Actors perform The Peony Pavilion, a Kunqu opera, during the founding ceremony of the Hong Kong Fuzhou Friendship Association on Aug 13, 2023 in Hong Kong. (PHOTO / PROVIDED TO CHINADAILY)

The Hong Kong Fuzhou Friendship Association held its founding ceremony and inaugurated its executive council in Hong Kong on Sunday as it celebrated the 26th anniversary of the city's return to the motherland.  

More than 400 people attended the event, including Starry Lee Wai-king, member in the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and chairman of Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong; Fuzhou Municipal Party Committee Secretary Wei Xiaokui; Secretary-General of the Hong Kong Coalition Tam Yiu-chung; and Zhong Jichang, an official from Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR. 

Fuzhou, located in Jiangxi province, is known for its cultural achievements and as the home of some of the most renowned figures in Chinese literature, philosophy, and politics

Fuzhou, located in Jiangxi province, is known for its cultural achievements and as the home of some of the most renowned figures in Chinese literature, philosophy, and politics. They include Tang Xianzu, a dramatist during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) who was honored as the "Shakespeare of the East", and the author of The Peony Pavilion, a signature work in Kunqu opera.   

Wei said that Fuzhou has a reputation as the home of talented people and Fuzhou and Hong Kong share a history of cultural exchanges and economic ties. 

With enthusiasm for “one country, two systems”, the association could make a contribution to the country’s goal of high-quality development and Hong Kong's long-term prosperity.

Participants pose for a photo during the founding ceremony of the Hong Kong Fuzhou Friendship Association on Aug 13, 2023 in Hong Kong. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

At the ceremony, Ho Chi-ping, president of the association's executive council, said that the council would, with great responsibility and a sense of mission, hold to the tradition of loving the country, Hong Kong, and Fuzhou, gathering the wisdom from all sides to strengthen community ties.