ACCOMPANIED by an orchestra of traditional Chinese instruments, the murals of the Mogao Caves came to life in an animated film showcased at the Xiqu Center in West Kowloon, Hong Kong. With the sound of drumbeats, the cheerful and brisk tone suddenly turned solemn, and the Forbidden City appeared on the screen, touching the audience with its splendid architecture. Young musicians from the Hong Kong Gaudeamus Dunhuang Ensemble were trying to capture the essence of two UNESCO world heritages, the Mogao Caves of Dunhuang in northwestern China’s Gansu Province and the Palace Museum in Beijing, through Chinese music. As part of a cultural event Tuesday celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland and the opening of the Hong Kong Palace Museum, the concert brought together two world heritages in a meaningful union that tells the long history of the Chinese civilization, said Louis Ng, director of the Hong Kong Palace Museum, which co-organized the event. Ng was excited to invite his two old friends to the occasion. Wang Xudong, head of the Palace Museum, and Zhao Shengliang, Party secretary of the Dunhuang Academy, were at the event to share with the public about the history of Chinese culture and arts. “Dunhuang’s art, dating back more than 1,000 years, is brilliant partly due to its location at the intersection of Chinese and foreign cultures. It has absorbed all aspects of Eastern and Western cultures with an open mind and inclusive spirit, and finally created a cultural gem for the humanity,” Zhao said. “Hong Kong, like Dunhuang in ancient times, is a place where Chinese and foreign cultures meet,” he said. Wang agreed that Hong Kong should play a vital role in protecting and inheriting the traditional Chinese culture while at the same time learning from the achievements of other civilizations. With support from the Central Government, the Hong Kong Palace Museum is well positioned to fulfill the mission, Wang said. Scheduled to open to the public July 2, the Hong Kong Palace Museum will display on rotation more than 900 treasures from the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing. Ng said that the museum would host a series of cultural events and apply technologies to enable interaction with the audiences, who may find it easier to resonate with the cultural traditions. The final part of the concert was dedicated to “cultural guardians” like Zhao, Wang and Ng, who have spent years protecting our cultural heritages. Titled “thank you for your time,” the final movement of the concert brought a big round of applause at the hall, with the screen reading: “Music is the art of time. Culture is the accumulation of time. Life is a flow of time. Thank you for your time.” (Xinhua) | 