WKCDA Concludes Visits to Shanghai and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area

The West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) delegation visited Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Dongguan in July and August 2023. They have engaged in in-depth exchanges with the local performing arts venues and cultural institutions, sharing best practices and updating each other on the latest developments.

The delegation met with Mr. Fang Shi-zhong, the Director General of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, and Mr. Li Bin, the Director General of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province, to explore a wide range of cooperation opportunities between the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD or the District) and mainland provinces and cities in the areas of arts, culture and tourism.

Mrs Betty Fung Ching Suk-yee, Chief Executive Officer of WKCDA, led a delegation of six including Dr. Louis Ng Chi-wah, Museum Director of the Hong Kong Palace Museum and Mr Paul Tam, Executive Director, Performing Arts, on a visit to Shanghai from August 7 to 9.

They visited a number of arts and cultural institutions including the Shanghai Museum, Power Station of Art, Museum of Art Pudong, and West Bund Museum, and toured various performing arts institutions and venues such as the Shanghai Centre of Chinese Operas, the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Concert Hall and the Shanghai Grand Theatre.

During the visit to Shanghai, the delegation met and exchanged views with Mr. Fang Shi-zhong, Director General of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism. He expressed that the cultural and artistic institutions of Shanghai and Hong Kong are closely linked and interact frequently. Mr. Fang welcomed WKCD to explore deeper collaborations with different cultural and artistic institutions in Shanghai, building upon the existing the Hong Kong/Shanghai Co-operation Conference.

Mrs Betty Fung said: "Shanghai and Hong Kong are both cultural metropolises. WKCD has developed close and long-time relationship with Shanghai: since 2016, WKCDA has signed cooperation agreements with various institutions including the Shanghai Museum, Power Station of Art, Shanghai West Bund, and SMG Performing Arts Group. As the pandemic ends and various arts and cultural facilities in WKCD completed, WKCDA looks to strengthen cooperation between WKCD, the iconic cultural landmark of Hong Kong, and Shanghai’s arts and cultural institutions. We aim to promote the touring of high-level performances and exhibitions in both Shanghai and Hong Kong, unleash the synergy of mutually beneficial cultural tourism development, and bring in high quality international cultural programmes while promoting Chinese culture abroad."

During their visit to Shanghai, the WKCDA renewed the cooperation framework agreement with the SMG Performing Arts Group. Both sides hope to strengthen cooperation in cultural exchanges, creative performances and other areas, as well as promote cultural innovation to enhance competitiveness in domestic and international cultural markets.

The WKCDA delegation also visited several cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area) in early July and early August, including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Dongguan. They toured the Guangdong Provincial Museum, Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou Opera House, Shenzhen Contemporary Art & Urban Planning Museum, Shenzhen Binhai Art Center, Shenzhen Nanshan Museum, Dongguan Yulan Grand Theatre, and HE Art Museum. They met with Mr. Li Bin, the Director General of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province, to discuss how WKCD can cooperate with cities in the Greater Bay Area with a view to implementing the vision of the "Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area" and deepening cultural and tourism exchanges.

Since Hong Kong fully reopened earlier this year, the number of mainland and international visitors to M+ and the Hong Kong Palace Museum in WKCD has been steadily increasing, currently accounting for over 60% of total visitation, with the biggest increase in the number of mainland visitors. Furthermore, WKCD has so far hosted over 80 delegations from various provinces and cities in 2023, introducing WKCD’s ’latest developments and exploring cooperation opportunities. The WKCDA hopes to enhance cooperation with various mainland provinces and cities and overseas cultural institutions through more exchange visits, and fully utilize the District’s cultural infrastructure and software, with a view to developing Hong Kong as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.

Remarks

About the West Kowloon Cultural District
The West Kowloon Cultural District is one of the largest and most ambitious cultural projects globally. Its vision is to create a vibrant new cultural quarter for Hong Kong on forty hectares of reclaimed land located alongside Victoria Harbour. With a varied mix of theatres, performance spaces, and museums, the West Kowloon Cultural District will produce and host world-class exhibitions, performances and cultural events, providing twenty-three hectares of public open space, including a two-kilometre waterfront promenade.