XN000022-1992-09-30 — Page 13

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1992

12

LANTERNS LIGHT UP "BRIDGE ACROSS THE PACIFIC"

* * * *

THE ANCIENT LEGEND OF MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL CASTS ITS SPELL ON SCARBOROUGH, CANADA, ON TUESDAY EVENING AS CHILDREN OF DIFFERENT ETHNIC BACKGROUND LIGHT UP COLOURFUL PAPER LANTERNS

FOR A SPECIAL PARADE AMID THE SIGHT AND SOUND OF LION DANCERS AND DRUMMERS.

THE SPECTACULAR SCARBOROUGH LANTERN FESTIVAL WAS ONE OF THE MAIN EVENTS OF FESTIVAL HONG KONG '92 WHICH AIMED AT BRIDGING CULTURAL BOUNDARIES AND STRENGTHENING TIES BETWEEN CANADA AND HONG KONG.

CITY,

AN

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY, THE MAYOR OF SCARBOROUGH

MRS JOYCE TRIMMER, SAID THE EXCITING PROGRAMME WAS OUTSTANDING OPPORTUNITY FOR MEMBERS AND VISITORS TO THE CITY ΤΟ EXPERIENCE AN EVENT THAT CELEBRATED SCARBOROUGH'S ETHNIC DIVERSITY.

SHE SAID THE LANTERN FESTIVAL TIED IN VERY WELL WITH THE THEME OF FESTIVAL HONG KONG "BRIDGE ACROSS THE PACIFIC".

-

SHE NOTED THAT BY LIGHTING THE BRIDGE WITH LANTERNS AND THROUGH EXPERIENCE SHARING, IT WOULD BRING ABOUT DEEPER UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION OF DIFFERENT CULTURES.

TO UNDERLINE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LANTERN FESTIVAL, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL, DR RONALD LEUNG, LED A 10- MEMBER DELEGATION TO VISIT CANADA.

SOON AFTER THE DELEGATION ARRIVED IN CANADA IN THE EVENING, THEY WENT TO SCARBOROUGH CIVIC CENTRE TO TAKE PART IN THE FESTIVAL.

AND

OFFICIATING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY, DR LEUNG SAID CHINESE LANTERN WAS A WORK OF ART AS WELL AS A SYMBOL OF JOY, CELEBRATION FESTIVITY.

"THE URBAN COUNCIL IS FIRMLY COMMITTED TO PRESERVING CHINESE CULTURE AND HERITAGE. WE HAVE BEEN ORGANISING LANTERN FESTIVALS ANNUALLY IN HONG KONG, HE SAID.

1+

HE NOTED THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME A LANTERN FESTIVAL ON SUCH A LARGE SCALE WAS BEING HELD OVERSEAS. HE HOPED THAT THE JOYFUL SPIRIT OF THE FESTIVAL WOULD REMAIN WITH ALL THE PARTICIPANTS.

APART FROM STAGING A LANTERN FESTIVAL, FESTIVAL HONG KONG FEATURED OTHER SIGNIFICANT CULTURAL PROGRAMMES ON TUESDAY.

ALSO

ABOUT 2,000 AUDIENCE PACKED THE ROY THOMSON HALL IN TORONTO FOR CONCERT BY CONDUCTOR MR SAMUEL WONG AND THE TORONTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA.

A

THE FESTIVAL HONG KONG CHILDREN'S CHORUS AND THE HONG KONG YOUTH

AT CHINESE MUSIC INSTRUMENTAL ENSEMBLE ALSO GAVE A PERFORMANCE THE CARDINAL CARTER ACADEMY FOR THE ARTS DURING THE DAY.

0

—

+

/13