HONG KONG, March 4, 2026 -- The Countryside Conservation Office (CCO) under the Environment and Ecology Bureau successfully held the "Countryside Harvest Festival 2026: 'Hong Kong Soundscape – Opera & Dance' One-Day Music Festival" on 1st March at Lai Chi Wo, Sha Tau Kok. Following last year's success in Kuk Po, this year's event moved to this historic Hakka walled village, using the natural mountain-and-sea stage of Yan Chau Tong in Mirs Bay to blend countryside ecology, Hakka culture and international performing arts, delivering a unique cultural tourism experience for attendees.
Maestro Tan Dun—UNESCO Global Goodwill Ambassador, Hong Kong's Ambassador for Cultural Promotion, and internationally renowned composer and conductor, served as Artistic Director and Conductor. The festival gathered top musicians and dancers from Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas, including the New York Percussion Ensemble and the Hong Kong-Shenzhen-Macao Trio, to create new musical works fusing Eastern and Western, traditional and modern elements that showcased the diverse interplay of Hong Kong's landscapes and human culture.
Themed "Hong Kong Soundscape – Opera & Dance", the programme opened with the site-specific music-dance piece The Rite of Spring – Samsara, featuring live performances of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, Tan Dun's Nine-Colored Deer and Heart Sutra, presented by dancers Zhu Fengwei, Dong Jilan and others. The "Hakka Whispers & Hong Kong Tea" segment featured Bili/Suona performer Liu Wenwen and Sheng performer Zhang Meng in dialogue and improvisation with centenarian villager Wong Keung Ying. The grand finale, "Martial Arts Romance – Hollow Tree", was composed and narrated by Maestro Tan Dun himself, featuring theme music from films including Hero and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
The "Countryside Harvest Festival 2026: 'Hong Kong Soundscape – Opera & Dance' One Day Music Festival" was one of the "Festival PLUS" programs of the 54th Hong Kong Arts Festival and a key initiative to promote countryside conservation through cross-disciplinary artistic collaboration. The CCO aims to showcase Hong Kong's rich natural and cultural countryside resources to the public and international community through such events, while encouraging diverse ways for people to engage with the countryside to support ecological conservation and cultural heritage.
The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, said the Government has formulated simplified licence application guidelines to assist organisations in operating in remote villages, having helped Lai Chi Wo, Yin Tin Chai and Kuk Po secure guesthouse, takeaway and restaurant licences, and implemented small-scale works including trail repairs, the Lai Chi Wo smart eco-toilet and enhanced hiking trail facilities to continuously improve countryside environments and amenities.
Maestro Tan Dun, Artistic Director and Conductor, said children and young people should visit rural areas more to experience mountain-and-water scenery and air landscapes firsthand, which aids their growth and development. He believes bringing nature into the lives of children and families is profoundly impactful work that must be promoted, and forms a key significance of this music festival.
This "Countryside Harvest Festival 2026: 'Hong Kong Soundscape – Opera & Dance' One-Day Music Festival" promoted Hong Kong's countryside ecology and cultural features through innovative performance formats and experiences, helping more people appreciate and cherish these precious local landscapes and village heritage. The public may visit the CCO webpage (cco.gov.hk/tc) to view event highlights. The CCO hopes to showcase Hong Kong's rich countryside resources to the public and international community through such innovative activities, promoting ecological conservation and cultural heritage.
