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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1980
SPEECH BY HAYES
ADDRESSING THE GATHERING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY, MR J.W. HAYES, PRESIDENT OF THE SECOND TSUEN WAN FESTIVAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, POINTED OUT THAT CULTURE IN TSUEN WAN WAS NOT A NEW GROWTH.
MR HAYES WHO IS ALSO THE TOWN MANAGER AND DISTRICT OFFICER, SAID ALTHOUGH TSUEN WAN'S ORIGINAL RESIDENTS WERE MAINLY FARMERS AND FISHERMEN, WORKING HARD TO MAINTAIN AN UNCERTAIN LIVELIHOOD, THEIR LIFE WAS NOT DEVOID OF CULTURAL ACTIVITIES.
+IT WAS USUAL TO HOLD OPERAS AND PUPPET SHOWS IN CONNECTION WITH THE LOCAL TEMPLES TO THANK THE GODS AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO PROTECT THE COMMUNITY. THERE WERE MARTIAL ARTS AND DANCE GROUPS WHICH CELEBRATED HAPPY EVENTS AND WENT IN PROCESSION TO WARD OFF SICKNESS AND BAD FORTUNE.+
MR HAYES NOTED THAT DESPITE THE TOWN'S RAPID GROWTH, SOME ELEMENTS OF THE TRADITIONAL CULTURE HAD BEEN RETAINED.
+THE TSUEN WAN RURAL COMMITTEE AND THE FELLOW COUNTRYMEN'S ASSOCIATIONS ESTABLISHED 20 YEARS AGO FOR SELF-HELP PURPOSES HAVE COMBINED WITH MARTIAL ARTS GROUPS AND OTHERS TO KEEP ALIVE TRADITIONAL OPERA PERFORMANCES AND PROCESSIONS, INTRODUCING NEW ELEMENTS FROM OTHER PARTS OF KWANGTUNG. ALSO, THE LOCAL SCHOOLS, OLD AND NEW, HAVE CONTINUED TO KEEP ALIVE THE SPIRIT OF CHINESE LEARNING AND CULTURE.+
HE POINTED OUT THAT THE EXISTING CULTURAL ACTIVITIES HAD RECEIVED STRONG SUPPORT FROM THE DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
MR HAYES SAID THAT THE BOARD HAD PAID THE BASIC EXPENSES OF THE FOUR MAJOR LOCAL PROMOTION GROUPS IN MUSIC, DANCE, DRAMA AND CULTURE SO THAT THEY COULD CONCENTRATE THEIR EFFORTS ON TRAINING AND EXPANSION.
+GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS HAVE ALWAYS SHARED IN AND ENCOURAGED THESE ACTIVITIES, HE ADDED.
IN MAKING A VOTE OF THANKS, MR CHAN PO-FONG, CHAIRMAN OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE SECOND TSUEN WAN ARTS FESTIVAL, SAID THAT THIS YEAR'S PROGRAMME EXCELLED LAST YEAR'S BOTH IN CONTENT AND QUALITY, WELL MATCHING THE SPLENDID TOWN HALL.
MR CHAN SAID THAT FROM THE ENCOURAGING BOX OFFICE SALES, AN AUDIENCE OF OVER 60 000 WAS EXPECTED.
HE THANKED ALL THOSE CONCERNED IN ORGANISING THE FESTIVAL AND SAID THAT IT DEMONSTRATED THAT THE FESTIVAL WAS A RESULT OF VOLUNTARY COOPERATION OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND CONCERNED GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS.
FESTIVAL PROGRAMME
THE SECOND TSUEN WAN ARTS FESTIVAL PRESENTED JOINTLY BY THE TSUEN WAN DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD, THE TSUEN WAN TOWN HALL, THE TSUEN WAN CULTURE AND RECREATION CO-ORDINATING ASSOCIATION AND THE MUSIC OFFICE, WILL BE ON UNTIL MARCH 16.
/BOTH LOCAL