（Hong Kong, 6th March, 2025）The Hong Kong Gaudeamus Dunhuang Ensemble (HKGDE) made a successful debut in its first-ever ‘Go West’ concert tour to two of the most important cultural centres of the world – London and Paris. The tour included performances at the British Library as well as cultural exchange sessions at the University College of London (UCL), School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, and Centre Culturel de Chine à Paris. The tour marked a milestone in HKGDE’s commitment to promoting cultural exchange and preserving ancient Dunhuang musical traditions.

The tour kicked off at the British Library as part of the closing ceremony of the exhibition “A Silk Road Oasis: Life in Ancient Dunhuang”. A new programme entitled “Resonance of the Silk Road: Past, Present and Future” was specially created by HKGDE to resonate with the exhibition theme. The 90-minute concert was greatly appreciated and ended with a big round of applause from the audience, among them were Minister Wang Qi of the Chinese Embassy in UK, Director Su Bo-min of the Dunhuang Academy, Director Gilford Law of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London (HKETO, London), Dr Luisa Elena Mengoni of the British Library, scholars and heads from various universities and museums, and representatives of the International Dunhuang Programme (IDP). The British Library was instrumental in facilitating this performance opportunity, while HKETO London and HKGDE co- presented it with the sponsorship of the Chan Cheong Charitable Foundation, Lam Kin Chung Morning Sun Charity Fund and Soka Gakkai International of Hong Kong.

Speaking at the British Library reception, Ms Leonie Ki, founder of Hong Kong Gaudeamus Dunhuang Ensemble, said, “We were thrilled to bring the rich cultural heritage of Dunhuang to London and Paris. Since the Ensemble was established in 2018, we have held over 60 concerts in Hong Kong, the Mainland and Tokyo, but the opportunity to present China's most important world cultural heritage, Dunhuang, through music in front of the European audience, is an invaluable and meaningful one. It is our mission to promote an East-meets-West cultural exchange as well as promoting the rich legacy of Dunhuang to the world.”

The Director-General of the London ETO, Mr Gilford Law, said in his welcoming speech: "The concert exemplifies the power of music in celebrating international friendship. Hong Kong's rich cultural landscape forms a solid foundation for its development into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, as supported by the National 14th Five-Year Plan.”

Dr Luisa Elena Mengoni, head of Asian and African Collections at the British Library, said, “We are delighted to host the Hong Kong Gaudeamus Dunhuang Ensemble to mark the closing of our popular exhibition, “A Silk Road Oasis: Life in Ancient Dunhuang”. This performance celebrates Dunhuang’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, highlighting its enduring legacy in the contemporary world across creative practices, and enables us to continue fostering cultural dialogue.”

Following the British Library concert, HKGDE visited SOAS and UCL respectively, where cultural exchange sessions were conducted. Students and professors from the two universities discussed and reviewed the original compositions by HKGDE based on the ancient Dunhuang music scores in the manuscripts found in the Library cave (Dunhuang Mogao Cave no. 17) and learnt about Dunhuang murals, ancient music scores and traditional instruments depicted in the musical imagery of Dunhuang murals.

The final performance, focused on fostering cross-cultural dialogue, took place in Paris at the invitation of the Centre Culturel de Chine à Paris. The French audience was enchanted by the one-hour music performance which expressed Dunhuang’s profound culture and the efforts to preserve and protect one of the most important World Cultural Heritage by the Chinese government.

The concerts featured ten original compositions by HKGDE’s two talented resident composers, Mr Kam Shing-hei and Mr Chu Kai-yeung, who were inspired by the murals and statues in the Dunhuang grottoes, as well as the cultural relics and stories behind them. To enrich and enhance the audio-visual enjoyment, the audiences were immersed in the stunning Dunhuang animated visual effects.

Ms Ki added, “2024 was a year of success for HKGDE, touring the Greater Bay Area, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Lanzhou and Dunhuang, received both acclaims and enhanced our reputation. Going west to promote ‘East meets West’ cultures is a dream come true! The Ensemble will continue to strive to become a ‘cultural ambassador’ through Dunhuang music.”