THOSE OF YOU who are interested in Chinese art, history and culture take note. Starting mid-October for about two months, Hong Kong will be playing host to some of the mainland's finest theatre companies and their award-winning shows about our Chinese heritage.
Organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), Legends Of China is an art festival featuring the rich tapestry of Chinese culture including history, literature, education, folklore, legends and myths.
'The festival is inspired by legendary figures in Chinese history and literature,' said LCSD's senior manager for festivals Winsome Chow.
'They include the innovator Shang Yang in the Warring States period, Li Shimin in the Tang Dynasty, Goddess Mazu in folk religions, the romantic figures in The Dream Of The Red Chamber, the founder of modern education Ts'ai Yuan-p'ei and contemporary Chinese writer Eileen Chang.'
It is also hoped that, through the festival, artists from the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan will be able to share and exchange their ideas.
Primarily, the programme line-up of more than 16 productions targets an adult audience. Chinese operatic works such as Four Beauties, featuring veteran stage actress Nam Fung, An Occasion Of A Lifetime by the Zhejiang Peking and Kunqu Opera Arts Theatre, and Shanghai Peking Opera Theatre's Ladies Of The Great Yang Family are more likely to excite your parents and grandparents than you. However, there are also productions that are more suitable for young theatre-goers, including Gaozhou Cantonese Puppet Play Troupe's Fantastical Puppet Shows.
'But should youngsters only be interested in puppetry?' asked Ms Chow.