"Fun in ICH" Series – 2020

 

 

The Transmission of Craftsmanship - Sharing cum Demonstration on Sewing Technique of Hong Kong-style Cheongsam

The Hong Kong-style cheongsam is a popular outfit for celebratory occasions in local Chinese communities. During the ancestral worship of clans and wedding events held in the New Territories, the male's cheongsam is used to symbolise the seniority among the male members of the same clan. The sewing techniques of Hong Kong-style cheongsam required particular skills and experience and do not allow for any shortcuts. In this event, Master Fung will share his experience in making the cheongsam, enabling participants to gain a better understanding of the steps and sewing techniques required.

 

Meet the Puppets - Puppetry Appreciation

Usually performed at festivals, temple fairs, temple inauguration ceremonies and ritual performances, puppet shows became popular in Hong Kong during the early years of the Republican period. Experience and improvising skill are considered important to puppet shows, cooperation among team members is also essential in bringing the whole puppet performance to life. In this event, Master Wong, a veteran puppeteer with versatile skills in performing various types of traditional Chinese puppet and shadow puppet performances, will introduce the art of puppetry and demonstrate string puppets, allowing participants to appreciate the uniqueness of this performing art.

 

 

Lecture cum Demonstration of Quanzhen Temples Taoist Ritual Music

Taoist beliefs and rituals in Hong Kong can be divided into the two main schools: the Orthodoc Unity tradition (Zhengyi) and the Complete Perfection tradition (Quanzhen). The Quanzhen Temples Taoist Ritual Music of Hong Kong comprises four main chanting styles: "reciting", "intoning", "chanting" and "singing". In this lecture, Master Leung Tak-wah will introduce the origin and characteristics of the Quanzhen Temples Taoist Ritual Music. Participants can enjoy the Taoist ritual music demonstrated by scripture chanters and gain a better understanding of Taoist rituals and Quanzhen Temples Taoist Ritual Music.

 

 

Lecture on "Return to Voices and Sounds: the Ways to Appreciate Guangdong Nanyin"

Co-organised by Hong Kong Public Libraries

 

Nanyin is a type of narrative song art that has been popular in Cantonese-speaking regions since the Mid-Qing dynasty. Its lyrics structure is relatively fixed, and can also be applied to other Guangdong folk art forms by making some modifications. When appreciating nanyin, one should listen carefully to the vocal styles and the instrumental accompaniments so as to experience the authentic charm. This lecture attempts to guide audiences towards appreciating all the different singing styles used by the nanyin singers while getting rid of visual constraints, regaining a sense of hearing, identifying ancient and modern elements and slowing things down to enjoy life.

 

 

Lecture on "Explore Intangible Cultural Heritage from Old Photographs" (Live Streaming)

Co-organised by Hong Kong Public Libraries

 

Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is people-oriented. Although Hong Kong is a very small place, it is home to a variety of ICH items which feature their own characteristics and are closely related to the daily lives of local people, such as dialects, performing arts, traditional festivals, knowledge about nature and the universe, food production and craftsmanship, etc. This lecture will explore ICH items based on viewing old photographs of Hong Kong, in order to enhance participants' awareness and understanding of ICH items and the history of Hong Kong.

Photo courtesy of Mr. Cheng Po-hung

 

 

 

Lecture on the Culture of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Herbs for Herbal Tea (Live Streaming)

Herbal tea ("leung cha" or "cooling tea"), which is popular in the South China region, is a decoction of Chinese medicinal herbs with various health benefits. It embodies the Chinese medicine concept of "zhi wei bing" (disease prevention). This lecture will cover the types of Chinese herbs used in herbal tea and their functions in relation to health maintenance in Chinese medicine.