Letters | With or without Taylor Swift, Hong Kong has enough to offer

Readers discuss what Hong Kong should focus on in trying to attract tourists, and the proposal to have a monthly firework display over Victoria Harbour

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Cellist Yo-Yo Ma on stage in a sold-out concert, performed with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre on November 9, 2023. Photo: Hong Kong Philharmonic

Published: 11:43am, 26 Mar 2024

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I echo the views expressed in the letter, “Taylor Swift’s concerts shouldn’t fuel Singapore-Hong Kong comparisons” (March 17). Your correspondent has grasped the realities of our city and the city state succinctly.

I attended two totally different programmes during the Hong Kong Arts Festival this month – one was an original Cantonese musical about a young man who aspires to be a lion dance master, the other Bright & Black by the Baltic Sea Philharmonic, an unconventional orchestra playing heavy metal music. Both played to full houses and, judging by the audience response, were much enjoyed. The latter had the audience on their feet like at a rock concert.

I thought to myself that night, “Who needs Taylor Swift? Hong Kong has class and diversity in the arts.” We have the Arts Festival, a world-class philharmonic orchestra, the Hong Kong Ballet, Art Basel, Art Central, M+, the Palace Museum and the Hong Kong Museum of Art, not to mention the different art programmes and installations indoors and outdoors all year round. We should forge our own path and play to our strengths, instead of trying to follow others.

We have something going on all year round. On our websites, besides the activities and lists of places to visit, it would be helpful for potential visitors to have a calendar of what’s happening in each month, so that they can better plan their trip to the city, and consider a longer stay if they would like to attend different events.

It may also be helpful when visitors pass through immigration if they are slipped an attractive and well-designed card with a QR code that shows what’s happening in the city for that month.

Hong Kong has so much to offer, we just need to let the world know.