Hong Kong Soundscape 2026: Tan Dun, Opera, Ecology and Cultural Diplomacy in Asia
An internationally broadcast countryside music event aligning environmental stewardship with cultural innovation.
An internationally broadcast countryside music event aligning environmental stewardship with cultural innovation.
Hong Kong’s northeastern countryside will become a global cultural stage on 1 March 2026 as the Countryside Harvest Festival 2026: “Hong Kong Soundscape – Opera & Dance” One Day Music Festival unfolds at Yan Chau Tong in Mirs Bay. Recognised by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment as an “Outstanding Example of Beautiful Bays,” this coastal landscape offers more than scenery. It becomes part of the performance itself.
Presented by the Countryside Conservation Office under the Environment and Ecology Bureau, and featured as a “Festival PLUS” programme of the 54th Hong Kong Arts Festival, the one-day event positions Hong Kong at the intersection of music, conservation and cultural diplomacy.
At the artistic helm is Tan Dun, UNESCO Global Goodwill Ambassador and Hong Kong’s Ambassador for Cultural Promotion. Internationally acclaimed for bridging Eastern and Western musical traditions, Tan Dun has composed a new work inspired directly by the serenity of Hong Kong’s northeastern countryside. His practice, known for merging ritual, nature and orchestral innovation, makes him an apt cultural ambassador for a festival that speaks equally of ecology and art.
The festival gathers musicians and dancers from Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and overseas, creating a powerful dialogue between opera, dance and the natural environment. Performed on an open-air stage framed by mountains and sea, the programme invites audiences to experience sound not as an isolated art form, but as part of a living landscape. In this setting, cultural communication extends beyond performance into shared environmental awareness.
From an Asia-focused music and arts perspective, this festival signals a broader regional narrative. Asia’s cultural future increasingly integrates sustainability with artistic excellence. By staging a world-class music event within a protected countryside site, Hong Kong demonstrates how environmental conservation and high culture can coexist and amplify one another. It is both a celebration and a statement.
Global audiences can access the event through live broadcasts on platforms including Brand Hong Kong, HK PLUS, the Hong Kong Arts Festival and Phoenix TV. This digital reach expands the festival’s cultural diplomacy footprint, positioning Hong Kong as a creative and ecological hub within Asia’s evolving arts landscape.
For those attending in person, a dedicated live concert session runs from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm on 1 March 2026 at Lai Chi Wo. Free ferry services between Sha Tau Kok and Lai Chi Wo will operate on the event day, with reservations available online. Visitors are advised to arrange the required Sha Tau Kok Frontier Closed Area Permit in advance.
In a single afternoon, “Hong Kong Soundscape – Opera & Dance” reframes the countryside as concert hall, the sea as orchestra pit, and the audience as participant in a wider cultural conversation. It is not merely a festival, but a reminder that Asia’s artistic voice resonates most powerfully when it listens to its own landscape.
The Music Programs
Music Program #1: Tan Dun & Yang Liping’s Immersive Music and Dance: The Rite of Spring – Samsara with the New York Percussion Ensemble.
Tan Dun | Deer of Nine Colours, Heart Sutra
Choreographer: Yang Liping Conductor: Tan Dun
Dancers: Zhu Fengwei (Da Zhu), Dong Jilan (Maya)
Piano: Frank Corliss, Yijia Wang
New York Percussion Ensemble: Anthony, Rodney, Nathaniel, Michael
Soprano: Candice Chung
Morin Khuur and Throat Singing: Lau Chun Ho
Reverse-Played Pipa Dance: Chen Yining
Music Program #2: Tan Dun | The Martial Arts Trilogy
An Epic of Film Music: The Music of Ang Lee, Zhang Yimou, and Feng Xiaogang
Sonata for Violin and Piano, Hero
Sonata for Cello and Piano, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Piano Sonata, The Banquet
Trio Sonata for Violin, Cello and Piano, Resurrection
Composer/Guide: Tan Dun
Hong Kong, Macau & Shenzhen Trio | Nina Wong (Violin), Nie Jiapeng (Cello), Vanessa Wong Wai-yin (Piano)
For live updates of the music program, click here.
More information at the Countryside Conservation Office, click here.
Live Broad of the two programs above is available at RTHK, 1.30-2.30pm and 4.30-5.00pm. For live broadcast, log in here for link to watch the live performance.
CCTV, HK Arts Festival 2026, and Phoenix Satellite TV will also be live telecasting.
For more regional collaboration between Deep Bay and Mirs Bay, visit the website of Environmental Protection Department, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
