West Kowloon Bamboo Theatre: safeguarding and revitalising intangible cultural heritage in Hong Kong

Abstract eng:
Cantonese Opera is the first Hong Kong item to be inscribed in the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity. Bamboo theatres are special temporary bamboo structures built especially for the performance of Cantonese opera. In tradition, these bamboo theatres are intricately related to local rituals and festivals in rural villages, which led to what is known in Hong Kong, the Operas for Deities ( ). Since 2012, a temporary bamboo theatre has been set up during the Chinese New Year period on the future site of the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD). The West Kowloon Cultural District, directly financed by the government, aims at boosting cultural and entertainment establishments at Hong Kong, is the largest cultural project in the territory. Cantonese opera is one of the major art forms that the WKCD will emphasise. One of the first cultural venues of the WKCD will be the Xiqu (Chinese Opera) Centre, which will be in used in 2016. It will be equipped with performing spaces and arts education facilities, aiming to become the home base and the hub for the development and preservation of Chinese operas in the region. Before the hardware of the WKCD is finished, the WKCDA currently run various activities inspired by this art form in anticipation of the Xiqu Centre’s opening. One of the most significant flagship events is the West Kowloon Bamboo Theatre. The WKCDA tried to bring this special cultural space of bamboo theatre to the site and introduce it to the general public before this cultural practice is about to distinct due to the modernization of villages. Combining traditional and contemporary features in both architectural design and programme selection, the West Kowloon Bamboo Theatre is dedicated to bringing the WKCD’s vision of fostering a new cultural atmosphere for Hong Kong to life. What makes the West Kowloon Bamboo Theatre different from the other bamboo theatres is that the event held there are not aligned with religion practices and is not exclusively for the local clans. By building the Bamboo Theatre, WKCD transformed and transferred this exclusive cultural space from rural areas to the city centre for the public. This paper will give an overview of the strategic plan of the West Kowloon Bamboo Theatre project and analyze the key factors which make it successful in safeguarding and revitalizing the intangible cultural heritage in Hong Kong. 1 INTRODUCTION Since 2012, a temporary bamboo theatre has been set up during the Chinese New Year period on the future site of the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD). This special event drew attention from the public back to the always neglected yet important tradition of bamboo theatres, as well as the local intangible cultural heritage of Cantonese opera of Hong Kong. This aimed at building the audience base and artistic capacity for the future Xiqu Centre in the arts hub, while arousing public awareness on safeguarding ICH.

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