Costumes themed on Tang Dynasty culture are displayed in the traditional Chinese culture exhibition at Victoria Park on June 30, 2023. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)

An exhibition of traditional Chinese culture caught the spotlight in a series of celebration events held at Victoria Park on Friday to mark the 26th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.   

The handicrafts and costumes themed on Tang Dynasty culture attracted crowds of visitors, with many of them taking photos with staff members in traditional clothing. 

At the Liaoning exhibition area, Li Fengyan, the fifth-generation inheritor of Li’s sugar paintings, invited visitors to experience painting with syrup, attracting a long line of visitors itching to give it a try in front of her booth.

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In addition, the organizers, the Hong Kong Celebrations Association, will stage a parade of fishing boats, buses and trams to celebrate the 26th anniversary of the city’s return to the motherland.

From Friday to Sunday, performers from Xi’an will present a total of seven shows rich in Tang Dynasty culture, including dances and acrobatics, to Hong Kong residents

Visitors can enjoy the charm of traditional cultural products from Xi’an, Shaanxi province, Liaoning province and Shandong province at their respective pavilions, such as Shaanxi’s art products based on the Terracotta Army, Liaoning’s marine culture, and Shandong’s paper cuttings and wood engraving pictures.

The Shaanxi pavilion is divided into four main areas inspired by the city layout of ancient Xi’an, showcasing traditional costumes as well as cultural and creative products, and enabling visitors to try on Tang Dynasty clothing and to make handicrafts such as kites and round silk fans.

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“It is a way to conserve and revitalize traditional culture,” an organizer from Shaanxi surnamed Li said. She added that in March, Hong Kong and Shaanxi cooperated to hold a film exhibition, and she did not expect that just a few months later, there would be another collaboration with the city to promote Shaanxi's culture. 

From Friday to Sunday, performers from Xi’an will present a total of seven shows rich in Tang Dynasty culture, including dances and acrobatics, to Hong Kong residents.

Jiang Zhaoying, a director of the Federation of Hong Kong Sichuan Community Organizations who is originally from Chongqing and currently living in Hong Kong, led more than 100 members to participate in the event. 

“With the anniversary of Hong Kong’s return coming, we led the members to participate in the event to experience Chinese culture and to allow mainland people who have lived in Hong Kong for a long time to revisit their cultural roots. We all hope that Hong Kong will become even more prosperous,” she said.

People queue up for tickets of a dome cinema, which is based on cutting-edge technology, during an exhibition at Victoria Park at Causeway Bay in Hong Kong, June 30, 2023. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)

The Shaanxi exhibition area also introduces a dome cinema based on cutting-edge technology, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the history, culture, natural scenery and modern development of Xi’an through 360-degree panoramic projection.

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Embracing the innovation of traditional Chinese culture, Xi’an has been making efforts to blend the Tang Dynasty culture into the city’s characteristic and promote it to Hong Kong and the rest of the world.

A team of 20 professional performers from the northwestern city will stage five shows during the three-day event. The performers are from the Song and Dance Troupe of Xi’an and the Xi’an Acrobatic Troupe.

The organizer said she hoped that the exhibits would enable visitors to appreciate the spirit and grandeur of Xi’an’s traditional culture.

Contact the writer at irisli@chinadailyhk.com