Hong Kong International Kung Fu Festival 2009

[GeneChing]

Anyone at this now?

Hong Kong International Kung Fu Festival 2009
July 21, 10:41 AM

The first ever Hong Kong International Kung Fu Festival is set to take place from July 22 through August 6, 2009. This inaugural festival will be the first integrated cultural event to celebrate Hong Kong and China’s martial arts traditions.

Hong Kong, a pilgrimage site for dedicated kung fu students from around the world, is the perfect location for such a festival. As home to many renowned kung fu masters including Bruce Lee, Lam Sai Wing, Lam Jo and Yip Man, the city has helped influence global perception and understanding of kung fu and the martial arts.

Scheduled festival events include:

* Kung Fu Carnival: July 25–26, 2009 – A free, interactive, educational event at the Avenue of the Stars showcasing kung fu arts through live demonstrations, exhibitions and free martial arts classes.
* World Guoshu Competition: July 22–23, 2009 (Finals on July 25) – An international platform to celebrate Chinese sports and martial arts, and to promote greater awareness and appreciation of traditional Chinese culture. The competition will take place at the Hong Kong International Trade & Exhibition Center.
* Spirit of a Nation – a mix-media Kung Fu exhibition: July 24–August 6, 2009 – This exhibit at Pao Galleries in the Hong Kong Arts Center will take audiences from 1900 through the present day, highlighting China’s struggle for independence, wars against foreign occupation and the creation of a new kung fu genre in Hong Kong cinema.
* Martial Studies Academic Symposium: July 23, 2009 – An academic forum for studying the martial arts. Leading scholars and experts from Hong Kong and China will be amongst the presenters. The symposium will be held in the Agnes B. Cinema in the Hong Kong Arts Center.
* Grandmaster Lam Chun Fai’s International Hung Kuen Seminar – War Palm: July 24-26, 2009 – This three day training seminar at the Riverside Regal Hotel will include 12 hours of training time, with participants receiving a training manual and certificate of advancement.

Attendees can receive special discount rates on hotel rooms at the Regal and Marco Polo hotels during the festival period. For more information, contact info@kungfufestival.com.

The flicker pic is "Man performing Kung Fu" is Zhou Yunjian from where I train - the USA O-Mei Kung Fu Academy - but the Cupertino branch. He's a world taiji champion from PRC. Not quite the appropriate pic, but who's going to quibble?

[GeneChing]

I just couldn't resist the line "Gome Thapa is no known face of Assam till toady"

Assam boy participates at Hong Kong International Kungfu Festival
Nanda Kirati Dewan 19 July, 2009 09:04:00

Gome a typical Gorkha name and Thapa a popular Gorkhali surname the combo Gome Thapa is no known face of Assam till toady. A resident of Durgasarbar Hill side of Guwahati, Gome has been playing this sports for the last 15 years. On Friday he was flown from Guwahati to New Delhi to participate at the prestigious Hong Kong International Kung Fu festival. He is a member of five-member Indian squad to the competition. It is for the third time that he has been selected for such international competition but he could not join the former two, due to financial constraint.

Financially weak Gome had dropped the dream of participating at the competition for which the expenses (travel & joining fees) comes around Rs.80,000/- only. Some of his sources asked him to approach AAGSU at Nepali Mandir office for financial help. On his approach the apex organization of Gorkhas AAGSU came to rescue. The donation drive started from Assam Sports Minister Bharat Narah who reluctantly made a contribution of Rs.5000/-, which is still under process. On request to consider this case by Kamrup Dist. Advisor of AAGSU Pitamber Joshi, Narah replied that it was too late to allot fund for the player while the state cabinet are busy due to hectic schedule on visit of AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi. Even former MP and President Assam Gorkha Sammelan Mani Kr. Subba did not come to rescue. However on several requests by AAGSU he has promised to pay Rs.20,000/- on his return thereby Pitamber Joshi has drawn a loan of Rs.20,000/- from a trader to make Gome’s dream true. AAGSU had to exchange heated words at the Regional Passport Office to get his passport issued in time. AAGSU has bore all the rest of his expenses a noble gesture. Speaking to this correspondent at the LGBI Airport in Guwahati, Thapa emotionally thanked All Assam Gorkha Students’ Union, donors and well-wishers. He promised to live up the expectations of people back home and emabrace his nation with a international medal. We wish him all the very best.
Wishes and greetings to Gome Thapa may contacted at gomethapa@yahoo.co.in or ctmasaindia@gmail.com.

However a week (from 21st- 26th July 2009) stay in Hong Kong would cost him another Rs. 20,000/-. GOME THAPA FUND RAISING sub committee of AAGSU requests to make possible contributions to Gome Thapa in his State Bank of India account no. 10242819837.