The experimental multimedia production "Guan Yu's Ride of 1,000 Miles" will be staged in November at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, restoring and reshaping the forgotten art of lion dance theatre in the captivating performances.
 
     Inspired by one of the adventures of "Three Kingdoms" hero Guan Yu, the production draws on classical lion dance, image theatre, modern dance, experimental music and multimedia arts to form a super-creative performance that reinvents southern lion dance, an old tradition of Hong Kong.
 
     Choreographed by Daniel Yeung, the multimedia theatre production also features Kwok's Kung Fu & Dragon Lion Dance Team, local artistic talents including SunFool Lau, GayBird, Oliver Shing and Jan Wong, and dancers including Li Tuokun, Soames Lee, Mao Wei and Tracy Wong.
 
     The creation of this experimental theatre work originated from the 2016 ArtSnap outdoor programme "The Lion Rocks!" by Daniel Yeung, Kwok's Kung Fu & Dragon Lion Dance Team and other dancers. After the show, Yeung continued the research on traditional lion dance theatre with the aim of restoring and reviving this forgotten art through cross-media collaboration.
 
     The experimental multimedia lion dance theatre: "Guan Yu's Ride of 1,000 Miles" is one of the programmes of the New Vision Arts Festival (NVAF). It will be performed at 8pm on November 9 and 10 and at 3pm on November 10 and 11 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Studio Theatre, with a meet-the-artist session to be held after each performance. Tickets priced at $180 and $240 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For credit card telephone bookings, please call 2111 5999.
 
     Organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the NVAF is celebrating its ninth edition this year and is being held from October 19 to November 18. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2370 1044 or visit www.newvisionfestival.gov.hk.

  

     Police advise motorists that special traffic arrangements will be implemented in Sha Tin to facilitate the race meeting tomorrow (November 4).

     The arrangements will come into effect two hours before the start of the first race and will last until the crowds have dispersed after the race meeting.

     Appropriate traffic signs will be put up and police will be on hand to guide motorists.

     The Police also appeal to people going to Sha Tin Racecourse for the race meeting and to Happy Valley Racecourse for cross betting to make maximum use of public transport.

     Parking spaces at the two racecourses are available only to holders of appropriate permits issued by Hong Kong Jockey Club and any vehicles illegally parked will be towed away.

     Hong Kong Customs yesterday (November 2) seized about 83 000 kilograms of suspected Guatemalan rosewood from three containers at the Kwai Chung Customhouse Cargo Examination Compound. The estimated market value of the seizure was about $3.3 million.

     Through risk assessment, Customs officers inspected three containers arriving in Hong Kong from Panama. Upon inspection, Customs officers found the suspected Guatemalan rosewood in the containers.

     The case was handed over to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department for follow-up investigation.

     Under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting an endangered species without a licence is liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for 10 years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

  

     Yang Memorial Methodist Social Service has been issued a Public Subscription Permit to hold a territory-wide flag sale from 7am to 12.30pm today (November 3), a spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said. 
 
     For enquiries, please call the SWD's hotline at 2343 2255, or the Charitable Fund-raising Control Team at 2832 4311 during office hours. Information on the flag days of the month is available at the SWD's website (www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_whatsnew). Permits for flag days containing contact information of the flag-selling organisations and information on the approved flag-selling activities have also been uploaded to the SWD's website (www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_controlofc/sub_recentlyap). For enquiries about the detailed flag-selling arrangements, please contact the individual flag-selling organisations.
 
     Details of the charitable fund-raising activities covered by the Public Subscription Permit issued by the SWD have also been uploaded to the GovHK website (www.gov.hk/fundraising).
 
     In the case of suspected fraudulent flag day activities, people should not make any donation and should immediately report the matter to the Police, the spokesman added.

     The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, today (November 2) expressed deep sorrow over the passing of renowned film producer, Mr Raymond Chow.

     "Held in high regard in the film sector, Mr Chow founded Golden Harvest in the 1970s. He created a variety of film styles, produced a number of popular movies and groomed many top directors and actors, making enormous contributions to the development of the glory days of the movie industry in Hong Kong in the 1980s. He was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star in 1998 for his contribution to the development of the Hong Kong film industry.

     "I was grieved to learn of Mr Chow's passing. On behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to his family," Mrs Lam said.