Hong Kong culture chief praises Heung Yee Kuk's Cantonese opera gala for centenary
Hong Kong's culture chief hailed the Heung Yee Kuk's centenary Cantonese opera gala as a key event to preserve intangible heritage, noting the art form's UNESCO listing. He pledged government support for traditional culture under the First Five-Year Plan.
Hong Kong's Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism attended the opening ceremony of the Heung Yee Kuk's 100th anniversary Cantonese opera gala on 30 October 2026, praising the event as a meaningful celebration of the city's intangible cultural heritage.
Cantonese opera was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009, becoming the first world-class intangible heritage item from Hong Kong, the secretary noted. The Heung Yee Kuk, the statutory body representing indigenous villagers in the New Territories, chose this traditional Chinese performing art to tell stories of rural life and mark its centenary.
The secretary highlighted that the New Territories region is rich in traditional Chinese culture and customs, many of which are already listed on Hong Kong's own intangible heritage inventory. The opera being staged, titled Love is the Hometown Flavour, uses a Taoist ritual known as Tai Ping Ching Kiu as its backdrop, incorporating many of these heritage elements, he said.
With the launch of Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan, the city's development has entered a new phase of long-term planning and target implementation, the secretary added. His bureau aims to build Hong Kong into a hub for cultural exchange between China and the world, promoting excellent traditional Chinese culture and preserving intangible heritage. He described the Heung Yee Kuk as a key partner in these efforts and expressed hope that the body would continue to inject dynamism and creativity into heritage protection and transmission in its next century.
The Heung Yee Kuk chairman, the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, a deputy director from the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Hong Kong, and other officials also attended the event.