Hong Kong Arts Development Council presents Arts in the City
small valley TAI HANG made its debut
Immerse and embark on an artistic journey to Tai Hang
10 November 2023 to 10 December 2023
Free Admission
Please click here to download press release and high-res images
(HONG KONG, 10 November 2023) Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC) proudly presents a brand new project -- Arts in the City from November 2023 to April 2024. With the first two art walks debut in Tai Hang and Yuen Long respectively, Arts in the City will bring the general public and visitors of Hong Kong to explore the nooks and crannies, discovering the history and culture of the communities from a new perspective and, at the same time, appreciating creation of local artists on sites.
To commemorate this important occasion, an opening ceremony was held today with Dr Frankie Yeung Wai-shing, Vice Chairman of Hong Kong Arts Development Council and Mrs Vicki Kwok Wong Wing-ki, Deputy Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism as officiating guests. Today also marked the unveiling of the first Art Walk – small valley TAI HANG.
Presiding at the ceremony, Dr Frankie Yeung Wai-shing, Vice Chairman of HKADC, said “Arts in the City is a project blending the uniqueness of community, culture, history, arts and tourism. With Tai Hang and Yuen Long as the start, the project manifests the added value of arts in enriching local tourism and bringing arts into the community. We hope to explore more and more Art Walks in different districts, using arts to connect communities and eventually devising a ‘Hong Kong Art Walk Map’, with an aim to bring novel arts and cultural touring experiences to the people and visitors of Hong Kong.”
Curated by Making on Loft, small valley TAI HANG, the first art walk of Arts in the City, will be launched in Tai Hang from 10 November to 10 December while the second one -- On the Plain of Plenty in Yuen Long in March 2024.
small valley TAI HANG utilises Tai Hang's historical tapestry as muse, community space as vibrant canvases and the bonds of community as inspiration for artists, architects and the local community to join hands, offering unique experiences for the general public and visitors to exploring traces of arts in Tai Hang. Participating artists and arts groups include Louis To Wun (bamboo sculpting), Max Cheng (craftsmanship), Hira Hira (paper crafting), Zoe Siu (weaving) and Tim Chan Ting-cheung (sound/installation).
In addition to art installations, small valley TAI HANG has designed three art walks to guide participants to embark on an art and cultural journey from new perspectives of art, architecture and history. Collaborating with various local stores, these routes guide visitors to walk through iconic landmarks such as Lin Fa Kung Temple, Stele of Namo Amitabha Buddha, Hong Kong Red Swastika Society Building, No.3 School Street and THE SHOPHOUSE. A series of workshops and guided tours will be available for public participation. These routes guide visitors to explore Tai Hang from artistic, architectural and historical perspectives, offering an immersive experience through guided tours and workshops.
To meet the needs of the locals and visitors, a one-stop travel guide website www.artsinthecity.hk is launched. Just make a few simple clicks on mobile phone, visitors can delve into an immersive art journey at anytime they like to explore the historical stories of Tai Hang, and at the same time, appreciate the fascinating artworks in sites.
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A series of workshops, performances and guided tours will be available for public registration now:
- Honouring the Past and Inspiring the Future Louis To Wun x Tim Chan Parade & Music Performance
- Tai Hang Tiger Paper Craft Workshop
- Tai Hang Phoeni 🞨 Paper Craft Workshop
- Handmade Incense Workshop
- small valley TAI HANG 🞨 Charles Lai Aesthetics in Architecture Guided Tour
- small valley TAI HANG 🞨 Chung Chi Ho Community Cultural Tour
- small valley TAI HANG Art and Cultural Guided Tour
Free admission. Seats are available on first-come, first-served basis.
Registration link for workshops: https://bit.ly/3MwDn4k
Registration link for guided tours: https://bit.ly/3FCQflv
In addition, specially-designed souvenirs are available for free redemption. Get a Tai Hang Stamp Zine at the information booth and collect all eight “Tai Hang Stamps” at designated locations, visitors can then redeem a limited edition souvenir at the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Cultural Centre. More information is available at www.artsinthecity.hk.
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Redemption point
Date: 11 November - 10 December 2023 (only on Saturdays and Sundays)
Time: 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
Location: Tai Hang Fire Dragon Cultural Centre
Overview of Artworks
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“Flowing Years & Weaving Future” Display Location:
Weaving artist Zoe Siu uses “Huanhua” as a metaphorical representation of the Hakka people who initially chose to settle in the Wun Sha Creek ravine. She has created three-dimensional weavings that resemble the ripples and movements of the creek’s water. Despite the passage of countless years, the essence of Tai Hang remains unchanged with the constant and serene flow of water. A series of works will be scattered in different corners of Tai Hang. Zoe also leads students from Hong Kong True Light Middle School to learn Hakka’ band weaving culture, and together they create new patterns of blessing for display at the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Cultural Centre, envisioning the future of the Tai Hang community. |
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“Stay In A Moment With Incense” Display Location:
Artist Max Cheng visited five small shops in Tai Hang and communicated with the shop owners to understand their preferences. Together, they mixed and created their own handmade incense flavours, allowing them with an immersive experience in the art of incense making. Max invited carpenter Lam Chi to design and produce unique incense trays for each shop and created incense based on the formulas chosen by the shop owners. During business hours, the shop owners will light the incense, allowing customers and passersby to experience the artwork through their sense of smell, connecting them to the memory of the Fire Dragon dance. |
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“Honouring the Past and Inspiring the Future” Display Location:
Inspired by the auspicious beasts closely associated with the Lin Fa Temple, contemporary artist Louis To Wun has created a new hybrid mythical creature. He skilfully combined traditional bamboo weaving techniques with contemporary painting styles, creating an agile dynamic structure. Through vibrant performances, he infuses his artwork with life, shedding lights on the cultural traditions inherited from the previous generations and spreading the blessing to Tai Hang. |
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“Little Happiness in Tai Hang” Display Location:
The Hira Hira creative team, who is passionate about seeking, creating and sharing beautiful things, has entered the Tai Hang community and made paper craft for the shops. The artworks will be displayed in the shops with AR interactive activity to enhance the journey experience. |
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Overview of Events
(1) Arts in the City: small valley TAI HANG Guided Tours
small valley TAI HANG 🞨 Charles Lai
Aesthetics in Architecture Guided Tour (Pre-registration required)
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Architectural styles, evolving with the passage of time, reflect the social, ethnic, cultural and lifestyle aspects of a specific era, serve as tangible records of history. Architectural researcher Charles Lai will guide participants on a journey through Tai Hang, exploring various historical buildings from the perspectives of architectural aesthetics and conservation.
Date: 18 November 2023
Time: 11:00 am to 6:00 pm and 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Venue: Tai Hang
Quota: 36
Fee: Free admission (Deposit $100 will be collected)
small valley TAI HANG 🞨 Chung Chi-ho
Community Cultural Tour (Pre-registration required)
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Chung Chi-ho, founder of Made To Measure, is skilled at understanding the local life and culture through research and documentation of architectural details. In this guided tour, participants will be led by Chung Chi-ho to practice “Street Observation Studies” where they will search for easily overlooked details and objects in the community, thereby gaining a deeper understanding of Tai Hang.
Date: 25 November 2023
Time: 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Venue: Tai Hang
Quota: 18
Fee: Free admission (Deposit $100 will be collected)
small valley TAI HANG
Art and Cultural Guided Tour (Pre-registration required)
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small valley TAI HANG has invited a total of five artists and art groups (Tim Chan, Max Cheng, Hira Hira, Zoe Siu and Louis To Wun) to create over 20 artworks for the community. They adopted traditional craftsmanship into their contemporary art creations, which are scattered over the corners of the community. In addition to appreciating the artworks, the guided tours will introduce the artistic and creative attractions in the Tai Hang community.
Date: 12 November and 3 December 2023 (Cantonese), 9 December 2023 (English)
Time: 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Venue: Tai Hang
Quota: 45
Fee: Free admission (Deposit $100 will be collected)
(2) Arts in the City: small valley TAI HANG Workshops and Performances
Louis To Wun 🞨 Tim Chan
Honouring the Past and Inspiring the Future Parade & Music Performance
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Inspired by the auspicious beasts closely associated with the Lin Fa Temple, contemporary artist Louis To Wun has created a new hybrid mythical creature. He skilfully combined traditional bamboo weaving techniques with contemporary painting styles, creating an agile dynamic structure. Through vibrant performances, he infuses his artwork with life, shedding lights on the cultural traditions inherited from the previous generations and spreading the blessing to Tai Hang.
Louis, together with composer and percussionist Tim Chan, will present two parades with the hybrid mythical creature. An interactive session is designed for the audiences to participate in the performance.
Date: 10 November and 10 December 2023
Time: 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Venue: Lin Fa Kung Garden
Quota: 45
No registration required. Feel free to jump in!
Tai Hang Tiger Paper Craft Workshop (Pre-registration required)
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The Haw Par Mansion is a famous Grade I historic building in Tai Hang, with tiger sculptures as its signature. Hira Hira will work with participants to create paper craft sculpture, injecting new life into “abandoned paper” and transforming them into unique Tai Hang Tigers.
Date: 19 November 2023
Time: 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Venue: Moon of Silence, G/F, 36 Sun Chun Street, Tai Hang
Quota: 10
Fee: Free admission (Deposit $100 will be collected.)
Tai Hang Phoenix Paper Craft Workshop (Pre-registration required)
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The yellow-crested cockatoo is a critically endangered species, currently with a global population of around 2,000. Approximately 200 of them can be found on Hong Kong Island and are easily spotted in Tai Hang. Hira Hira will work with participants to create paper craft sculpture, allowing them to learn more about the “Phoenix” of Tai Hang.
Date: 2 December 2023
Time: 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Venue: Moon of Silence, G/F, 36 Sun Chun Street, Tai Hang
Quota: 10
Fee: Free admission (Deposit $100 will be collected.)
a string of incense, a wisp of smoke
Handmade Incense Workshop (Pre-registration required)
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Incense plays a vital role in Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance. Burning incense can purify the space, stabilise the mind and calm the nerves, which has been gaining popularity as a form of therapy. In the workshop, artist Max Cheng will provide insights into various aspects of handmade incense, including its history, cultural significance, production process, tools, materials, molds and more. Participants will learn from the traditional method of making incense and incorporate different types of woody or herbal plants to create their own incense.
Date: 26 November 2023
Time: 11:00 am to 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Venue: Tai Hang Fire Dragon Heritage Centre, 12 School Street, Tai Hang
Quota: 20
Fee: Free admission (Deposit $100 will be collected.)
Information of “Arts in the City” is available on the official website: http://www.artsinthecity.hk.
For “Arts in the City” updates and news, please follow:
Facebook： http://www.facebook.com/artsinthecityhk
Instagram： http://www.instagram.com/artsinthecityhk
About “Arts in the City”
“Arts in the City” is a project incorporating the uniqueness of arts, culture and tourism to provide a novel arts and cultural experience for both locals and travellers. The new initiative empowers us to reimagine and explore Hong Kong from different perspectives. After months of research and on-site visits, the curatorial teams and artists have designed two “Art Walks” in Tai Hang and Yuen Long, guiding participants to explore the hidden artistic gems in every corner of the district and discover the vibrant artistic colours of the city.
Another highlight of “Arts in the City” is its one-stop Arts x Tourism website which allows the general public and visitors to choose their favourite “Art Walk” via mobile phone and embark on their own journey at any time to explore the history of the community and appreciate the work and performances of the artists.
About Hong Kong Arts Development Council
Established in 1995, the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC) is a statutory body set up by the Government to support the broad development of the arts in Hong Kong. Its major roles include grant allocation, policy and planning, advocacy, promotion and development, and special projects. The mission of HKADC is to support and promote the development of 10 major art forms in literary arts, performing arts, visual arts as well as film and media arts in Hong Kong. Aiming to foster a thriving arts environment and enhance the quality of life of the public, HKADC is also committed to facilitating community-wide participation in arts and arts education, encouraging arts criticism, raising the standard of arts administration and contributing to policy research.