"Intangible Cultural Heritage of Hong Kong" Exhibition

 

Date: 5-10 November 2021
Time: 8 am to 6 pm
Venue: National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai)

 

Presented by: Leisure and Cultural Services Department
In collaboration with: Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Shanghai
Organised by: Intangible Cultural Heritage Office

 

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department established an exhibition pavilion at the 4th China International Import Expo (CIIE) to introduce the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Hong Kong. The success of this exhibition was due to the efforts of Mr Stanley SIU, the guest curator and his curatorial team, the dedicated support of the Office of the Government of the HKSAR in Beijing, as well as the assistance of the ICH bearers and bearer organisations. 

 

Exhibition theme: Bamboo theatre in Hong Kong
A number of Hong Kong's ICH items relate to the activities which take place at traditional festivals. One iconic venue for the celebration of traditional festivals is the bamboo theatre. Various rituals and ceremonies which take place during festivals, such as the Jiao Festival and on the birthdays of deities, are held in bamboo theatres.

 

Pavilion design: "Dragon boat ridge" bamboo theatre
The ICH Office invited Mr Stanley SIU, as the guest curator, to incorporate artistic and design elements into the pavilion and exhibition. The pavilion was built with faux bamboo metal, tracing the outline of a bamboo theatre named the "dragon boat ridge", which is a type of bamboo theatre commonly seen in Hong Kong. The pavilion offered visitors an immersive experience of the worlds of virtuality and reality, in which they could feel like they were actually in a bamboo theatre.

 

The pavilion imitated the structure of a "dragon boat ridge" bamboo theatre

Model of "dragon boat ridge" bamboo theatre

 

The side elevation of the pavilion showcased the unique pyramid-like shape of a "dragon boat ridge" bamboo theatre

Pyramid-like roof of the model of "dragon boat ridge" bamboo theatre

 

 

Day view of the pavilion

Night view of the pavilion

 

Exhibition content: Taking bamboo theatre as the main axis to showcase the ICH of Hong Kong
The exhibition content matched the design of the pavilion and revolved around bamboo theatres, while also introducing the bamboo theatre-building technique and the various activities at festivals, as well as performing arts and the traditional craftsmanship related to bamboo theatres. These included the Cantonese opera Shengongxi (thanksgiving opera performance), the unicorn dance and the paper-crafting technique for making lion heads, to put visitors at the heart of the theatre and encourage them to experience the rich and diverse treasures of the ICH of Hong Kong.