The Tai O dragon boat water parade is a traditional activity unique to the local community. During the Dragon Boat Festival, the three fishermen’s associations in Tai O, namely Pa Teng Hong, Sin Yu Hong and Hap Sim Tong, organise the dragon boat water parade. The associations’ dragon boats tow sacred sampans carrying deity statuettes in a parade through Tai O waters to invoke blessings for well-being and peace. This has been practised for a century or more.
Jointly organized by South China Research Center and the Joint Association of Traditional Hakka Unicorn in Sai Kung and Hang Hau, and funded by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Office, the 4th "Hang Hau Intangible Cultural Heritage Activity Day" (ICH Day) will be held on May 9, 2023 (Tuesday) at the temporary bamboo theater in the parking lot of Hang Hau Village. Students from tertiary institutions are invited to join the "Service-learning Program" on the ICH Day to assist in the preparation work, so as to learn about the local community and traditional knowledge of intangible cultural heritage, and at the same time understand the relationship between local culture and intangible cultural heritage.
The traditional Hakka Unicorn Dance has been practiced for more than 200 years. The Hakka people believe that the Chinese unicorn, qilin, is an auspicious animal that can ward off evil and bring them good luck. They perform unicorn dances during Lunar New Year, weddings, birthday parties, and communal festivals, as well as in enlightening rituals for new houses and renovated ancestral halls. After settling in Hong Kong’s New Territories, the Hakka people have developed their style of music and sequence of movements for the unicorn dance. In 2014, the Hang Hau Hakka unicorn dance was inscribed onto the fourth national list of ICH.
South China Research Center and the Joint Association of Traditional Hakka Unicorn in Hang Hau and Sai Kung jointly organize this Hakka unicorn dance workshop at HKUST to foster understanding and participation in local heritage.
The traditional Hakka Unicorn Dance has been practised for more than 200 years. The Hakka people believe the Chinese unicorn, the qilin, is an auspicious animal that can ward off evil and bring good luck. So, on all celebratory occasions such as Chinese New Year, weddings, birthday parties, the rehabilitation of an ancestral hall, moving into a new home, welcoming guests, the jiao festivals and birthdays of deities, there would invariably be a unicorn dance. Since the Hakka people had brought it to Hong Kong and fused it with local traditional music and martial arts, the unicorn dance has developed its own styles and sequence of movements. Hang Hau Hakka unicorn dance was inscribed onto the fourth national list of ICH in 2014.
「嘆歌」是香港水上居民傳承的歌謠，亦是生命禮儀中的基本元素。在傳統婚嫁儀式中，新娘與家人透過嘆歌互訴離情，並且唱出婚姻所帶來的社會責任與親屬 關係。在傳統喪葬儀式中，嘆唱者訴說親人離世之苦，更將喪葬儀式的場景及過程，以嘆唱的方式告訴死者。嘆歌旋律簡單，有相對固定的歌詞，但歌者可以配合現場環境，即興調整與創作。
本活動邀請到黎帶金女士作為導師，帶領一共五節工作坊，期望參加者在過程中瞭解嘆歌傳統，學習嘆唱技巧。
Tseung Kwan O consists of the southwestern part of the Clear Water Bay Peninsula and the adjacent bay. This area was recorded in Yue Da Ji (粵大記), which was published during the Wanli (萬曆) period of the Ming Dynasty (1573-1620). As early as 300 years ago, local and Hakka villagers began settling in Sai Kung and the Clear Water Bay Peninsula. The settlers then earned a living through farming.
