Chinese Culture Festival 2025 Opening Programme: Dongpo: Life in Poems by China Oriental Performing Arts Group
Programme DetailsAbout the Arts GroupCast and Production Team Dance MasterclassTicketing and EnquiriesThematic ExhibitionQ&A with Shen Wei on Dongpo: Life in Poems
【Additional Tickets for Sale】
**Due to overwhelming response, there are 14 tickets of box seats with restricted view ($200 each) for each performance available for sale at URBTIX (internet and mobile app booking only) from 10am on the respective day of performances (13-14 June 2025). Each person can purchase a maximum of 2 tickets per transaction on a first come, first served basis.**
✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚ ‘A way of expression deeply rooted in Chinese traditional culture and on a par with international market standard and international art appreciation.’ - China Culture Daily ✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚
★★★ Following The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting, this is yet another outstanding achievement of China Oriental Performing Arts Group pertaining to creative transformation and development of traditional Chinese culture! ★★★
₊‧⁺˖⋆｡°｡ﾟ☁︎ The Moon Witnesses the Poet’s Unquiet Nights; Dancing Paces Recall Sensations of Days Gone By ⋆˖⁺‧₊☽✩*⋆
Flowing between ‘cognitive essence’ and ‘aesthetic realm’, the dancers use their bodies as paint brushes to express freely on stage! Inspired by the poetry and life of the literary giant Su Dongpo, Dongpo: Life in Poems integrates music, dance, poetry, and painting into a captivating show. Su Dongpo’s calligraphy and poetry are both powerful and graceful, brimming with emotions and artistic style. Blending contemporary dance with various traditional Chinese culture elements such as poetry, traditional Chinese painting, calligraphy, seal engraving, guqin, Chinese opera, and martial arts, this programme brings Su Dongpo’s ancient verses to life on stage, crafting an immersive journey where ‘poetry embodies dance and dance incorporates poetry’.
The running time of each performance is approximately 1 hour 30 minutes without intermission.
Members of the audience are strongly advised to arrive punctually. Latecomers and those who leave their seats during the performance will only be admitted and allowed to return to their seats respectively during a suitable break. The presenter reserves the right to refuse admission of latecomers, or determine the time and manner of admission of latecomers.
The presenter reserves the right to change the programme and substitute artists / instructors.
The content of programme does not represent the views of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.
Sponsored by
China Oriental Performing Arts Group
China Oriental Performing Arts Group, supervised by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and funded by the Ministry of Finance, is a prestigious national performing arts group, originating from the China Song and Dance Troupe and Oriental Song and Dance Troupe, and China Light Music Troupe. The group focuses on artistic creation, various performances, external exchange, artistic education, cultural tourism development and digital art. Aiming for artistic innovation, enterprise's increasing income and career development, it plays a significant role as a cultural envoy on the global stage.
Chief Director / Choreographer / Visual Director / Playwright / Stage Set / Costume and Styling Design: Shen Wei
Composer / Music Director: Chen Qigang
Playwright: Guo Changhong
Lighting Design: Xiao Lihe
Calligraphy and Seal Carving: Yang Tao
Acoustic Design: Sun Chaojun
Main cast: Su Peng, Liu Jie, Sheng Haozhe, Zuo Siyuan, Sun Peng, Xiao Qixin, et al.
Guqin: Zhao Xiaoxia
**Tickets for Dance Masterclass are sold out. Thank you for your support! **
By learning dance movements from dancers of Dongpo: Life in Poems, participants will experience the fusion of Chinese dance’s lyrical shen yun with modern dance techniques.
Date: 11 June 2025 (Wed)
Time: 7:30pm-9pm
Venue: Podium Workshop, Hong Kong Cultural Centre (Take the elevators at Administration Building to Podium)
Ticket Price: $200
In Putonghua
Suitable for those aged 16 or above with some dance experience.
Please dress casually and wear dancing shoes.
Chinese Culture Festival 2025 Opening Programme: Dongpo: Life in Poems by China Oriental Performing Arts Group
DATE
VENUE
PRICE
11.06.2025 (Wed) 19:30
Dance Masterclass: Podium Workshop, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Tickets of performances and masterclass are available from 15 April at all URBTIX outlets, self-service ticketing kiosks, on internet, by mobile app and telephone.
Half-price tickets are available for full-time students, senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities and the minder and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients. Tickets for CSSA recipients are available on a first-come-first-served basis. Concessionary ticket holders must produce evidence of their identity or age upon admission.
Chinese Culture Festival 2025 Discount Scheme #
❖Limited-Time Offer (15 April – 30 April)
Group Booking Discount 15% discount for each purchase of 4-9 tickets 20% discount for each purchase of 10-19 tickets 25% discount for each purchase of 20-29 tickets 30% discount for each purchase of 30 or more tickets
Package Booking Discount 15% discount on each purchase of standard tickets for 3-4 different programmes 25% discount on each purchase of standard tickets for 5-6 different programmes 30% discount on each purchase of standard tickets for 7 or more different programmes.
Group Booking Discount (from 1 May) 10% discount for each purchase of 4-9 tickets 15% discount for each purchase of 10-19 tickets 20% discount for each purchase of 20-29 tickets 25% discount for each purchase of 30 or more tickets
Package Booking Discount (from 1 May) 10% discount on each purchase of standard tickets for 3-4 different programmes 20% discount on each purchase of standard tickets for 5-6 different programmes 25% discount on each purchase of standard tickets for 7 or more different programmes.
Museum Pass Holders can enjoy 10% off discount for each purchase of 1 or more standard ticket. Please present valid physical or electronic Museum Pass upon purchase tickets at URBTIX outlets.
# Applicable to tickets for stage programmes of Chinese Culture Festival, Chinese Opera Festival 2025: Chinese Opera Film Shows and Legacy and Vision: Conversations with Chinese Cultural Masters
Patrons can enjoy only one of the above discount offers for each ticket purchased. Please inform the box office staff at the time of purchase.
For more discount details of Chinese Culture Festival 2025, please visit the website of Chinese Culture Festival
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Thematic Exhibition on Dongpo: Life in Poems
Exhibition Period: 28/5-14/6 (Wed - Sat)
Venue: Foyer Exhibition Area, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Free admission
Interesting Reference: Tracing the Origin of the Su Brothers’ Names
Su Shi’s courtesy name is Zizhan while his brother Su Zhe’s courtesy name is Ziyou. Their father Su Xun had explained the reasoning behind naming the brothers in an article ‘On Naming Two Sons’: both shi (frontal bar) and zhe (tracks left behind a running carriage) carry meanings related to ‘carriage’. The wheels, spokes, cover, and axle are all essential parts of a carriage. While the shi, the frontal bar for holding on as support, may seem unnecessary, without it, the vehicle is not complete. By naming his first son ‘Shi’, Su Xun hoped Su Shi would not overlook seemingly unimportant decorative endeavours in life. All carriages leave tracks, and although these are not traceable in the ledger of achievements, when a carriage breaks down or a horse dies, the tracks remain unaffected by misfortune. These tracks lie between fortune and misfortune and are devoid of both. Naming his second son ‘Zhe’ was a blessing for him to stay safe and free from harm.
Question: Why does Dongpo: Life in Poems abandon linear narrative in favour of presenting Su Dongpo’s life through the imagery of his poetry?
Answer: Dance is a language of the body—it is not particularly suited to storytelling. Its strength lies in conveying emotions. Su Dongpo’s poetry and lyrics are the voice of his heart. They encapsulate his spirit, his life, his ideas, and his attitude toward living. I chose poems based on the sensibilities and mood, and transformed them into expressions through dance, painting, music, and visual imagery. I wanted the audience to feel his emotional landscapes.
Question: The stage design of Dongpo: Life in Poems incorporates classical Chinese paintings like Su Dongpo’s Xiaoxiang Bamboo and Rock alongside contemporary visual art. Are the modern artworks that appear in the latter half of the show your own?
Answer: Yes. Three of the paintings used in the stage design are my own. In one scene, you can see me holding a brush as if writing calligraphy, then the image morphs towards the end into a contemporary painting. This progression from calligraphy to modern art symbolises a transformation. The image also reflects the essence of Su Dongpo’s spirit, a visualisation of his thoughts, ideals, and spiritual pursuit, which turn into rainbow clouds that drift across the sky in the final scene.
Question: Seals and seal carving play a prominent role in this production. What inspired you to include them here?
Answer: Seals are a highly significant form of art in traditional Chinese culture. In the West, artists sign their names on the works; in China, we use seals. Su Dongpo had dozens of style names throughout his life. During his most definitive phase, when he was living in Huangzhou, he became known as “Dongpo Jushi.” These names represent the way he defined himself after various life experiences. On stage, I present fourteen seals, which flow along like his life across a great river. When flipped over, these seals form a verse in one of his poems which describes the impermanence of life.
Question: What life experiences of Su Dongpo resonate with you the most?
Answer: Drifting. Throughout his life, he had wandered from place to place. That’s what we call “a drifting life” today. It is filled with hardships and he had to pay a hefty price for this. What resonates with me is his unshakable optimism in the face of adversity, and how he developed great resilience to drive himself forward. That spirit is something I feel deeply connected to.
TICKETING
DATE
VENUE
PRICE
11.06.2025 (Wed) 19:30
Dance Masterclass: Podium Workshop, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
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