During the past few years, a rising number of literary and artistic troupes, performance and exhibition events from the Chinese mainland have visited or been held in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) as closer and in-depth exchanges and integration have taken place between the two sides. They have brought to local audiences unforgettable artistic experience and enabled performing art troupes of the Chinese mainland to further embrace the world via the SAR.

Reporters from the Wen Wei Po recently reviewed the shows of performing art troupes of the Chinese mainland during their visit in Hong Kong in the past year and held interviews with their heads. Many people of them said that the exchange activities in Hong Kong have provided them with precious opportunities and experience, allowed them to grasp a deep understanding of cultural diversity and injected new vitality into their artistic expression. Additionally, driven by Hong Kong's international status and influence, relevant literary and artistic bodies are expected to forge new momentum for their overseas development.
In early January, the China National Opera &Dance Drama Theatre presented its national dance drama titled "Li Bai" in Hong Kong Cultural Center, earning high praise from audiences. Gansu Dance Drama Theatre left a deep impression on the audiences with its show "Dunhuang Music Dance" during the Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade in late January. The China NCPA Orchestra is scheduled to attend the Hong Kong Arts Festival. Additionally, the China National Theatre for Children, the Shanghai Dance Theatre and the Jiangsu Center for the Performing Arts will bring with their shows for Hong Kong audiences as well.
In the year 2024, performing art troupes from the Chinese mainland went viral during their visit and shows in Hong Kong. For instance, the "Red Detachment of Women" by the National Ballet of China, "Five Daughters Paying Birthday Homage to Their Parents" by the National Peking Opera Company's Youth Troupe, "Only This Green: Dance Depicting 'Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains'" by the China Oriental Performing Arts Group, and "Wing Tsun" by Shenzhen Opera &Dance Theatre were staged in Hong Kong. They always became a sensational hit and their tickets were nearly sold out each time.
Artistic performance build a bridge of people-to-people exchanges
The "Chinese Performing Arts Hong Kong Season" is a cultural brand developed and promoted by the China Performing Arts Agency (CPAA), a subsidiary of the China Arts and Entertainment Group (CAEG), for the SAR. Last year, the company presented a wide range of classical plays, which were in the form of music, dance and drama, in Hong Kong Cultural Center, Kwai Tsing Theatre, Sha Tin Town Hall, Hong Kong Polytechnic University and other places, and organized various cultural exchange activities such as master classes, workshops and campus tours with the attendance of thousands of people.
Over 50 primary and secondary school students from Hong Kong were invited to watch the dance show titled "Confucius" by the China National Opera &Dance Drama Theatre and hold face-to-face exchanges with performers and directors. "Although the entire play has no dialogue, yet its performers successfully use their dance to help the audience grasp a deep understanding of the great philosopher and thinker as well as his famous literary work 'Analects'. Their perception of him has gone beyond the textbooks and test papers," said local teachers and students.
During an interview with the Wen Wei Po, Wang Lu, general-manager of the CPAA, said that the "Chinese Performing Arts Hong Kong Season" has created a window for Hong Kong citizens to better feel the charm of traditional Chinese culture, promoted cultural inheritance and development, and strengthened people-to-people exchanges between the Chinese mainland and the SAR.
Performance in HK matters a lot
The China NCPA Orchestra is set to attend the 53th Hong Kong Arts Festival, which will open in this weekend. Ren Xiaoling, general-manager of the China NCPA Orchestra, said that Hong Kong has always been at the forefront of the integration of Chinese and Western culture and is an important window for the country's "cultural globalization." Today, Hong Kong has still occupied this valuable position and the Hong Kong Arts Festival has played a crucial role in this regard, he added.
Ren emphasized that the Hong Kong Arts Festival has introduced China's best performing artists and art troupes to international audiences and brought together top international artists and art troupes in the SAR. Over the past years, it has maintained high-level diversity. Therefore, both state-level art troupes and performing arts groups have attached great importance to the Hong Kong Arts Festival and the city.
"The performance in Hong Kong has always been more beneficial for us to promote our artistic works internationally than that in any other city in the Chinese mainland," Ren went on to say.
Han Zhen, one of screen writer and director of the "Only This Green" play, said that Hong Kong is a perfect place to measure performance results and audience reaction because its venues and audiences are highly internalized and that the performance in the city will provide relevant art troupes with additional confidence in going abroad.
"The largest strength of Hong Hong lies in the country's firm support and its closer connection with the world," said Wang Long, deputy general-manager of the CPAA Theatres, when he talked about Hong Kong's performance venues in the eyes of art troupes from the Chinese mainland.
Wang noted that Hong Kong's international and urban infrastructure and overall humanistic environment are highly attractive to such cultural products as film and performing art sectors.
Wang said that under the support of national strategies, the future positioning of Hong Kong's cultural development will become clearer and the cultural integration between the East and West and between the ancient and modern era will become more prominent as well. It is a rehearsal for performing art troupes from the Chinese mainland to hold their performance in Hong Kong before they go abroad. The performing works can not only meet the judgement of Hong Kong audiences influenced by diverse cultures but also showcase the profound heritage and contemporary style of the Chinese culture.
Wang said that the exchanges in Hong Kong are valuable opportunities and experiences for performing art troupes from the Chinese mainland. The interactions with local artists and audiences and on-site exchanges with various sectors of Hong Kong society will enable them to fully absorb the essence of diverse cultures and enrich their artistic expression. In addition, Hong Kong's international status and  international network will provide them with firm support in overseas performance.