Imagine entering the world of China\u2019s White Snake legend, centred on a romance between a mortal man and a 1,000-year-old reptile spirit that has transformed into a woman so it can feel human love, and \u2013 instead of finding a historic classic \u2013 discovering a modern story charged with dramatic tension, beauty and surprise.<\/p>\n
In the compelling dance drama Lady White Snake<\/em>, elements as familiar as the Broken Bridge, the Dragon Boat Festival transformation and flooding Jinshan Temple have been reinterpreted into unexpected forms, as ballet and Chinese dance lead the innovative theatrical performance combining oriental aesthetics and multimedia imagery, viewed through a contemporary psychological lens.<\/p>\n With internationally renowned ballet artist Tan Yuan Yuan as artistic director, the production assembles a dream team of leading Chinese dancers and creative talent from across the country and abroad, depicting Lady White not just as the heroine of a much-loved romance, but also as a woman on a journey of self-discovery.<\/p>\n As the opening programme of Hong Kong\u2019s four-month Chinese Culture Festival 2026, it immediately makes clear the event\u2019s intentions: tradition is being brought into the present day, alive, relevant and renewed with every generation.<\/p>\n \u201cThis year, the prominent theme is \u2018legend\u2019,\u201d Veron Lam, chief manager of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department\u2019s Cultural Presentations Section, said. \u201cIt gives the programme a clearer centre, with the Tang dynasty [618-907] and its eastern capital Luoyang providing a historical thread.\u201d<\/p>\n That focused structure shapes the third edition of the festival, celebrating the inheritance, exchange and creative vitality of Chinese culture and history, which runs from June to September at venues across the city.<\/p>\n After the first two years \u2013 both of which attracted more than 900,000 audience members to a diverse range of performances, and saw about 85 per cent of surveyed audience members report their interest in Chinese culture had deepened \u2013 the focus now is not only on scale, but also cohesion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Another underlying concept of the festival was captured in one of this year\u2019s publicity visuals \u2013 the idea of audiences \u201centering a painted world, rich with life and nuance waiting to be uncovered\u201d. Lam said: \u201cIt\u2019s like stepping into a painting where you discover layers of life and hidden details.\u201d The aim was for audiences to experience the festival \u201cnot only as performances, but as a kind of cultural space that rewards curiosity at every turn\u201d, she added.<\/p>\n For the local audience, many of the stories featured on stage will have been familiar to them while growing up \u2013 through school, film, television or books on folklore \u2013 and the festival uses that awareness as a starting point before widening into history, performance and reinterpretation.<\/p>\n The festival\u2019s particular focus on the Sui (589-617) and Tang dynasties deepens that journey. For Lam, the Tang dynasty\u2019s openness and cultural richness make it an especially fertile period. \u201cWe hope audiences will not only enjoy the shows, but also get to know more about the culture that shaped so much of what we recognise as Chinese civilisation today,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n That ambition takes different forms across the programme. The drama The Code of The Dynasty<\/em> \u2013 a Chinese-style murder mystery adapted from a bestselling novel \u2013 draws on the visual world of the Song dynasty (960-1279) handscroll painting, Along the River During the Qingming Festival,<\/em> to build suspense on stage as conspiracies are investigated. The production is jointly presented by the Bauhinia Culture Group.<\/p>\n \u201cJourneys to the West: Cinematic Dialogues Across Time\u201d compares three pairs of films, inspired by Journey to the West<\/em> \u2013 a 16th century literary classic based on one of China\u2019s most famous legends \u2013 which have helped the novel transcend generations and achieve timeless relevance.<\/p>\n Yao Gongbai, a maestro of the guqin<\/em>, a traditional Chinese seven-stringed zither, will perform the \u201cResonance of Strings and Harmonics\u201d recital to demonstrate to the audience the sonorities and cultural resonance of the instrument with his world premiere of a version of Flowing Water<\/em> sourced from 1821 tablature collection Zhifa Huican Quejie<\/em>.<\/p>\n Harmony in Eternal Melody<\/em>, a dance drama by the Hubei Opera and Dance Drama Theater, tells of a newly crowned king torn between war and peace after assassins strike amid a diplomatic exchange of bronze chime bells. With life-sized replicas of ancient instruments from the Hubei Provincial Museum on stage, the production embodies the Chinese concept of how \u201crituals bring order to the universe, and music creates universal harmony\u201d.<\/p>\n Whether first-time visitors to Chinese opera or lifelong devotees, audiences are sure to be captivated by the sheer spectacle and colour of \u201cShowcase of Peking Opera Actors in Full Armour Roles\u201d.<\/p>\n The production, which headlines the long-established Chinese Opera Festival \u2013 now presented as part of the cultural festival \u2013 is full of dramatic fight scenes featuring agile, swift and acrobatic movements. The cast is formed by a rare assembly of performers of leading martial male roles (wusheng<\/em>) from four of China\u2019s top Peking opera troupes from Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin and Hubei, who share the stage while performing works from repertoires such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms<\/em> and The Water Margin<\/em>.<\/p>\n All audience members are also likely to be wowed by the contemporary stage settings, ethereal lighting and innovatively embroidered costumes on display in the Kunqu<\/em> \u2013 the oldest form of Chinese opera, which originated in Jiangsu province \u2013 production of A Dream Under the Southern Bough<\/em>, presented in full across two parts, a rarity in a tradition where excerpts are the norm, as it makes its Hong Kong premiere.<\/em><\/p>\n Shi Xiaming, a renowned Kunqu<\/em> artist and winner of the China Theatre Plum Blossom Award, will play a leading role, alongside younger performers, in the poetic tale of a military officer whose dream empire of love, power and glory dissolves into dust.<\/p>\n He will also interact with audiences through a specialised Kunqu<\/em> workshop and a meet-the-artists session exploring the production\u2019s creative approach.<\/p>\n The spirit of innovation, which plays a central part in the festival as in previous years, is an important factor in attracting new generations of audiences. It also inspires younger performers to carry the torch of tradition.<\/p>\n A case in point is the headline Cantonese opera performance, Ancient Tune of Guangling<\/em>, with a cast that features both established and rising stars. The classic story depicts a fiercely moral scholar who steadfastly affirms his integrity, even in the face of his imminent execution, by playing the transcendental music one last time on his qin<\/em>.<\/p>\n The show will be performed by Cantonese opera virtuosos Loong Koon-tin, Tang Mi-ling, Yuen Siu-fai and Liu Kwok-sum and the rising stars Man Shuet-kau, To Wing-sum and Ng Lap-hei.<\/p>\n \u201cThe younger generation brings new ideas and energy,\u201d Loong noted. \u201cWhen we work together, the stage becomes more alive.\u201d At the same time, experienced artists have an instinct for how things should be presented. \u201cSome things look good on paper,\u201d he said, \u201cbut when you put them on stage, you realise what works and what doesn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n The question of balance \u2013 between preservation and adaptation \u2013 runs through these discussions. \u201cTradition is something we must keep,\u201d he explained. \u201cBut how we present it can evolve. That\u2019s how Cantonese opera continues to move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n That evolution is visible not only in the style of the performance, but also in the pacing, staging and audience engagement. Faster scene changes, more flexible staging and subtle adjustments in the delivery of the performers all reflect changing expectations.<\/p>\n Audience tastes are shifting, too. \u201cIn the past, many people only wanted to watch traditional plays,\u201d To said. \u201cBut in recent years, audiences are more open \u2013 they\u2019re willing to try new works.\u201d<\/p>\n Reaching new generations, however, requires more than optimism. \u201cIf someone has no background knowledge of the art form, and you ask them to sit through a long traditional opera, it can be difficult,\u201d Tang, famous for performing fadan<\/em>, or female lead roles, noted. \u201cSo we need different entry points \u2013 short videos, school talks, different formats.\u201d<\/p>\n The goal is to encourage gradual immersion: \u201cLet them come in, find something they connect with, and then slowly they begin to appreciate it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n That same thinking extends beyond opera. Across more than 280 stage programmes and related activities, the festival builds multiple pathways in \u2013 through exhibitions, film screenings, talks, workshops and community events.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not just about knowledge,\u201d Lam said. \u201cWe hope audiences leave with a feeling \u2013 a connection, or even a reconnection, with Chinese culture.\u201d<\/p>\n Initiatives such as \u201cGenerations Together 1+1,\u201d where ticket discounts encourage older and younger generations to see the shows together, reflect that intention. The annual \u201cEncountering Chinese Culture\u201d Performing Arts Carnival, open to the public on June 28 with stage performances and roving exhibitions, is another clear example.<\/p>\n Luoyang, this year\u2019s city in focus, in China\u2019s Henan province, gives the festival\u2019s historical thread a tangible centre. As an ancient capital and the cradle of Heluo culture, one of the foundational parts of Chinese civilisation, it anchors the programme in a specific time and place.<\/p>\n Performances such as Mu Guiying Takes Command<\/em>, the definitive story of a military heroine in the region\u2019s Yu opera, celebrating the patriotism of the legendary eponymous Northern Song (960-1127) general, sit alongside the \u201cHeluo Culture Bonds Hong Kong\u201d Exhibition, featuring historical relics and documents, dynamic demonstrations and interactive installations, which allow visitors to encounter its cultural texture across different settings. The exhibition is organised by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles Hong Kong Member Association.<\/p>\n What ultimately defines the Chinese Culture Festival 2026 is not just its scale, but its widespread appeal. There is no single way in. Some audience members will be enticed by a major stage production such as Lady White Snake<\/em>; others through a lecture, a workshop or a community event.<\/p>\n For Lam, the festival is about creating moments that resonate, where people rediscover something familiar, or encounter something entirely new. \u201cEach person may take away something different,\u201d she said. \u201cBut what matters is that connection with our culture.\u201d<\/p>\n When the festival opens on June 12, it offers exactly that: a chance to step in, move between worlds, and find, somewhere along the way, a point of recognition.<\/p>\n![\"Life-sized](\"https:\/\/img.i-scmp.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto\/sites\/default\/files\/d8\/images\/canvas\/2026\/05\/20\/ab85fc1d-0b99-4d29-83d1-6bdfae12b32e_32afda76.jpg\" "\\"Life-sized")
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<\/div>![\"Veron](\"https:\/\/img.i-scmp.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto\/sites\/default\/files\/d8\/images\/canvas\/2026\/05\/20\/74da659c-e415-4054-9d8e-847da5ec1d7e_ad7ab843.jpg\" "\\"Veron")
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