HONG KONG (SE): The opening ceremony of the 2021 Yim Tin Tsai Arts Festival was conducted online on April 17. The festival, themed, Human, will run from April 17 to July 16.
Thirty-one artworks, in various forms and media, will be on display in this third season. They will showcase stories related to the people of the island, as well as the harmonious co-existence between humans and nature in nearly 300 years of the island’s history with a combination of Catholic and Hakka culture. For example, the former Po Suk Store, a grocery shop, has been turned into an art house decorated with blue banners, the colour of traditional Hakka embroidered shirts, by Taiwanese artist, Yang Fang-yi.
In the coming three months, there will be a series of guided tours, workshops, talks, music performance and other programmes introducing the culture, religion, history and ecology of the island.
For the convenience of visitors, the official website of the arts festival offers an online display of the scenic spot and artwork with a 360 degree virtual reality function.
The Yim Tin Tsai Arts Festival is a three-year pilot scheme organised by the Tourism Commission, curated by Hulu Culture, and supported by the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong, villagers, artists and young volunteers.
The first arts festival under the theme of Sky was held at the end of 2019, while the second adopting the concept of Earth was held online in February this year due to Covid-19 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic restrictions.
The launching ceremony was officiated by Vivian Sum Fong-kwang, the commissioner for Tourism, Father Dominic Chan Chi-ming of the diocese, Colin Chan Chung-yin, village chief of Yim Tin Tsai Village, and Kenneth Chan Ying-kit, chairperson of the Salt and Light Preservation Centre.
According to Yim Tin Tsai village chief, Chan, the three-year pilot scheme dovetails with the villagers’ original intention of revitalising the island in 2003. He recalled that in order to restore St. Joseph’s Chapel and deal with the conservation project, a rural committee, which was a non-profitmaking organisation, was later set up to invite more people to support the project. In 2012, the Salt and Light Preservation Centre was established to handle education and promotion.
In her message, Sum thanked villagers for their trust and assistance, and the diocese for supporting the event.
According to Yim Tin Tsai village chief, Chan, the three-year pilot scheme dovetails with the villagers’ original intention of revitalising the island in 2003. He recalled that in order to restore St. Joseph’s Chapel and deal with the conservation project, a rural committee, which was a non-profitmaking organisation, was later set up to invite more people to support the project. In 2012, the Salt and Light Preservation Centre was established to handle education and promotion.
He said that villagers were glad to take part in the arts festival by contributing ideas in the artwork production process and discussing the appropriate locations for them.
Father Chan, who grew up on the island, said the art festivals showed the beautiful memories of villagers’ life in the Catholic village. He remarked that the theme, Human, is closely and directly related to us. He said that, just as we appreciate the art created in Renaissance period in Europe, which demonstrates the dignity and value of humanity, Catholicism, similarly, respects the uniqueness of humankind and upholds dignity of people in a just society.
“I hope the third event of the Yim Tin Tsai Arts Festival will further show the loveliness of humanity and make every visitor become a new artwork, an artwork with a living body, a soul and humanity. I wish you a peaceful life full of love,” Father Chan said in his message.
Following the custom of traditional Hakka celebrations, officiating guests beat the drums to announce the opening of the third season of the arts festival. The ceremony can be viewed on Facebook: https://fb.watch/4WxjlEpI50/ or on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7QP7-wkSwM
