Founded by Michelle Ong in 2010, the foundation is dedicated to social and charitable initiatives that benefit education and creativity in art design and music, and the evening was a shining example of that. Guests were split into rooms, Harmony, Hope, Symphony, Melody and Rhythm, for a socially distanced dinner that honoured French and Chinese traditions. The decor transported guests on a Parisian holiday with tall Eiffel Tower centrepieces (several of which went home with guests as keepsakes) and blue, white and red table settings mirroring the French flag. Paying homage to both cultures, chefs Vicky Lau from Tate Dining Room, Maxime Gilbert from Écriture, and Wu Yuk-ming and Tang Leung-hung from Maxim’s created a special menu, which included stewed veal dumplings and XO sauce beef bourguignon.

“Thank you for being here for this special occasion. This evening we have so much to celebrate as two communities come together to celebrate music and culinary delights,” said Jennifer Cheung, one of Ong’s daughters, as she raised a glass to toast Hong Kong’s arts and culture scene. Adrian Cheung, Ong’s son and eldest child, and Amanda Cheung, Jennifer Cheung’s twin sister, also made appearances in each room, the latter tasked with making sure things ran smoothly in the kitchen.

At 7:45pm, guests, who included Christopher Owen, Joyce Tam and Cally Chan, were whisked away by shuttle to the Hong Kong City Hall for an hour-long performance by Chinese pianist Niu Niu, a former child prodigy who became the youngest pianist to sign with EMI Classics when he was nine years old.

See also: A Look At The Dishes Served At First Initiative Foundation's Latest Fundraiser