To celebrate King’s Day or Koningsdag – Holland’s National Day that falls on 27 April – the Dutch Consulate General in Hong Kong dedicates the whole month of April to celebrate all things Dutch through a month-long festival, aptly named Dutch Days in Hong Kong.
Now in its fourth year, the festival – co-organised by Asia Week Hong Kong – featured a series of panel discussions, art competitions, photography exhibitions, culinary evenings and good ol’ family fun activities – all steeped in that quintessential Dutch flavour.
As Annemieke Ruigrok, Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Hong Kong and Macau puts it, “The Dutch Days will give you an insight into other forms of Dutch art and culture that may not be that well known.”
Several events like a Dutch oyster and caviar masterclass by Blend Brothers and Martin Rjik, an art x dining experience inspired by the Dutch Golden Ages, a photography exhibition by Dutch photographer Frank van Driel were among a host of cultural exchanges that brought nearer the rather distant shores of Hong Kong and the Netherlands this year.
In Asia Week Hong Kong Director Candice Lee’s own words, this celebration is an endeavour to “learn about Dutch society, culture, arts, entrepreneurship, which, we hope, will motivate everyone to enjoy what the Netherlands has to offer.”
Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay
Video: Lai Tin Yeung