HK Pop Culture Festival opens

The Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival 2023 opened at the Cultural Centre’s Grand Theatre today.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Kevin Yeung said he expects the promotion of the city's pop culture to enhance its recognition by the public, and will help tell tourists and people from overseas the good stories of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong’s pop music, films and TV dramas have developed rapidly since the 1970s, and were well-received in Asia and even Europe and the US in the 1980s and 1990s, Mr Yeung told the audience, noting that the city's pop culture not only drove the economy, but also reflected the lives and stories of Hong Kong people at different times.

In view of this, the first Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival will take people to revisit the masterpieces of Hong Kong pop culture’s golden era in the 1980s and 1990s, which witnessed the city’s development and its spirit. It will also rejuvenate the all-time classics with new elements to demonstrate the continuation of cultural flow, perpetual preservation, breakthroughs and development, he added.

Mr Yeung also pointed out that as the National 14th Five-Year Plan positioned Hong Kong as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, the Government will promote the development of the city’s culture through diversified policies.

After this evening’s ceremony, the opening programme When Leslie & Anita Meet Hei & Gin began with singer Gin Lee performing four theme songs from films of Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui, selected and re-arranged by music producer Chiu Tsang-hei. It was followed by a screening of Who’s the Woman, Who’s the Man co-starring the two actors.

The festival has curated some 20 programmes and is expected to attract an audience of over 200,000, the Leisure & Cultural Services Department noted.