[Video/The South]

The fifth Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Cultural and Arts Festival is underway from Sept 16 to Oct 16 across all 11 cities of the region.

This year's festival aims to strengthen cultural connections within the GBA through high-quality artistic programs, boosting people-to-people bonds and establishing the area as an international cultural hub.

Highlights include the ''Arts in the Bay'' series, presenting 35 acclaimed Chinese and international productions. Among them, the dance drama Yong Chun, which features Lingnan cultural elements like Wing Chun and incense gauze, has achieved worldwide acclaim, with recent performances in Moscow and at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit. Likewise, the Cantonese opera Red Turban continues to impress international audiences, recently marking the 35th anniversary of China-Singapore diplomatic relations with performances in Singapore.

The festival also highlights the gathering of creative talents across the GBA. Young artists, including Hong Kong composer Elliot Ho Yat Leung, worked together on original symphonies, while cross-border projects like the music-dance theater Pulse·Dance demonstrate strengthening artistic cooperation within the area.

International participation has grown, with acclaimed performances like Russia's Swan Lake and Greece's La Traviata taking place in GBA cities — many of which are hosting their Chinese premieres.

Focusing on public engagement, the festival will present more than 100 performances, 19 exhibitions, and over 150 public events, all with substantial discounts and free tickets to promote widespread access.

As the GBA continues to develop as both an economic and cultural engine, events like these underscore its growing influence on the global stage.

The poster of the fifth Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Cultural and Arts Festival. [Photo/WeChat account: gdfabu0710]