The Hong Kong Drum Festival was first held in 2003 as part of a series of events to get Hong Kong back on its feet after the outbreak of the SARS epidemic. It aims to foster a community spirit and introduce traditional Chinese music to people from all walks of life and support local communities through a series of community-based activities.

This year’s festival highlights include “One Beat, One World: Connecting through the Drum” events titled sponsored by Chinachem Group, “Hong Kong Synergy 24 Drum Competition” sponsored by Safety Godown Group, and performances by drum ensembles from Hong Kong and Mainland China.

In particular, the Chinachem Group presents: “One Beat, One World: Connecting through the Drum” series features a range of drum-themed events across Hong Kong’s 18 districts in which members of the public and overseas are welcome to join.

In this series, participants can learn how to play the drum in the hands-on drum lessons and live performances; play drum beats on recycled objects at the online ‘drum challenge’, watch online performances by drum ensembles from across the world; join young members of the HKCO at a drum workshop with recycled materials at Central Market and Nina Tower; and try out the huge 3.47 meter Taiping drum in a series of live drum concerts and carnival complete with game booths and lively atmosphere in West Kowloon Cultural District.

In addition to performances by drum ensembles from mainland China, this year’s festival also includes concerts by renowned percussionists from around the world, which will help reinforce Hong Kong’s reputation as an events capital and center for cultural exchange following the recent launch of the “Hello Hong Kong” campaign.

At the kick-off ceremony, Yan Huichang, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor for Life of HKCO, said, “The Hong Kong Drum Festival brings together musicians, the education sector and local communities, and embodies the ‘can-do’ attitude that defines Hong Kong.”

“Since its launch, it has received widespread acclaim for its efforts to introduce the art of Chinese drum music to people from all sectors of society, including senior citizens, young people, socially disadvantaged individuals, and ethnic minorities,” Yan continued.

The festival has, over the years, been well-received by the public as he adds that the Hong Kong Synergy 24 Drum Competition has attracted participants as old as 98 and as young as two-and-a-half.

His comments were echoed by Donald Choi, Executive Director and Group CEO at Chinachem Group. “We are very honoured to launch this new partnership with the HKCO where we will be organising a diverse range of uplifting musical and cultural events that will bring together people from all walks of life,” he said. “Through these events, we hope to introduce the art of Chinese drum music to a wider audience, engage local communities, and demonstrate our commitment to people, prosperity and the planet.”

Check out HKCO’s website on www.hkco.org and Facebook page for further details.