HONG KONG — A media preview for this year’s Asia+ Festival was held in Hong Kong on Thursday, whetting appetites for the cultural gala featuring more than 100 performances and activities by artists from over 30 Asian and Belt and Road countries and regions.

During the preview at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, guzheng (Chinese zither) virtuoso Wan Xing and guest guitarist Jacky Lau delivered a collaborative demo performance.

Students from the Taoist Ching Chung Primary School Martial Arts and Lion Dance Team performed the traditional Chinese Shigu (lion dance drum), and local veteran musician Carl Wong — producer of this year’s flagship TRI-ART!ON concert — shared his inspiration.

Since its launch in 2023, the Asia+ Festival has built a platform for arts and cultural exchange across Asia and Belt and Road countries and regions. Its past two editions each gathered artists from over 30 countries and regions, staging more than 100 performances and activities that attracted over 100,000 attendees — a strong testament to the festival’s success in fostering cultural exchange and mutual learning.

Under the theme “Traditions Recast,” the festival’s 2026 edition presents a diverse range of art forms, including music, dance, acrobatics, and more, blending traditional and contemporary cultures to reinterpret performing arts from fresh perspectives.

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TRI-ART!ON, the opening program, delivers a refreshing band performance. Wong joins acclaimed artist Jun Kung, top instrumentalist Jason Kui and popular bands from Mongolia, Korea, and Thailand in a debut collaboration showcasing the pulse of contemporary Asian music.

Stage programs this year will focus on traditional Asian cultures, including performances that fuse Chinese shigu (lion dance drums) with Malay and Balinese gamelan music, as well as Vietnamese acrobatics incorporating intangible cultural heritage music.

Other highlights include the renowned Brazilian duo Assad Brothers’ 60th anniversary guitar tour, a cross-disciplinary creation by Syrian music masters and a Pakistani calligraphy artist, and the ever-popular outdoor carnival “Asian Ethnic Cultural Performances+”.

The Asia+ Festival runs from mid-September to late November 2026. For program enquiries and concessionary schemes, visit www.asiaplus.gov.hk.

China Daily photographer Andy Chong reveals the first look through his camera.