Although Hong Kong is known to be a mainly Chinese and English speaking city, it is becoming increasingly culturally diversified than many people have imagined, thanks to the local government's multi-faceted arts and culture policy.

Alliance Francaise, a French cultural institute, recently praised Hong Kong's cultural policy for building a more culturally diversified city, noting that the current policy encourages more effective exchange with foreign countries.

In her interview with Xinhua Wednesday, Claire Berger-Vachon, Alliance Francaise's director in Hong Kong, said: "I think it's getting better and better and improving a lot in terms of welcoming exchange with other countries."

With more culturally diversified masses in Hong Kong, the institute recently expanded its multimedia library for information on contemporary France, Mediatheque, to enable the public to have better access to various aspects of the French culture, including its literature, music, film and language learning materials, she said.

The center also contains French information on traveling in China and Chinese and English language information on France, acting as a bridge between the French and Chinese peoples, Alexandra Maurer, media library director of Alliance Francaise said.

Berger-Vachon said the institute recently saw more people in Hong Kong take up the French language, saying that rising international importance of the European Union might have contributed to a need to know a second foreign language.

The French Consulate-General in Hong Kong also engages in a good working relationship with the Leisure and Cultural Service Department to bring regular French cultural shows to the Hong Kongaudience, she said.

She hailed Hong Kong government's recent establishment of an arts village named "Cattle Depot" as a step forward in promoting the arts in Hong Kong.

"The establishment of Cattle Depot is the first time the Hong Kong government has taken a step to look after the life of local artists in Hong Kong. It is reminiscent of the practice of many other metropolises, which always earmark a place which the artists can call it their own."

The Hong Kong Cultural Center, another citadel of cultural diversity, also offers opportunities for the members of public to take part in learning various kinds of arts.

The fact that Hong Kong is a world-class city with an environment conducive to the freedom of expression and artistic creation is reflected in what was done by chief pipe organist of the Hong Kong Cultural Center, Chiu Siu Ling, who has been offering organ training under the center's education program.

Chiu has trained more than 50 of Hong Kong's organ students and teachers in the center's annual program in performing European music in the past four years.

Chiu said that the center's willingness to provide funding for such a program represents the government's commitment to promote the diversification of the arts and culture, even when an art has a narrower audience, like pipe organ music.

The annual education program at the center also includes training in mime show performing, choral singing, brass instrument playing, Chinese dances and ballet.

Arts education is provided mainly through the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.

Subventions of HK$102.8 million (US$13 million) and HK$177.1 million (US$22.7 million) have been earmarked by the government for the Arts Development Council and the APA in 2001-2002 in support of their activities.

The Culture and Heritage Commission was also set up as a high-level advisory body to advise the government on the policies as well as funding priorities on culture and the arts.

(Xinhua News Agency January 23, 2002)