Three months before the preliminary round of an international classical Chinese dance competition was to be held in Hong Kong, local organizers inked a formal contract with a theater, and made a full payment. The theater owners on multiple occasions assured the organizers that the venue wouldn’t be cancelled and they would honor the contract.
However, the owners recently told the organizers that they had to give up their spot because the Hong Kong government had made a “priority” request.
Under the leadership of Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying, the Hong Kong government has on several occasions stifled artistic freedom in the semi-autonomous Chinese city. Heung Yee Kuk Building Management’s cancellation of the agreement with New York-based broadcaster New Tang Dynasty Television (NTD) is the latest such instance.
On April 22, NTD entered into a formal agreement and paid Heung Yee Kuk Building Management in full for the use of Heung Yee Kuk Tower Theater in Hong Kong’s Sha Tin district to hold the preliminary round of the seventh NTD International Chinese Classical Dance Competition. NTD and this newspaper are part of the New York-based Epoch Media Group.
