ENG-2009 — Page 468

388 Recreation, Sport and the Arts

Founding of the People's Republic of China, this year's carnival featured two programmes from the Mainland opening with Genghis Khan by the Inner Mongolia Acrobatic Troupe of China, an acrobatic spectacular which blended traditional Mongolian feats with breathtaking acrobatic stunts, and The Carnival of Chinese Puppets, featuring three renowned Chinese puppet troupes. A total of 11 visiting performing groups and 29 local troupes participated in the carnival with programmes ranging from street dance performances, mask theatre, Chinese and Western music, multi-media and juggling to children's films. In addition to stage performances, the carnival featured many interactive programmes and activities including school tours, exhibitions, workshops and museum and library presentations. Some 132 500 people attended the carnival's 413 events.

Silk Road Arts Festival

The Silk Road Arts Festival was the third edition of the World's Cultures festival series that featured leading arts groups mainly from countries along the ancient Silk Road and creations inspired by it, offering a colourful array of performances that weaved together contemporary elements and traditional folk culture. The festival opened with Splendours of the Tang Dynasty by the Shaanxi Provincial Song and Dance Theatre. Other programme highlights included exotic concerts from Central and South Asia and the Middle East; Silk Road-themed New Age music by celebrated Japanese musician Kitaro; spectacular dance performances by the Georgian National Dance Company Sukhishvili and Shen Wei Dance Arts; a commissioned programme, Marco Polo's Travel to China by the En Chordais Ensemble; performances in different art forms by local arts groups as well as the closing programme, Buddhist Music Treasures from the Silk Road by three renowned Buddhist music ensembles from the Mainland. Extension activities, including exhibitions, workshops, talks, school tours, student shows, foyer and outdoor performances, were presented not only at the LCSD's performance venues but also at university theatres, shopping malls, coffee shops and libraries.

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A total of 35 visiting and 45 local arts groups performed in over 150 events during the five-week festival from October 9 to November 8 with a total attendance of more than 170 000.

Heritage

Lord Wilson Heritage Trust

The Lord Wilson Heritage Trust was established in 1992 to promote the preservation and conservation of Hong Kong's heritage by means of funding to support community organisations and individuals undertaking heritage related activities and research projects.

During 2009, the trust granted around $1.8 million

around $1.8 million to support 11 heritage-related projects.