Hing Chao founded the Hong Kong Culture Festival in 2015 to celebrate everything from lion dancing to kung fu to traditional Cantonese cuisine. This year’s event runs from now until February 2019—here are five highlights

1. Safeguarding the Community: An Intangible Cultural Heritage New Media Exhibition

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Above A still from Anothermountainman's 3D animation of a dragon dance

This exhibition at City Hall brings to life traditional Chinese arts using clever new technology. Hong Kong artist Stanley Wong (who works under the name Anothermountainman) has created a 3D animation of a dragon dance especially for the show, while visual effects director Victor Wang has animated a 19th-century Okinawan boxing manual to illustrate historic martial arts techniques.

Another highlight is the three-metre-long Wokou scroll that dates back to the early 17th century and has been lent to the exhibition by the University of Tokyo.

Safeguarding the Community runs until October 10 in the Exhibition Hall, City Hall, 5 Edinburgh Place, Central, Hong Kong; +852 2921 2840

See also: 10 Hong Kong Art Exhibitions To See In September

2. The 16th Hong Kong Synergy 24 Drum Competition

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Above Last year's Synergy 24 Drum Competition

Co-organised by the Hong Kong Culture Festival and Hong Kong Drum Festival, this two-day-long competition sees drummers from around the city gather in Tsim Sha Tsui to perform a variety of songs and routines. The traditional art of lion dancing will be celebrated at the competition for the first time this year, with drummers competing in the new Lion Dance Drum category.

The 16th Hong Kong Synergy 24 Drum Competition runs from October 13—14 at the Tsim Sha Tsui Harbourfront

3. Hong Kong Classic Films Retrospective

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Above A screening at last year's Hong Kong Culture Festival

Hong Kong has long been a film hub in Asia and has been home to cinematic icons such as Run-Run Shaw, Bruce Lee, Wong Kar-wai and many more. This retrospective at the Hong Kong Space Museum explores the city’s rich cinematic history through a series of screenings, lectures, exhibitions and workshops.  

The Hong Kong Classic Films Retrospective runs from November 17—18 and December 15—16 in the Lecture Hall, Hong Kong Space Museum, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong; +852 (2734 2718)

See also: Art Insider: Catherine Kwai

4. The Intangible Cultural Heritage Mart

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Above Children learn the art of unicorn dancing at last year's Intangible Cultural Heritage Mart

The third annual Intangible Cultural Heritage Mart will once again showcase a variety of Chinese arts and crafts, among them lion dancing, unicorn dancing, puppetry, kung-fu, towering 55-feet-tall floral wreaths and a huge variety of traditional food. As well as watching lion and unicorn dances, visitors can learn some moves themselves in a string of dance workshops.

The Intangible Cultural Heritage Mart runs from 26 to 28 October at the piazza of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong

5. Heaven and Earth – Contemporary Ink Art Exhibition Featuring Artists from Hong Kong and Inner Mongolia

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Above Hong Kong artist Chan Wai painting the grasslands of Inner Mongolia

For this exhibition, the Hong Kong Culture Festival organised an artist exchange with the remote Hulunbuir region of Inner Mongolia, bringing Hong Kong artists to the wilds of the Mongolian desert and inviting Mongolian artists to experience manic urban life in Hong Kong. Inspired by their experiences, all the artists involved have produced new ink paintings specifically for this exhibition.

Heaven and Earth runs from February 11 to 26 in the Exhibition Hall, City Hall, 5 Edinburgh Place, Central, Hong Kong; +852 2921 2840

For more information on these events and other aspects of the Hong Kong Culture Festival, visit hkculturefestival.com

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