Five art troupes from Central China's Hubei province were invited to present two fabulous performances under the title of "Operas, Bianzhong (chime bells) and Orchestra Concert" at Sha Tin Town Hall of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) on June 14 and 15.

It was the first time for the "Rhyme and Charm of China in Hong Kong", a series of cultural activities launched by the China Arts and Entertainment Group (CAEG) and undertaken by the China Performing Arts Agency (CPAA), to invite the Chime Bells Orchestra and Hubei Symphony Orchestra of Hubei Performing Arts Group, and Hubei Provincial Opera and Arts Theatre's Huangmei Opera Troupe, Han Opera Troupe and Chu Opera Troupe to stage their shows in Hong Kong.

During their performances, five Hubei-based troupes combined traditional Chinese operas with Chinese music and western orchestra, allowing Hong Kong audience to grasp a deep understanding of the unique charm of the history and culture of Hubei.

The solemn and dignified chime performance echoed with the grandeur of ancient Chinese rituals, which seemed to have transcended millennia back to the era of renowned patriotic poet Qu Yuan, who lived around 340 BC to 278 BC, as he wrote the well-known poem "Nine Songs." The lively and melodious tune of "Dragon Boat Tune" further enlivened the atmosphere with a live effect of "fishermen's songs echoing back and forth, reaching the pinnacle of joy."

The concerts were designed to help Hong Kong people better appreciate the civilization of the Yangtze River and strengthen the interactions between Hong Kong's famous "Lion Rock Spirit" and Hubei's Jingchu Culture. The performances of such classical pieces as "Celebration Overture," "Jasmine Flower," "My Chinese Heart," "Dragon Boat Tune," "Song of Happiness," "Yangtze Symphony" and "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" through traditional Chinese musical instrument and western symphony orchestras received warm applause from the audience.

Hubei is a large province with tremendous opera resources and its capital city Wuhan has been widely known as an opera wharf because it used to be a convergence place of various opera schools in China in 1930s and 1940s. At the concert, Huangmei Opera Troupe, Han Opera Troupe and Chu Opera Troupe gave excerpts of Han Opera's "Drunken Imperial Concubine," Chu Opera's "Flower Wall Performance," Huangmei Opera's "Female Prince Consort," "Heavenly Couple Returning Home Together" and "the Parting between Prostitute and Painter at the Beach," along with other classical pieces.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong has also had a large number of enthusiasts of Guangdong Opera and other schools of performing arts.

The concert was attended by prominent artists like Cheng Cheng and Mei Yuanjun, two honorees of the Plum Performance Award, the highest award for traditional Chinese theatrical art, together with such young star performers as Zou Yuhan, Ping Ziyi and Liu Anshi.

This year is the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the CAEG. During the past two decades, it has closely adhered to its founding principle of making China to be a stage for the world and letting the world to be stage for China, and promoted mutual learning as well as the people-to-people exchanges between different civilizations through cultural and artistic communication.

In the future, the CAEG will continuously push for the modernization and internationalization of traditional Chinese culture, manage well the "Rhyme and Charm of China in Hong Kong" brand event, and deliver more spectacular performances to people in Hong Kong.