{"id":646312,"date":"2026-08-19T23:49:18","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T23:49:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/646312\/"},"modified":"2026-08-19T23:49:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T23:49:18","slug":"hk-shanghai-cultures-in-full-bloom-at-hkia-arrival-halls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/646312\/","title":{"rendered":"HK, Shanghai cultures in full bloom at HKIA arrival halls"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bringing an artistic twist to an airport\u2019s function of connecting places, the Hong Kong International Airport has bridged the cultures of Hong Kong and Shanghai \u2013 two world-class metropolises where East and West converge \u2013 in the HKIA Arts and Culture Festival 2026, which runs until November 8.<\/p>\n

Themed \u201cResonance of Two Cities: Hong Kong and Shanghai,\u201d this year\u2019s festival has decked the arrival halls with architectural installations, multimedia exhibitions and live music performances, allowing visitors a moment\u2019s respite from the airport\u2019s hustle and bustle.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The architectural installation blends tong lau and shikumen building styles.<\/p>\n

In the arrival halls of Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, an almost-life-sized architectural installation merging Hong Kong\u2019s tong lau \u2013 tenement buildings \u2013 and Shanghai\u2019s shikumen \u2013 stone gate houses \u2013 has been erected, conceived by architectural and interior designer Gary Chang, also founder of EDGE Design Institute.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Emerald-green balconies, perforated iron gates, and pillared arcades recreate tong lau\u2019s classic facade; while a curved-top window stacked upon an archway with red brick walls recalls the elegance of shikumen.<\/p>\n

Albeit two distinct building styles, they house the same warmth of passed-down habits and memories. To enhance the buildings\u2019 sense of being lived-in, the design team made sure to include hints of human activity: be it silhouettes of family life seen through the windows, a vintage television set before a mahogany bench, a ceramic teapot next to a green bottle, a hanging wooden birdcage, or a classic bicycle leaning against the wall.<\/p>\n

\"Vivian<\/p>\n

Vivian Cheung<\/p>\n

Walking in the buildings\u2019 arcades, visitors will find tong lau\u2019s white-and-green geometric tiles beneath their feet slowly transition into shikumen\u2019s stone-paved floors, effectively transporting them between Hong Kong\u2019s streetscape and Shanghai\u2019s alleyways.<\/p>\n

Apart from this architectural installation, travelers in Terminal 2 will find exhibitions that express the unique beauty of the two cities in different media.<\/p>\n

First off is a joint photo exhibition. \u201cCity Quest \u2022 The Love of Being in Community\u201d presents award-winning works from the \u201cSmartphone Photo Contest\u201d under the \u201cCity Quest\u201d program, a community engagement initiative by City University. Captured by citizens using their mobile phones, the photographs provide a raw perspective into Hongkongers\u2019 daily life in the concrete jungle, a lively ecosystem of diverse architectural styles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In parallel,\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThe City of Reflection \u2022\u00a0 Shanghai\u2019s Time Capsule\u201d showcases works by acclaimed photographers Zheng Xianzhang, Gong Chao, and Nice, chronicling decades of Shanghai\u2019s urban evolution through humanistic and drone photography.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A bicycle leans against the iconic red brick walls of the shikumen.<\/p>\n

In a joint painting exhibition, \u201cHong Kong: Rhythms of the Living City\u201d \u2013 curated by Peoplehood \u2013 gathers works by young local artists who portray Hong Kong\u2019s dynamism in avant-garde styles and diverse mediums; while \u201cCity of Landscapes \u2022 Shanghai Glows,\u201d brought by JIN Space Art founder Michelle Xu, conveys Shanghai\u2019s multifaceted charm, lodged in famous landmarks as well as humble streetscapes.<\/p>\n

Fashion can also be a canvas for depicting a city, as demonstrated by the \u201cWearing Hong Kong: Cheongsam Reimagined\u201d exhibition. Five cheongsams by CAMMIE CHAN CHEONGSAM expresses modern creativity with elements inspired by the Bauhinia flower, mahjong, and local architecture, while highlighting classic features like the mandarin collar and side slits. An interactive zone even allows visitors to slip into aprons in the shape of cheongsams, giving them a taste of wearing this elegant attire.<\/p>\n

\"Cheongsams<\/p>\n

Cheongsams inspired by the Bauhinia flower, mahjong, and local architecture.<\/p>\n

In Terminal 1, an artistic program no less exciting has unfolded.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The large screen at the arrival hall plays five videos across four themes: \u201cHong Kong Travelogue,\u201d by artists from the non-profit Hong Chi Association; \u201cWe Learn We Draw: Children\u2019s Joy and Innocence,\u201d featuring sketches by primary students championing eco-awareness; \u201cThe Journey of Growth for Hong Kong Visual Arts Gifted Students,\u201d a collection by secondary students; and \u201cChildren\u2019s Shanghai Wonders,\u201d a moving portrayal through the eyes of special needs children.<\/p>\n

A feast for the ears also awaits visitors at Terminal 1, where both emerging and accomplished musicians from the two cities give live performances.<\/p>\n

At the festival\u2019s opening, renowned local singer Joey Tang Kin-ming, along with the In-heritage Philharmonic from Hong Kong and Music Bund City Band from Shanghai, blended rock, jazz, and classical music in a new arrangement of the legendary song The Bund, or Shanghai Tan.<\/p>\n

Tang also performed 80s\u2019 Cantonese classics, such as Samuel Hui Koon-kit\u2019s Eiffel Tower Above the Clouds and The Private Eyes, Beyond\u2019s No More Hesitation, and Tai Chi\u2019s Red Sports Car, showcasing Hong Kong\u2019s rock music to travelers from all over the world.<\/p>\n

Airport Authority Hong Kong chief executive Vivian Cheung Kar-fay said a simultaneous exhibition will be held at the Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, demonstrating the close collaboration between the twin cities.<\/p>\n

\"From<\/p>\n

From left: Music Bund City Band founder Wang Ye, Joey Tang, and violinist Wong Pui-ying performing The Bund.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Bringing an artistic twist to an airport\u2019s function of connecting places, the Hong Kong International Airport has bridged…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":646313,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[267],"tags":[365,362,363,364,9,381,366,18,26146,117,1729,111673,6,111675,111674,111676,19,17,11,111677,132,1702,111672,65],"class_list":["post-646312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-artsdesign","tag-breaking-news","tag-china","tag-design","tag-eire","tag-english-daily","tag-entertainment","tag-finance","tag-free-newspaper","tag-headlines","tag-hong-kong-media","tag-hong-kong-news","tag-hong-kong-news-media","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-latest-news","tag-sing-tao","tag-sports","tag-standard","tag-the-standard","tag-world"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/117124856888764239","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/646312","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=646312"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/646312\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/646313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=646312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=646312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=646312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}