By Staff Reports
(Honolulu)– Kaohsiung and Honolulu will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its Sister City relationship with an Aloha Concert on Saturday, August 4, 5 p.m., at the City’s Mission Memorial Auditorium, 550 South King Street. The concert will feature performances by cellist I-Bei Lin, pianist Eric Wu, the Ka-Im Choir, and the Tai-Zi dance group. The concert is free and open to the public.
I-Be Lin is the Associate Professor of Cello and Chamber Music at the University of Hawaii and Eric Wu won several awards as a Punahou School student. The Ka-Im Choir is known for its outstanding Taiwanese repertoire.
The rousing Techno Prince Nezha dance, performed by the Tai-Zi group, combines modern electronic dance beats with a Taiwanese legend and folk icons. The dance adopts modern music to transform a religious ritual into a lively pop performance suitable for celebrations. The dance was performed at the 2009 World Games held in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Kaohsiung and Honolulu have enjoyed an enduring sister city relationship. The two marble Chinese lions guarding the entranceway of Honolulu’s Chinatown, on Hotel Street, were presented as a gift to the city by Kaohsiung to commemorate of bicentennial of Chinese immigration to Hawaii.
The 50th anniversary celebration also includes an exhibit by The Eyes of Hawaii Photography Club at the Honolulu Hale’s Lane Gallery through August 20 and an exhibit of photographs by members of the Photographic Society of Kaohsiung on the 3rd floor of Honolulu Hale.
This event is presented by the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development, cultural and ethnic organizations, businesses and other groups.