The Honolulu-Hong Kong Festival and its organizers are in efforts to reconnect Hawai‘i’s small Hong Kong community through its monthlong inaugural event.

Planning for the festival dates back to more than a decade, when it used to be called Hong Kong Week. Funding and additional support from the City and County of Honolulu made it possible to broaden the event into a monthlong festival.

The festival began Jan. 31 with the Temple Street Night Market at Fort Street Mall, opening a window into traditional Hong Kong culture in downtown Honolulu.

The night market featured a number of events ranging from cultural displays like Cantonese opera performances, to food vendors like Hong Kong milk tea demonstrations.

Organizers described the event as a platform to embrace cultural understanding and allow the community to understand Hong Kong’s traditions.

The festival is organized by the Hong Kong Business Association of Hawaii and the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office of San Francisco, to promote cultural and business connections, boost the economy, and build community engagement.

“We want to map Hong Kong culture in Hawai‘i, just like other other cultures here,” said Barinna Poon, the president of the Hong Kong Business Association of Hawaii. “We have a very diversified culture in Hawaii, even though the Hong Kong community is small.”

Attendees of the night market said the festival met those goals.

“It brings awareness to the people around you,” said Mackenzie Rose, who attended the Temple Street Night Market. “It’s always nice to know who’s in your community, where they come from and their culture, so you can be aware of what’s going on in your area.”

Poon said the festival has already begun reconnecting the community, with emphasis on younger generations who are interested. The Honolulu-Hong Kong Festival will continue through February with additional events, including Chinatown tours, a business fair, and a chance to win a trip to Hong Kong. For more information, go to www.honolulu-hkfestival.com.