West Kowloon Cultural District pledges to boost cultural sector through IP collabs

The West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) has pledged to collaborate with more high-profile intellectual properties (IPs) to boost the cultural sector, said its board chairman Henry Tang. 

This comes as the WestK Shanghai Week 2025, themed “Hong Kong and Shanghai: Connections through Arts and Culture” (滬港雙城，藝脈相承), takes place from 18 to 22 June. The WKCDA Authority has partnered with six cultural institutions in Shanghai to present seven programmes from the West Kowloon Cultural District to local audiences.

Speaking at an art collaboration event with Shanghai coffee brand MANNER COFFEE, Tang said West Kowloon has become an internationally recognised cultural IP in Hong Kong, emphasising that the authorities aim to leverage the festival to promote the integration of art into daily life, according to HKEJ and The Standard.

As part of the WestK x MANNER collaboration, Hong Kong illustrator Don Mak has created exclusive designs inspired by the Victoria Harbour skyline and iconic urban motifs. Over 2,000 MANNER stores in mainland China showcase these limited-edition cups, cup sleeves, and paper bags. 

Tong said that this collaboration with the MANNER COFFEE aims to convey the brand's philosophy of integrating art into everyday life, according to the reports. To enhance the interactive experience, two MANNER COFFEE stores at Guoke Binjiang and Huaihai 755 are transformed into WestK X MANNER themed stores, where customers can participate in a social media check-in activity to receive exclusive postcards.

As part of the WestK Shanghai Week 2025, WestK has et up a pop-up booth at Shanghai Xintiandi (上海新天地), offering more than 5,000 gifts, including the daily grand prize of 18,000 Asia Miles, one-year memberships, and full-access tickets to the Hong Kong Palace Museum and M+.

Tong said the Shanghai stop of the exhibition “I. M. Pei: Life Is Architecture" (貝聿銘：人生如建築) co-organised by M+ and the Power Station of Art (PSA), has attracted around 80,000 visitors since its launch in late April, according to the reports.

Speaking on the opening ceremony of the WestK Shanghai Week 2025, Tang said that WestK had been striving to advance the development of arts and culture in Hong Kong. “On the one hand, it presents a diverse range of local and international cultural programmes to the city’s audiences. On the other, it is working to build a global platform, fostering cultural exchanges between China and the world, and carrying the mission to bring Chinese culture to the international stage," he added. 

Don't miss: West Kowloon Cultural District Authority and Citybus team up to boost HK's cultural tourism

Back in April, the WKCDA and Citybus inked deal to help boost Hong Kong's cultural tourism and enhance the city's reputation as a world-class cultural destination.

This collaboration, the first of its kind between WKCDA and a public transportation organisation, leverages Citybus’ comprehensive network and focuses on promotional efforts and joint initiatives that aim to support the sustained growth of cultural tourism.

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