culture of an Imperial Garden-Palace, at the Hong Kong Palace Museum.

Apart from indoor events, Hong Kong is taking art to the streets on a much larger scale this year, with the HKwalls Festival 2024 featuring works from some of the world’s best street artists in the Central and Western districts; as well as the installation of luminous ovoids by Japan’s amazing TeamLab studio at Tamar Park, and the immersive Ephemeral by Australia’s Atelier Sisu studio in the WCKC’s Art Park. They will set both the Hong Kong harborfront and Instagram alight. Furthermore, Art Week is not just for art experts and practitioners. WestK FunFest — an art-driven family and children-oriented festival — will present more than 150 programs at various venues in the WKCD until April 7 for the public’s enjoyment.

An important highlight of this year’s Hong Kong Art Week is the inaugural Hong Kong International Cultural Summit, organized by the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority. The three-day event, which runs through March 26, has gathered esteemed leaders from more than 30 top museums and cultural institutions of 15 countries. The summit enables our speakers to share invaluable insights with over 1,000 participants, with many others participating online, establishing Hong Kong as a key player in the international cultural arena. The signing of memorandums of understanding between the WKCDA and 21 leading cultural institutions from around the world marks not only an important milestone for the WKCD in showcasing its strengths and potential, but also the start of collaborative endeavors that promise to reverberate across the cultural realms on the global stage.

Since the opening of M+, the Hong Kong Palace Museum and the Xiqu Centre, various players in the arts sector, public and private, local and overseas, are seeking collaboration opportunities with the WKCDA, which in turn will enrich Hong Kong’s cultural offerings. The WKCDA has been working closely with Art Basel Hong Kong, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the French May Arts Festival to present an integrated and well-coordinated experience for local and international art lovers by presenting uniquely curated exhibitions and programs that appeal to people of all ages and tastes. Many of the summit’s participants are staying on to take part in Art Basel and other events. With the firsthand experience gained during their stay in Hong Kong, we’re confident that our guests will share positive stories of Hong Kong as a vibrant, culture-rich city that’s well-positioned to be the center for East-meets-West international cultural exchange.

These are the synergies that Hong Kong can unleash when all stakeholders work together in a concerted manner, showcasing quality exhibitions and events, coupled with arts trading, cultural exchange and networking opportunities. Visitors coming to Hong Kong this month, including artists, museum directors, collectors, media representatives, critics and tourists, can see for themselves the East-meets-West cultural flavor of Hong Kong, and the world is sure to hear from us that we’re alive and kicking.

I truly believe that arts and culture can shape the essence of a city and exemplify its soft power. The benefits it can bring to Hong Kong and its global reputation are enormous. It’s time to build on the great things happening this month and make Art March an annual feature on our events calendar, enabling movers and shakers in the arts and cultural world to mark their diaries early enough.

The author is the CEO of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.