Jackie Chan to hold concert for Japan

Hong Kong - Action hero Jackie Chan and other Hong Kong celebrities will hold a charity concert on April 1 to raise funds for disaster-stricken Japan, where more than 27 000 are dead or missing.

"We as members of the entertainment industry wish to bring hope and support to the people of Japan," said Chan, one of the initiators of the concert, in a statement.

The veteran movie star will be joined by performers from Taiwan, China, Japan, South Korea and Indonesia for the concert at Hong Kong's Victoria Park.

The event will feature a theme song called Succumb not to sorrow, which is based on a popular Japanese poem that praises the tenacity of Japanese people in the face of hardship.

The organising committee, which comprises 19 art and film groups, said they aimed to raise funds for relief packs - that include food, drinking water, personal care products and blankets - for up to 80 000 disaster victims.

More than 27 000 people are dead or missing since a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami hit northeast Japan on March 11, also crippling a nuclear plant.