Style Edit: Rolex partners with Hong Kong’s WestK cultural district, starting with a new season of the Tea House Theatre Experience curated by Cantonese opera legend Law Ka-ying

Jul 15 , 2025

A performance launching Rolex’s partnership with Hong Kong’s WestK cultural district. Photo: Handout

Highlights include excerpts from Chinese operas Princess Cheung Ping and The Legend of the Purple Hairpin by librettist Tong Tik-sang, and the martial arts piece Fan Lihua Battles Wang Yinglong

For over half a century, Rolex has backed the world’s finest creatives – from opera singers and filmmakers to architects and dancers – through its Perpetual Arts Initiative. It’s not just about spotlighting individual talent, but also championing the arts as a vital, living force. Now, the Swiss watchmaker is bringing that mission to Hong Kong, becoming the exclusive timepiece for West Kowloon Performing Arts (WestK) – one of Asia’s most ambitious cultural playgrounds.

Xiqu Centre, one of WestK’s showpiece venues. Photo: Handout

This partnership isn’t your average logo-on-the-brochure moment. It’s an alignment of values: Rolex brings decades of experience supporting artistic mastery and mentorship, while WestK offers a multidisciplinary platform that spans everything from experimental theatre to xiqu, traditional Chinese opera. Together, they’re building something that goes beyond cultural preservation to draw fresh eyes and future voices into the fold.

Dignitaries from WestK and Rolex flanked by performers at the partnership’s launch ceremony. Photo: Handout

“We are honoured to collaborate with Rolex, a recognised symbol of excellence,” said Jat Sew-tong, chairman of the Performing Arts Committee at the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority. “This partnership will help WestK realise its mission to establish Hong Kong as a global hub for cultural exchange and creative innovation. Together with Rolex, I am confident that we will elevate the city’s performing arts scene and create significant and enduring cultural impact.”

Chairman of the Performing Arts Committee at the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, Jat Sew-tong. Photo: Handout

The first act? A new season of WestK’s “Tea House Theatre Experience”, launching this July.

Curated by Cantonese opera legend Law Ka-ying and performed by the Tea House Rising Stars Troupe, the programme invites audiences to take a cultural deep-dive complete with tea and dim sum – a nod to classic teahouse culture.

The season’s highlights include two popular excerpts by famed librettist Tong Tik-sang: “Reunion at the Nunnery” from the classic Cantonese opera Princess Cheung Ping and “Reunion of Sword and Hairpin” from The Legend of the Purple Hairpin. There’s also the martial arts piece Fan Lihua Battles Wang Yinglong, which introduces newcomers to the dramatic flair of Cantonese opera, the local form of xiqu.

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