On October 9, the "Hong Kong Cultural and Arts Community Reception Celebrating the 76th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China" was held in Hong Kong, bringing together leading figures from Hong Kong's local cultural and arts community and industry colleagues to celebrate National Day and commemorate the 80th anniversary of China's victory in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee attended the reception and delivered a speech. He noted that Hong Kong has made significant progress in cultural and artistic development in recent years. This year, 12 art projects from Hong Kong were successfully selected for the National Arts Fund support list, covering multiple areas including large-scale theatrical productions, promotional exchanges, and artistic talent training. This fully demonstrates the flourishing scene of Hong Kong's arts community with diverse talents emerging.
Lee pointed out that in the new Policy Address, the SAR Government proposes to continue promoting the integrated development of "culture, sports, and tourism" to inject new momentum into Hong Kong's economy. He mentioned that the government will make every effort to build a high-end art trading hub and promote the diversified development of the West Kowloon Cultural District and local cultural and creative industries.
The inaugural "Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo" held last year attracted participation from over 60 regions, more than 1,600 cultural leaders and arts professionals, and featured over 100 performances, lectures, and activities with remarkable results. The SAR Government will continue this flagship project to build Hong Kong into an important platform for cultural and artistic creative exchange, cooperation, and promotion.
Honorary patron of the Hong Kong Cultural and Arts Community National Day Celebration Organizing Committee, founder and co-chairman Timothy Fok stated in his speech that this year has carefully organized a series of regional activities to bring culture and arts into communities and closer to citizens. Among these, the "Walking Library" will drive mobile library vehicles into primary and secondary schools throughout Hong Kong, particularly reaching schools in remote areas, and invite artists and athletes into classrooms for face-to-face exchanges with students. The "Movies in Every District" program will also continue, partnering with multiple community organizations to invite grassroots citizens from all 18 districts to watch movies for free, enriching the cultural life of the public.
The reception atmosphere was enthusiastic with rich cultural content. Multiple cultural experience activities were set up outside the venue, including calligraphy art, folk handicrafts, and wine culture, creating an atmosphere filled with artistic and festive spirit. The choir from Hong Kong Baptist University Affiliated School Wong Kam Fai Secondary and Primary School performed the internationally award-winning piece "Sky Like a Painting" on site, with innocent and sincere voices singing "Hong Kong is our beautiful home," adding warmth and resonance to the reception.