The 2024 Creative Houhu Public Art Annual Event, and also the Hunan Xiangjiang New Area publicity week for culture center services, kicked off on May 19, making Houhu Lake a spotlight of Changsha.

The event will last until December of this year. Various activities will be held in such forms as public art, live streaming, art interviews, art shows and exhibitions, and art bazaars, offering an artistic feast to visitors.

A Houhu Lakeside Concert raised its curtain at the west square of the Houhu Design Creation Park on May 19 evening, marking the start of the 8-day music shows.

The music shows were jointly organized by universities and troupes in the Xiangjiang New Area, including the Central South University, Hunan University, Hunan Normal University, Hunan University of Technology and Business, Hunan First Normal University, the Changsha Youth Palace, Changsha Symphony Orchestra, and Hexieli Band. Popular music, folk music, symphonies, and dance performances were staged, bringing art to the public and providing a daily artistic experience for the audience.

"Sitting by the lake, feeling the gentle breeze on this summer night, I found myself completely at ease while immersing in the enchanting melodies of this concert," said a tourist from Chenzhou who intentionally extended their stay in Changsha for an additional day for this event. "It gives us a perfect conclusion of our Changsha tour."

The concert will be held for eight consecutive days, between 19:30 and 21:00 every day from May 19 untill May 26. The theme and lineup of each day's shows will be different.

In addition to the concerts, Houhu Emerging Art Works Exhibition will open simultaneously at the Xiangjiang New Area (Yuelu) Cultural Center and Library and on the WeChat official account of the Yuelu District Cultural Center, from May 20 to June 20.

The offline exhibition will consist of three areas—immersive light and shadow show; creative interactions; and, artistic peripheral goods fair. The online exhibition will offer interactive games through which the participators may win peripheral gifts of artists.

The open day of the famous artists' art galleries in Houhu area was also launched on the day. On every day between May 19 and 26, two art galleries will open to the public, including the studios of Zhu Xunde, Mo Gaoxiang, Kuang Xiaojin, Chen Hexi, Chen Feihu, Qu Xiangjian, Duan Jianghua, and Dang Zhaoyang.

A series of activities will be held, including China-chic live streaming and art interviews, Houhu art bazars, Houhu Lawn Art Season, Xiangjiang New Area Intangible Cultural Heritage (cultural relics) Day publicity campaign. The cultural and art galleries, institutes, and art troupes will take part in the activities, aiming to build the brand of Houhu art, empower industrial development with art, and cultivate the public's aesthetic taste.