Hong Kong will come alive this summer as Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) launches the ‘Arts in Hong Kong’, a year-long campaign to showcase the city’s extraordinary and enduring appeal as an arts and cultural hub on a global stage.
The Arts in Hong Kong campaign will support international events, in-depth community arts, cultural tours, interactive art tech experiences, art fairs, new openings and much more in celebration of the city’s incredible art scene. The program launched in May, anchored by perennial stalwarts Art Basel and Christie’s Hong Kong Spring Auctions, plus a supporting cast of innovative new events and venues such as Palace Museum, which will open July 2, 2022, as well as M+, French May and Art Central.
HKTB Executive Director Dane Cheng comments, “In-depth travel experiences have become a major global trend, and arts and culture are a key driver of this trend. The Hong Kong Tourism Board has organized an ‘Art Month’ promotion for the past nine years when international events were held in town to generate city-wide art vibes. As well as the staging of large-scale events, new world-class art landmarks such as M+ and the Hong Kong Palace Museum are also opening their doors, boosting Hong Kong’s allure as an arts and cultural travel destination.
As the city’s arts scene becomes richer than ever, the HKTB will make ‘Arts in Hong Kong’ a year-round promotional platform to raise awareness of the city’s always-on, diverse experience of arts and culture, and establish Hong Kong as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.”
Three Surprises from ‘Arts in Neighbourhoods’
As well as its program of major cultural events, the HKTB is launching a range of promotions to inspire residents to rediscover hidden gems of culture in neighbourhoods across Hong Kong, and experience the city’s thrilling ambience as an arts and cultural hub.
Surprise 1: Street exploration of five cultural themes: Wander through Old Town Central, Sham Shui Po and West Kowloon and explore more than 20 cultural discovery hot spots under five major themes.
The HKTB has created an interactive map with arts and cultural guides for each hot spot. The map includes fascinating anecdotes, like the mystery behind the embroidery of Chinese wedding gown tailor Koon Nam Wah Bridal.
Surprise 2: Discover arts with an avatar: A browser-based app has been created that allows visitors to create a customized avatar with their own cultural interests to enrich their neighbourhood experiences in a hybrid environment.
Surprise 3: Community art exhibition offers a journey through West Kowloon: The HKTB and the University of Hong Kong’s Department of Cultural and Creative Arts are hosting a community art exhibition titled ‘Journey to West Kowloon’ in June at the Art Pavilion in the West Kowloon Cultural District.
