The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, will depart for Tianshui City in Gansu Province tomorrow (June 21). He will attend the Public Fuxi Commemoration Ceremony 2023 on behalf of the Hong Kong Speci… read more
Police are investigating a fatal traffic accident in Chai Wan in the small hours today (June 20), in which a 60-year-old woman died. At about 4.12am, a light goods vehicle (LGV) driven by a 58-y… read more
The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The Hospital Authority (HA) spokesman today (June 20) announced that 14 general out-patient clinics (GOPCs) will provide public holiday GOPC services during the Tuen Ng Festival holiday (June 22) (see table below). Patients may book an appointment either through the telephone appointment system or the “Book GOPC” function of the “HA Go” mobile app.
GOPC service arrangements on Tuen Ng Festival holiday (June 22)
| Region | List of GOPCs | Address | Telephone number for booking | General enquiries |
| Hong Kong Island | Aberdeen Jockey Club General Out-patient Clinic | 10 Aberdeen Reservoir Road, Aberdeen | 3543 5011 | 2555 0381 |
| Shau Kei Wan Jockey Club General Out-patient Clinic | 1/F, 8 Chai Wan Road, Shau Kei Wan | 3157 0077 | 2560 0211 | |
| Violet Peel General Out-patient Clinic | LG, Tang Shiu Kin Hospital Community Ambulatory Care Centre, 282 Queen’s Road East, Wanchai | 3157 0000 | 3553 3116 | |
| Kowloon | Kwun Tong Community Health Centre | UG/F, 60 Hip Wo Street, Kwun Tong | 3157 0687 | 2389 0331 |
| Our Lady of Maryknoll Hospital Family Medicine Clinic | G/F, Out-patient Block, Our Lady of Maryknoll Hospital, 118 Shatin Pass Road, Wong Tai Sin | 3157 0118 | 2354 2267 | |
| Robert Black General Out-patient Clinic | 600 Prince Edward Road East, San Po Kong | 3157 0113 | 2383 3311 | |
| Yau Ma Tei Jockey Club General Out-patient Clinic | 1/F, 145 Battery Street, Yau Ma Tei | 3157 0880 | 2272 2400 | |
| New Territories | Lady Trench General Out-patient Clinic | 213 Sha Tsui Road, Tsuen Wan | 3157 0107 | 2614 4789 |
| Lek Yuen General Out-patient Clinic | G/F, 9 Lek Yuen Street, Sha Tin | 3157 0972 | 2692 8730 | |
| Shek Wu Hui Jockey Club General Out-patient Clinic | G/F, 108-130 Jockey Club Road, Shek Wu Hui, Sheung Shui | 3157 0965 | 2670 0211 | |
| Tai Po Jockey Club General Out-patient Clinic | G/F, 37 Ting Kok Road, Tai Po | 3157 0906 | 2664 2039 | |
| Tseung Kwan O (Po Ning Road) General Out-patient Clinic | G/F, 28 Po Ning Road, Tseung Kwan O | 3157 0660 | 2191 1083 | |
| Tuen Mun Clinic | 11 Tsing Yin Street, San Hui, Tuen Mun | 3543 0886 | 2452 9111 | |
| Yuen Long Jockey Club Health Centre | 269 Castle Peak Road, Yuen Long | 3543 5007 | 2443 8511 |
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department has invited the Zhejiang Wu Opera Research Centre to return to Hong Kong for three stunning performances in late July at this year’s Chinese Opera Festival (COF). Winners of the China Theatre Plum Blossom Award (Plum Blossom Award), Yang Xiayun and Lou Sheng, will be joined by renowned artist Chen Lili and other outstanding actors to perform a seamless integration of martial and civil repertoires in “The Legend of the White Snake” and numerous classic operatic excerpts, showcasing to audiences the fine blending of strength and delicateness as well as the crossing over of the civil and martial styles of Wu opera.
Wu opera, also known as Jinhua opera, is the second major regional operatic genre of Zhejiang Province. It first grew in popularity in Jinhua and its environs, and was named after Jinhua’s former name, Wuzhou. On stage, Wu opera shows a distinct style of liveliness and a character of “crossing the line between the martial and the civil repertories”. With an adept use of fluid choreography, stunning martial art fighting and sonorous music to express strength of movement and emotions, Wu opera’s repertory covers a wide range of subject matter that reflects the lives of common people and tells of the legendary figures in Chinese folklore.
The first performance is a full-length production of “The Legend of the White Snake” in which actors will perform many stylised movements and stunts that are unique to the genre, such as the “snake slither” by the White and Green Snakes, and the “swift leap-and-kneel” and “rolling off the back” by Xu Xian. “The Broken Bridge”, which has long been acclaimed as the “No. 1 Bridge presentation” in Chinese opera circles, is an excerpt that is representative of a lyrical scene rendered with a martial overtone, and serious drama presented with comedic effects. Featuring a total of six operatic excerpts, the second performance will begin with “Reneging on the Marriage”, in which the style of “crossing the line between the martial and the civil repertories” has significantly been adopted. The subsequent excerpts demonstrate the traditional skills and martial art stunts of Wu opera, such as the popping from and falling back into a crate in “Fan Zhongyu Beaten and Thrown into a Crate”, the fast wielding of the spear and footwork grips in “The Eight Mallets”, the acrobatic techniques of falling and flipping in “Struck by Gold Bricks”, and the “water sleeve” and “hair flinging” techniques in “Catching Sanlang Alive”. In “The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea”, audiences will be delighted with the fast yet aesthetically pleasing routines and stylised movements. Another five excerpts will be staged in the final performance. The first three pieces, “Water Nymph of Sizhou City”, “The Party” and “Lu Bu Pacing His Horse”, will showcase numerous difficult moves and stunts, including the use of the spear to exercise catching and kicking, “feather wiggling of the headgear”, “blanket sequences” and more. The last two excerpts, “Executing His Own Son” and “Mu Guiying Breaking Through the Army Formation in Front of the Palace”, are the stories of Mu Guiying. The former exhibits the excellent mimi skills of the actor, from the moment she enters with her “horse”, making an impressive entrance, to handing over her family heirloom. Meanwhile, the latter, serving as the climax of the full-length opera production “Mu Guiying”, shows off an outstanding feature of Wu opera, which are spectacular martial art scenes with awe-inspiring grandeur staging.
Details of the three performances are as follows:
Date and time: July 21 (Friday), 7.30pm
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“The Legend of the White Snake”
Main cast: Chen Lili, Yang Xiayun, Lou Sheng, Li Xuanyu, Ying Fujin, Wu Yanxing, Song Baoduan, Liu Fuming
Synopsis: Bai Suzhen, the White Snake, finds the lonely life as an immortal too much to bear, and yearns to be among the mortals. She and the Green Snake descend to Hangzhou, where she meets Xu Xian by the West Lake. It is love at first sight for the two of them and they pledge and marry. Monk Fahai of the Jinshan Temple sees through the snakes’ human forms, and is determined to break up the couple. His many attempts succeed because Xu is a distrustful character and is not as much in love as the White Snake is. Suzhen’s honesty and true love to her husband finally touches Xu’s heart, and all ends well for the two.
Date and time: July 22 (Saturday), 7.30pm
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Excerpt “Reneging on the Marriage”
Main cast: Lou Sheng, Ye Xiaohua
Synopsis: Cai Wende is misled into believing that an ugly-looking mad woman is his fiancée, so he reneges on the marriage. He then gets into trouble and is arrested. His real fiancée, Ms Lin, comes to visit him when he is on the execution ground. Wende learns the truth with remorse and hatred.
Excerpt “Fan Zhongyu Beaten and Thrown into a Crate”
Main cast: Dong Xuyang
Synopsis: The new national top scholar Fan Zhongyu wants to report the treacherous act of Ge Dengyun, Grand Tutor to His Majesty, but is knocked unconscious, then thrown into a crate and discarded in the wilderness. The officers who are sent to find him retrieve the crate, unlock it, and save Zhongyu.
Excerpt “The Eight Mallets”
Main cast: Zhou Hongwei
Synopsis: In the Song dynasty, General Yue Fei is engaged in a battle at Zhuxian Town against Jin forces. Four of Yue Fei’s warriors, adept in wielding double sledgehammers as their weapons, are defeated by Lu Wenlong, the adopted son of Prince Wushu of Jin. The tide turns at the end when Wang Zuo severs his own arm to give a false cause for him to find Wenlong and divulge to him the truth about his birth. Wenlong joins the Song warriors to defeat the Jins.
Excerpt “Struck by Gold Bricks”
Main cast: Ying Fujin
Synopsis: During the reign of Emperor Guangwu of Han, his Royal Concubine, Lady Guo, wants to avenge her father’s death as he was killed by Yao Gang, the son of Yao Qi. As punishment, the emperor banishes Yao Gang to the border, but this does not appease Lady Guo. She schemes by plying the emperor with wine. When he is in an intoxicated state, the emperor orders the beheading of Yao Qi and a group of senior courtiers. Ma Wu chases after the emperor with a gold brick. The emperor locks himself inside his chambers. This infuriates Ma Wu so much that he bashes himself on the head with the gold brick and dies by his own hand. The emperor soon discovers that he has beheaded his ministers. Filled with guilt and regret, he takes his sword to stab Lady Guo to death before he proceeds to the Grand Ancestral Temple. But he is so befuddled that he trips and dies from the fall.
Excerpt “Catching Sanlang Alive”
Main cast: Xu Pengjiang, Lou Yiting
Synopsis: Song Jiang takes Yan Xijiao as his concubine but she has a relationship with Zhang Wenyuan. Song kills Xijiao in a rage. The ghost of Xijiao visits Zhang at his home to take him with her to the netherworld to continue their love relationship.
Excerpt “The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea”
Main cast: Yang Xiayun, Song Baoduan
Synopsis: The Eight Immortals return from the birthday banquet of the Queen Mother of Heaven and are tipsy from the wine they drank. They happen to cross the path of the Gold Fish Fairy of the Eastern Sea. Lu Dongbin makes a rude remark and the Fairy is offended. In her rage, she wields her magical powers and the Eight Immortals are not her match. It is only after Zhang Guolao apologises to her formally on behalf of all eight of them and presents her with a gift that she relents and lets them cross the Eastern Sea.
Date and time: July 23 (Sunday), 2.30pm
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Excerpt “Water Nymph of Sizhou City”
Main cast: Wang Xingxing
Synopsis: The Water Nymph Demon has entrenched herself at Sizhou and has wreaked havoc in the city. The Monkey King leads a celestial army to battle her, and finally manages to subdue her.
Excerpt “The Party”
Main cast: Lou Sheng, Chen Lili, Chen Jianxu
Synopsis: In the last years of the Eastern Han era, Minister Wang Yun plans to eliminate Dong Zhuo to preserve the dynasty. He executes a series of inter-related ruses, which include inviting Lu Bu for a small banquet at his residence and introducing the beautiful Diao Chan to him, on which occasion they fall for each other.
Excerpt “Lu Bu Pacing His Horse”
Main cast: Li Zhongjun, Wang Mingming
Synopsis: During the Three Kingdoms period, military commander Lu Bu is thrilled to receive a precious horse. He brings his team to the countryside to try out the power of the precious horse, but the horse is born wild and difficult to tame. With his militant pride and superior riding skills, Lu Bu subdues the horse and returns to camp in delight.
Excerpt “Executing His Own Son”
Main cast: Yang Xiayun, Chen Jianxu, Li Xuanyu, Lou Sheng, Gao Qian, Wu Yanxing, Liu Fuming, Chen Xiaojian
Synopsis: Marshal Yang Yanzhao is defeated by Mu Guiying and returns to camp on a rampage. His son, Zongbao, is however enamoured of Guiying and is ready to marry her. The Marshal decides to have him executed as dictated by martial law. It so happened that Guiying has decided to join the Song forces, and she confronts the Marshal. The Marshal cannot but accept her as his daughter-in-law and sets Zongbao free in the end.
Excerpt “Mu Guiying Breaking Through the Army Formation in Front of the Palace”
Main cast: Yang Xiayun, Lou Sheng
Synopsis: Mui Guiying puts on her full armour and enters the battlefield. Undaunted by the military formation that the enemy from the north has set up, she valiantly leads her army to break it down. With her spears, she beats the general on the enemy’s side and returns in victory.
Founded as the Zhejiang Wu Opera Theatre Company in 1956, the Zhejiang Wu Opera Research Centre has been reviving and exploring the traditional art of Wu opera. The centre has since collated more than 800 plays and 3,000 sung tunes and set tunes; the traditional masks and costumes unique to Wu opera have also been documented. The centre currently boasts a contingent of illustrious artists, including winners of the Plum Blossom Award. The centre has created and performed several distinguished plays, many of them were awarded in the national Chinese opera showcase, and have been staged in numerous countries and regions across Europe and Asia.
Three performances will be held at the Auditorium of Kwai Tsing Theatre. Each performance will run for about two hours and 30 minutes, including an intermission of 15 minutes. Lyrics and dialogue are with Chinese and English surtitles. Tickets priced at $160, $260, $300 and $380 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7325 or visit www.cof.gov.hk/2023/en/wu.html.
A Meet-the-Artists session entitled “The Unique Features of Wu Opera” (in Putonghua) will be held at 7.30pm on July 20 (Thursday) at AC2, 4/F, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. The speakers include Director of Zhejiang Wu Opera Theatre Company Wang Xiaoping, veteran Wu opera artist Chen Meilan as well as performers of the centre Yang Xiayun and Lou Sheng, while Chinese opera researcher Chan Chun-miu will be the moderator. Admission is free with limited seats available on a first-come, first-served basis. Details can be found on the above-mentioned website.
Since its inception in 2010, the COF has curated quality operatic programmes with the aim of promoting the artistry and culture of Chinese traditional opera. COF 2023 will once again bring together an excellent line-up of Chinese opera troupes to stage nine quality operatic programmes covering a variety of theatrical genres, including Peking opera, Qu opera, Sichuan opera, Han opera, Cantonese opera, Wu opera, Kunqu opera and Yue opera, from June to October, showcasing the splendour of Chinese operatic art in all its glory. For more details, please visit www.cof.gov.hk.
The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
The Legislative Council (LegCo) will hold a meeting tomorrow (June 21) at 11am in the Chamber of the LegCo Complex. During the meeting, the Second Reading debate on the Betting Duty (Amendment) Bill 2023 will resume. If the Bill is supported by Members and receives its Second Reading, it will stand committed to the committee of the whole Council. After the committee of the whole Council has completed consideration of the Bill and its report is adopted by the Council, the Bill will be set down for the Third Reading.
The Second Reading debates on the Family Procedure Bill, the Stamp Duty (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2023 and the Import and Export (Amendment) Bill 2023 will also resume. If the Bills are supported by Members and receive their Second Reading, they will stand committed to the committee of the whole Council. After the committee of the whole Council has completed consideration of the Bills and their reports are adopted by the Council, the Bills will be set down for the Third Reading.
On Member’s bill, the Second Reading debate on the Lingnan University (Amendment) Bill 2023 will resume. If the Bill is supported by Members and receives its Second Reading, it will stand committed to the committee of the whole Council. After the committee of the whole Council has completed consideration of the Bill and its report is adopted by the Council, the Bill will be set down for the Third Reading.
On Members’ motions, Mr Chau Siu-chung will move a motion on promoting the unleashing of potential labour force. The motion is set out in Appendix 1. Dr Ngan Man-yu, Dr So Cheung-wing, Mr Dennis Leung and Mr Kwok Wai-keung will move amendments to Mr Chau’s motion.
Mr Chan Kin-por will move a motion on resolving the problems of traffic safety of and insurance premium increases for taxis. The motion is set out in Appendix 2. Mr Frankie Yick, Mr Chan Siu-hung and Mr Chan Han-pan will move amendments to Mr Chan Kin-por’s motion.
Members will also ask the Government 22 questions on various policy areas, six of which require oral replies.
The agenda of the above meeting can be obtained via the LegCo Website (www.legco.gov.hk). Members of the public can watch or listen to the meeting via the “Webcast” system on the LegCo Website. To observe the proceedings of the meeting at the LegCo Complex, members of the public may call 3919 3399 during office hours to reserve seats. read more