Attention radio/TV announcers:

     Please broadcast the following at suitable intervals:

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department reminds people to keep places clean tonight (December 31) while celebrating the New Year. Rubbish should be put in rubbish bins. Anyone not disposing of rubbish properly is liable to a fixed penalty of $1,500.

     The Hong Kong Cultural Centre piazza area, Salisbury Garden and the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade will be crowded. People who intend to go there should also mind their safety.

     With the approach of the Year of the Rat, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (December 31) commenced a three-week year-end clean-up campaign across the territory.
          
     "To tie in with the tradition of cleaning up before the Lunar New Year, the annual year-end clean-up campaign is being conducted from today to January 20 next year to call for public support and efforts to maintain cleanliness in the household, the community and public places to welcome the coming Lunar New Year," an FEHD spokesman said.
          
     During the campaign, the FEHD will step up the cleaning of public facilities under the department's management including public markets, cooked food centres, hawker bazaars, public toilets and refuse collection points. Cleaning of problematic sites of illegal refuse dumping and other public cleanliness offences will also be enhanced in all districts. In addition, the FEHD will conduct mosquito and rodent prevention and control operations targeting places such as old tenement buildings, streets, rear lanes, village houses and construction sites, according to each district’s circumstances. Temporary junk collection points will be set up for residents to discard large items of household waste.
          
     The spokesman also reminded operators of food premises to pay attention to hygiene conditions on their premises and urged holders of hawker stalls to clean up their stalls.
          
     "To ensure the cleanliness of public places, we will strengthen enforcement actions and issue fixed penalty notices to offenders in breach of the Fixed Penalty (Public Cleanliness and Obstruction) Ordinance for littering, spitting, illegal posting of bills or posters, feeding of pigeons or other feral birds causing dirtiness to public places, and dog fouling," the spokesman said.
          
     The spokesman added that maintaining a clean and hygienic community hinges on the co-operation and participation of everyone. He called for the concerted efforts of every member of the public to maintain environmental hygiene and enjoy a clean environment in the Year of the Rat.

  

     "Four Decades of Artistry Brought Together on One Stage" featuring two classic repertories – "The Sword of the Valiant" and "Death of a Loyal Warrior" – will be presented in February by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.
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     The story of "The Sword of the Valiant" takes place during the mid-Ming dynasty. The fatuous Emperor causes suffering to his people. The minister who holds sway over state affairs, Meng Kui, colludes with Japanese pirates, while a righteous man called Xun Ru happens to know that Meng will be passing through Huainan and plots to assassinate him. Xun knows that the patriotic Long family have an heirloom, a sword with a hidden blade, which could help him succeed. Dowager Long sends her grandson Jialie to bring the sword and be the assassin. She also urges him to be ready to die if he fails.
 
     Jialie's sister, Jiajie, is worried about her younger brother going on this deadly mission alone. She dresses as a man and trails him in order to protect him. Jialie manages to get close to Meng but despite wielding the special sword, he fails to kill Meng. Jialie is driven off a cliff. At the news of the death, Jiajie hurries to the camp, where an ambush is waiting. During the fight, Jiajie's pendant is lost, while Meng recognises the Long family's treasure. Later, on Dowager Long's birthday, Meng presents her with a box containing the head of her son. Meng claims that Jialie tried to assassinate him on the evidence of the jade pendant. The Dowager replies that he has stolen it to incriminate them. Meng gives the Long family five days to surrender, otherwise the whole family will be punished by death.
　　 
     Performing will be Wai Chun-fai, Chong Yuen-sin, Liu Kwok-sum, Wan Yuk-yu, Chor Ling-yan, Pui Chun-hin, Lung Ting-sang, Sze Yuen-ying and Ho Yuen-sze. "The Sword of the Valiant" will be staged at 7.30pm on February 4 (Tuesday) at the Auditorium, Sha Tin Town Hall; and at 7.30pm on February 17 (Monday) at the Auditorium, Ko Shan Theatre New Wing. Tickets are priced from $140 to $380.
 
     The story of "Death of a Loyal Warrior" takes place during the Ming dynasty. The Emperor is facing serious troubles within his empire and abroad. The frontier is guarded by the patriotic family of Marshal Zhong Yujun, whose elder son Xiaoquan is talented in both literary and martial arts, and has been ordered to embark on an expedition. In the meantime, the father of the Emperor's consort slanders Xiaoquan before the Emperor. Xiaoquan is thus summoned by the Emperor, and is subject to military discipline if he defies the order. While everyone is in disarray, the consort's father arrives with a golden token from the Emperor, threatening to execute the entire Zhong family if Xiaoquan does not return to the court immediately. Xiaoquan has no choice but to follow the order. 
 
     Deceived by rumours, the Emperor dismisses Xiaoquan from his position. Xiaoquan's father also falls into the villianous trap, believing that the ruthlessness of his son has triggered an enemy invasion. He strikes Xiaoquan in anger with his sabre, wanting to execute him. At the same time, the consort's father arrives with a royal decree and announces that Xiaoquan is to be executed. Despite coming back with the proof of the consort's father's treason, it is already too late for Xiaoyi to rescue his twin brother Xiaoquan, who has been executed by the consort's father. To avenge his brother, Xiaoyi wields his sabre and kills the villain on the spot.
 
     Performing will be Wai Chun-fai, Pui Chun-hin, Chong Yuen-sin, Chor Ling-yan, Lung Ting-sang, Kwong Tsz-wong, Liu Kwok-sum, Wan Yuk-yu, Sze Yuen-ying, Ho Yuen-sze, Ng Lap-hei and Kwok Chun-hang. "Death of a Loyal Warrior" will be staged at 7.30pm on February 18 (Tuesday) at the Auditorium, Ko Shan Theatre New Wing. Tickets are priced from $140 to $320.
 
     Tickets are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7325 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/chinese_opera/programs_940.html.
 
     There will be talks (to be conducted in Cantonese) with free admission on a first-come, first-served basis.

Pre-Performance Talk
January 13 (Monday) 7.30pm
AC2, Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Speakers: Mak Wai-man, Liu Kwok-sum, Wai Chun-fai, Chong Yuen-sin, Chor Ling-yan, Sze Yuen-ying, Ho Yuen-sze and Lung Ting-sang
 
Post-Performance Talk
March 10 (Tuesday) 7.30pm
AC2, Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Speakers: Mak Wai-man, Liu Kwok-sum, Wai Chun-fai, Chong Yuen-sin, Pui Chun-hin, Chor Ling-yan, Sze Yuen-ying, Ho Yuen-sze and Lung Ting-sang

     The Transport Department (TD) today (December 31) announced that the amended Public Bus Services Regulations (Cap. 230A) will take effect tomorrow (January 1). The amended Regulations allow access to franchised buses for persons carrying compressed oxygen cylinders for self-medical use when travelling provided that the total number of compressed oxygen cylinders being carried on board each bus does not exceed two.

     "At present, patients having certain illnesses (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases) require oxygen therapy and have to carry oxygen cylinders, which contain compressed oxygen, for self-medical use when travelling. However, under the Public Bus Services Regulations, they shall not bring along compressed oxygen cylinders for self-medical use when travelling on franchised buses. Under the 'Transport for All' policy objective, the Government is committed to providing appropriate public transport services for members of the public with different needs, including persons who require oxygen therapy and therefore need to bring along compressed oxygen cylinders for self-medical use when travelling," a department spokesman said.

     The amended Public Bus Services Regulations will take effect tomorrow. Under the amended Regulations, a passenger may bring onto a bus compressed oxygen cylinder(s) required for his/her own medical use if the following conditions are met before paying any fare:

1. the passenger shows that the compressed oxygen is required for his/her own medical use by inhaling the oxygen through a nasal cannula or oxygen mask connected to the cylinder;

2. the passenger advises the driver of the number of compressed oxygen cylinders that he/she is carrying; and

3. after declaring the number of compressed oxygen cylinders that he/she is carrying, the passenger has not been advised by the driver that the total number of oxygen cylinders on board the bus will exceed two if he/she brings the oxygen cylinder(s) onto the bus.

     For details, please visit the TD's website (www.td.gov.hk) or call 2804 2600.

     The Department of Health (DH) will fully implement the Colorectal Cancer Screening Programme (CRCSP) tomorrow (January 1), further extending its coverage to Hong Kong residents aged 50 to 75, i.e. those born in the years 1944 to 1970, to enrol in screening tests subsidised by the Government for the prevention of colorectal cancer.
 
     Regularised in August last year, the CRCSP heavily subsidises  asymptomatic Hong Kong residents to undergo screening tests for colorectal cancer with no quota for participants.
 
     Participants shall attend a medical consultation by an enrolled primary care doctor (PCD) and will receive a Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) screening arranged by the PCD. A government subsidy of $280 per consultation applies including the second consultation by the PCD to follow up on a positive FIT test result.  Under the CRCSP, about 97% of the service locations of enrolled PCDs will not require additional charges.

     If the FIT result is positive, the participant will be referred to an enrolled colonoscopy specialist to receive a colonoscopy examination subsidised by the Government in order to find out the cause of bleeding. Under the standard colonoscopy service package targeted at FIT-positive participants, the subsidy amount is $8,500 if polyp removal is necessary, whereas the amount is $7,800 if no polyp removal is needed. Colonoscopy specialists may charge a co-payment not exceeding $1,000 when providing the standard colonoscopy examination service. Overall, more than 70% of the locations of enrolled colonoscopy specialists will not require additional charges.
 
     And for FIT-negative participants, they should receive FIT re-screening every two years until they pass the age of 75 so as to maximise the Programme's capability to prevent colorectal cancer. They will receive reminders via SMS, email or postal mail when they are due for re-screening. The subsidised FIT re-screening services are provided in any enrolled PCD clinic.
 
     A spokesman for the DH said that the screenings can identify those who have colorectal cancer before they present with symptoms, or individuals at increased risk of colorectal cancer and enable them to receive early treatment, thus improving the prognosis significantly. And with colorectal adenoma removed in the course of a colonoscopy, these lesions are also prevented from turning into cancer.
 
     The spokesman called on eligible persons to join the CRCSP as soon as possible, and prevent colorectal cancer by leading a healthy lifestyle and having well-organised screenings.
　　 
     Eligible persons who are interested to join the CRCSP should enrol in the Electronic Health Record Sharing System (eHRSS). Please refer to the eHRSS website at www.ehealth.gov.hk or call the Registration Office at 3467 6300 for details. 
 
     For more information on the CRCSP, please visit the DH's thematic website www.colonscreen.gov.hk or call the dedicated hotline (3565 6288) during office hours.