Author Archives: hksar gov

     Special traffic arrangements will be implemented in Happy Valley today (January 22). The arrangements will last until the crowds have dispersed after the race meeting.

A. Traffic arrangements before the commencement of the first race

     The following road closure and traffic diversions will be implemented from 50 minutes before the start of the first race for day racing, or from 6pm onwards for night racing:

1. Road closure

     Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Queen’s Road East and the up-ramp outside the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) will be closed, except for vehicles heading for Aberdeen Tunnel.

2. Traffic diversions

– Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Village Road and the up-ramp outside the HKJC will be re-routed one way northbound;
– Traffic along eastbound Queen’s Road East heading for Wan Chai and Happy Valley will be diverted to turn left to Morrison Hill Road;
– Traffic along southbound Morrison Hill Road heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via Sports Road and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Traffic along Queen’s Road East cannot turn right to Wong Nai Chung Road, except for vehicles heading for Aberdeen Tunnel;
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Queen’s Road East will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Morrison Hill Road to turn right at the junction of Wong Nai Chung Road and Queen’s Road East; and
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Happy Valley or Racecourse will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Canal Road East, southbound Morrison Hill Road, Sports Road and Wong Nai Chung Road.

B. Traffic arrangements before the conclusion of race meeting

     The following road closure and traffic diversions will be implemented from about 35 minutes before the start of the last race:

1. Road closure

– The up-ramp on Wong Nai Chung Road outside the HKJC leading to Aberdeen Tunnel;
– Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Queen’s Road East and the up-ramp leading to Aberdeen Tunnel;
– Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Village Road and the Public Stands of the HKJC;
– Westbound Leighton Road between Wong Nai Chung Road and Canal Road East; and
– Southbound Morrison Hill Road between Leighton Road and Queen’s Road East.

     In addition, southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between the up-ramp leading to Aberdeen Tunnel and the Public Stands of the HKJC will be closed from about 10 minutes before the start of the last race.

2. Traffic diversions

– Eastbound Queen’s Road East at its junction with Morrison Hill Road will be reduced to one-lane traffic heading for northbound Canal Road flyover;
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Wan Chai will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Canal Road East, U-turn slip road beneath Canal Road flyover, Canal Road West and Hennessy Road;
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Canal Road East, eastbound Leighton Road and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Traffic along southbound Morrison Hill Road will be diverted to turn left to eastbound Leighton Road;
– Traffic along southbound Morrison Hill Road heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via eastbound Leighton Road and Wong Nai Chung Road; and
– Traffic along westbound Leighton Road will be diverted to Wong Nai Chung Road.

C. Learner drivers prohibition

     Learner drivers will be prohibited to turn left from Caroline Hill Road to Leighton Road between one and a half hours before the start of the first race and one hour after the last race. In addition, learner drivers will be prohibited from accessing the following roads within the above period of time:

– Shan Kwong Road between Yik Yam Street and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Village Road between its upper and lower junctions with Shan Kwong Road;
– Percival Street between Hennessy Road and Leighton Road;
– Canal Road East; and
– The service road leading from Gloucester Road to Canal Road flyover.

D. Suspension of parking spaces

     Parking spaces on southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Sports Road and Blue Pool Road will be suspended from 11am to 7pm for day racing, and from 5pm to 11.59pm for night racing respectively.

     All vehicles parked illegally during the implementation of the above special traffic arrangements will be towed away without prior warning, and may be subject to multiple ticketing.

     Actual implementation of road closure and traffic diversion will be made by the Police at the time depending on traffic conditions in the areas. Motorists should exercise tolerance and patience, and follow the instructions of Police on site. read more

Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:      Here is an item of interest to swimmers.      The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced toda… read more

     â€‹The first round of enrolment for the Corporate Games 2025, organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), has ended. The response was overwhelming, and places for most events are full, while other events with remaining places will be open for the second round of enrolment starting today (January 22). 

     The biennial Corporate Games is a major multisport event for employees of private and public sector organisations. The Games will be held between March and September this year at various recreation and sports venues in Hong Kong. It comprises 11 competition events, namely athletics, badminton, basketball, distance run, futsal, snooker, table tennis, tennis, tenpin bowling, volleyball and 11-a-side soccer. All events are divided into two groups. Group A covers organisations and Government departments with 300 or more employees in Hong Kong, while Group B covers those with less than 300 employees in Hong Kong.

     The first round of enrolment ended on January 9 this year. All places in the competitions in Group A are full. In Group B, there are remaining places in the events of athletics, badminton (men’s singles), futsal, snooker (men’s doubles), table tennis (men’s singles), volleyball (men) and 11-a-side soccer. Interested organisations can download the enrolment form from the LCSD dedicated website of the Corporate Games 2025 (corporategames.lcsd.gov.hk/en/cg/2025/index.html) from today and return the completed form to the LCSD by post (Address: 2/F, Major Events Section, Leisure and Cultural Services Headquarters, 1-3 Pai Tau Street, Sha Tin) or by fax (2634 0786). The remaining places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis until they are full or the final enrolment deadlines for the respective events.

     For details of the Corporate Games 2025, please visit the LCSD dedicated website of the Corporate Games 2025, or call 2601 7673 for enquiries. read more

     â€‹The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, continued his activities at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, yesterday (January 21, Davos time).

     In the morning, Mr Chan attended a breakfast meeting organised by the Giving to Amplify Earth Action launched by the WEF, where he shared views on how to make effective use of finance to address various crises facing the planet. Using climate change as an example, he pointed out that there is a significant funding gap globally in responding to climate change, and thus countries should work to promote collaboration among the public, private and philanthropic sectors, so as to encourage private investments in green and transition projects. He highlighted that Hong Kong is a leading green finance hub in Asia, gathering financial institutions, professional services and talent with relevant expertise and experience. The thriving ecosystem of family offices, private equity funds as well as wealth and asset management is conducive to effectively connecting wealth with climate transformation projects. Mr Chan said Hong Kong looks forward to strengthening cooperation in this area with various economies.

     At noon, Mr Chan attended the “2025 Davos-Caixin CEO Luncheon” and delivered keynote remarks. He briefed participants the latest economic situation and development strategies of Hong Kong, particularly regarding how to leverage the advantages of being well connected to the Mainland China and to the world, under the “one country, two systems” principle. He emphasised Hong Kong’s unique advantages of collaborating with sister cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, attracting businesses and talent from around the globe to Hong Kong.

     During the morning, Mr Chan also met with the Director-General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Mr Daren Tang, to exchange views on strengthening cooperation in areas such as intellectual property protection, institutional development and talent training. Mr Chan stated that with the staunch support of the country, Hong Kong is vigorously advancing to become an international innovation and technology centre and a regional intellectual property trading centre. He expressed gratitude for WIPO’s support in establishing a Technology and Innovation Support Centre in Hong Kong, noting that the city aims to have it operational this year.

     In the afternoon, Mr Chan met with the Minister of State for Foreign Trade of the United Arab Emirates, Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, to discuss enhancing bilateral cooperation in finance and trade, as well as exchanging views on global and regional issues of mutual concern. He also met with the Chief Executive Officer of stablecoin issuer Circle, Mr Jeremy Allaire, to learn about the company’s business development strategies in Asia. They also exchanged views on the global development and regulatory policies of digital assets.

     In the evening, Mr Chan attended the “2025 Davos-Tencent Finance Vision Dinner”, where he delivered a speech. He elaborated on how Hong Kong can play the role of a “super connector” and “super value-adder” in the face of an increasingly complex international environment, thereby finding new opportunities and positioning, while contributing to China’s high-level opening-up. In this process, Hong Kong will create value and opportunities for global businesses and investors. He emphasised Hong Kong’s new directions in reinforcing and enhancing its position as an international financial and trade centre, including the vigorous efforts to turn Hong Kong into a high value-added supply chain service centre; he also highlighted Hong Kong’s progress in becoming an international innovation and technology centre. He noted that Hong Kong can help promote interconnected developments between the country and developed economies as well as emerging markets in the “Global South”. 

     Mr Chan will continue his visit to Davos today (January 22, Davos time).

                  

     Officiated by Deputy Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Mr Pan Yundong and the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Chan Tsz-tat, a reception in celebration of International Customs Day (ICD) 2025 was held by Hong Kong Customs at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre today (January 21).

     The World Customs Organization (WCO) set the theme of this year’s ICD as “Customs Delivering on its Commitment to Efficiency, Security and Prosperity”, highlighting the crucial and diverse roles of Customs in streamlining customs clearance procedures, safeguarding society safety, and fostering economic growth.

     The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, delivered a pre-recorded speech to express his appreciation for the unwavering dedication of Hong Kong Customs in shaping Hong Kong into a world city and trade hub. He emphasised that under the “one country, two systems” principle, Hong Kong enjoys both the China advantage and the global advantage. He expressed his confidence that Hong Kong Customs will continue to promote international co-operation and enhance Hong Kong’s roles as a “super connector” and “super value-adder” between the Mainland and the world.

     In his speech, Mr Chan elaborated on the diverse responsibilities of Hong Kong Customs in streamlining clearance procedures, facilitating trade and ensuring the well-being and safety of society. He also highlighted the significance of Hong Kong Customs’ role as the Vice-Chairperson for the Asia/Pacific region of the WCO, underscoring Hong Kong’s proactive and leading role in global customs affairs. Mr Chan said that Hong Kong Customs would continue to tell good stories of Hong Kong to a worldwide audience, and will remain committed to contributing to the overall development of the country and the Chinese modernisation process.  

     Hong Kong Customs became a member of the WCO in 1987, and ICD has become an annual event of Hong Kong Customs ever since. At the celebration reception, Mr Pan presented WCO Certificates of Merit to Hong Kong Customs’ officers and business stakeholders in recognition of their remarkable contributions to various customs affairs pertinent to the theme of ICD.
           
     Over 300 guests, including officials of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, members of the Executive and Legislative Councils, representatives of various offices of the Central People’s Government in Hong Kong and Customs administrations of the Mainland and Macao, Consuls-General, foreign Customs attachés, as well as private stakeholders, attended the reception.