Yim Tin Tsai Arts Festival

The village of Yim Tin Tsai in Sai Kung has a history of nearly three centuries. Inhabited by villagers surnamed Chan, the island exemplifies the peaceful co-existence of Roman Catholicism and Hakka culture. 　In parallel with Hong Kong’s urbanisation, villagers gradually moved out, and fortunately, the valuable natural ecology and heritage are both well-preserved. The conservation of St. Joseph’s Chapel and the revitalisation of the saltpans have won the Award of Merit and Award of Distinction presented by the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation in 2005 and 2015 respectively, affirming Yim Tin Tsai’s cultural value and characteristics.

Yim Tin Tsai Arts Festival, organised by the Tourism Commission, is a three-year pilot scheme bringing to participants new experience integrating arts, religion, culture, heritage and green elements, and adopting three key concepts of “Sky, Earth and Human” as the theme for each event. As the curator of the Arts Festival, Hulu Culture invites local and overseas artists as well as youngsters to co-create with the villagers to turn the island into an “open museum”.

The first event of the series, Yim Tin Tsai Arts Festival 2019, and the second event, Yim Tin Tsai Arts Festival (Online Edition) were held by end 2019 and early 2021 respectively with overwhelming support from participants, and many artworks have become permanent exhibits on the island after the two events.

The third event of the series, Yim Tin Tsai Arts Festival 2021 will be held from 17 April to 16 July 2021. With the first two events adopting the concept of “Sky” and “Earth”, the theme of “Human” will be featured in the Arts Festival 2021. Through a variety of artworks in different art forms, the Arts Festival 2021 will showcase the harmonious co-existence of “Sky, Earth and Human” in Yim Tin Tsai.

To allow local and overseas participants to enjoy the Arts Festival even at home, 360-degree virtual reality function will be available on the official website of the Arts Festival to display the scenic spots and artworks in Yim Tin Tsai. Participants can further understand stories of the scenic spots of the island and the creative concept of the artworks through the audio guides on the website.