The Works：CNY Special: Ben Pelletier tours Xiqu Centre, Ben Tse doing Cantonese porcelain, Billy Lee

Kung Hey Fat Choy! Hello and welcome to our Chinese New Year special.

For today’s show, we’ve been out and about to bring you traditions, handcrafts and programmes that are full of festive flavour. In part two, I’ll be talking to master Wong Nai-chung who teaches me how to make a much scaled down version of the flower plaque. Later in part one though, I visit master Cheung Kam-ping in Tai Kwun to learn a little about the tradition of painting Cantonese porcelain, an art that has fewer and fewer practitioners. And we’re beginning with my trip to the newly-opened Xiqu Centre in the West Kowloon Cultural District, where the district’s Executive Director of Performing Arts Louis Yu took me on a walk around its first performing arts venue to be completed.

In part one, the Bens were out seeing and celebrating examples of traditional Chinese culture, and now it’s my turn. Chinese flower plaques have long been built to celebrate festivals, weddings and inaugurations. They’re symbols of luck, happiness and prosperity. Master Wong Nai-chung was kind enough to explain a little of the craft to me. Regular viewers of the show will know that most weeks we have music for you. Today is no exception. Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra’s suona principal and guan player Ma Wai-him and his band, “Zenwester” are here to play us a tune that most of you will easily recognise.

Well that’s it from us for our Lunar New Year special. From all of us on The Works, best wishes for a happy, healthy, rewarding and creative, Year of the Pig.