The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London (London ETO) supported the Ming-Ai (London) Institute's Hong Kong pop music concert held at St Martin-in-the-Fields Hall, Trafalgar Square in London, the United Kingdom (UK), on March 7 (London time). The event commenced with a reception attended by around 60 guests, including the Lord Mayor of Westminster, Ms Patricia McAllister, and representatives from the local business, academic and cultural sectors. The event was also supported by the Hong Kong Heritage Museum by the provision of expert advice and technical support.

     The concert featured over 20 iconic Hong Kong pop songs across generations. Through the enchanting performance of traditional Chinese and Western musical instruments, including Guqin and violin, together with the slideshow of historical photos provided by the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, the vibrant music history of Hong Kong was presented to audience members in London. 

     Addressing the audience, the Director-General of the London ETO, Mr Gilford Law, said, "It is our pleasure to support the Ming-Ai (London) Institute to tell the world good stories of Hong Kong and to promote our pop culture to go global. The concert exemplifies the power of music to transcend language and cultural barriers, as well as to celebrate international friendship. Hong Kong's rich cultural landscape forms a solid foundation for developing into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange as supported by the National 14th Five-Year Plan."

     Mr Law also outlined the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government's 2024-25 Budget initiative of investing over $1 billion for developing more cultural and tourist experiences. He added, "The Government is committed to developing high-quality arts, cultural and creative industries. We will organise Art March 2024 comprising a series of high-profile arts and cultural events in the city such as Art Basel Hong Kong, ComplexCon Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Arts Festival, as well as the first Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo in October this year to provide a comprehensive platform for showcasing top-notch performing arts productions and enhancing exchanges to create business opportunities for these programmes and creative talents." 
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     Founded in 1993, the Ming-Ai (London) Institute is a registered charity in the UK. By organising a variety of classes in Chinese arts and classical literature, alongside an array of cultural promotion activities, the Institute aims at facilitating deeper understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture within the local community.

Ends/Friday, March 8, 2024
Issued at HKT 19:38

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