Bay gala for festival

A gala for Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will be held in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province, in celebration of Mid-Autumn Festival on Sept 21.The gala will be streamed on major video platforms.

Falling on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, the traditional Chinese holiday is about time for family members to gather together. Eating mooncakes－a kind of round pastry with different flavors－is the most symbolic tradition of the day.

The gala will feature filmmakers and musicians from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

Chinese singer-songwriter Chang Shilei will perform the theme song for the concert, titled Wan, which literally translates to "bay".

With lyrics written by Wang Pingjiu and music composed by Chang, the song will make its debut at the concert.

"I was born in Guangzhou and the song features the elements of a popular Cantonese folk song of my hometown, titled Yue Guangguang (Bright Moonlight), which is about family and happy life. The folk song has been adapted into different versions and performed for occasions such as weddings," says Chang. "The song, Wan, delivers best wishes for people during Mid-Autumn Festival."

The 40-year-old Chang, born and raised in Guangzhou, Guangdong, graduated from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and is known for writing the theme song of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, You and Me, which was performed at the opening ceremony by Chinese singer Liu Huan and British soprano Sarah Brightman.

The bay gala was announced during a three-week online shopping event dedicated to products from that area, which kicked off on Sept 2.

The shopping event is being jointly overseen by the Ministry of Commerce, the provincial government of Guangdong, and the liaison offices of the central government in Hong Kong and Macao, to promote the integration of the Bay Area and boost consumption.

The date, Sept 2, symbolizes the close relationship among major urban clusters in the area that include nine cities in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, according to the event organizers who say the area, which boasts many homegrown brands, ranks among the most open and economically vibrant regions in China.

Together with the shopping festival, the show will focus on the area and the concept of reunion, according to Duan Rong, director of the gala.

More than 100 stars and entertainers will perform in the gala, including martial arts star Jackie Chan, singer-songwriter Li Yuchun and Hong Kong pop star Alan Tam.

The main visual design for the gala is a bridge, symbolizing the 55-kilometer Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, which is the world's longest cross-sea thoroughfare that opened to traffic in 2018. It has become a tourist spot in the area due to its design and magnificent views.

The gala will also feature movie elements with over 200 filmmakers, actors and actresses joining, such as actor Liu Ye, actress Angie Chiu and actor-director Deng Chao.

Popular Cantonese songs from Hong Kong movies that will appeal to nostalgic fans will also be performed to celebrate the 24th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland.