The Deputy Secretary for Justice, Mr Cheung Kwok-kwan, will lead a 39-person delegation comprising young representatives of the Law Society of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Bar Association, young government counsel of the Department of Justice (DoJ), and law students from the three law schools tomorrow (September 7) on a visit to Huizhou and Shenzhen.

     It is the first time the DoJ organised a dedicated delegation of young legal practitioners and law students to visit the Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). It is also the first trip of "DoJ Fellows", an in-house alliance of young government counsel established by the DoJ, demonstrating the DoJ's commitment to connect with young lawyers.

     Mr Cheung said, "The development of the GBA and other key national strategies launched in recent years have provided Hong Kong with unlimited opportunities and created greater room for young lawyers to develop.

     "Hong Kong is the only common law jurisdiction in the country. Hong Kong's young solicitors and barristers can definitely serve as the country's bridge in foreign-related legal affairs, assisting Mainland enterprises to go global on the one hand and attracting foreign investments on the other. The purpose of this visit is to encourage young Hong Kong lawyers to have a deeper understanding of the latest developments in the GBA, so that they can better leverage on their strengths and enhance collaboration with their Mainland counterparts, contributing to the rule of law development of our country."

     Mr Cheung said that the DoJ has been working closely with young legal practitioners and facilitating their professional development. During the pre-trip briefing held earlier, Mr Cheung encouraged members of the delegation to keep up a good learning spirit and take the opportunity to engage in professional exchanges with their counterparts. Given Hong Kong's unique advantages of enjoying the strong support of the motherland while being closely connected to the world under "one country, two systems", he also urged them to further connect their career development with the overall national development and deepen their collaboration with the legal sector of other GBA cities, so as to jointly promote high-quality national development.

     The delegation led by Mr Cheung will visit a relevant court, various law-related authorities, strategic enterprises and a start-up incubation base for youth and other organisations in Huizhou and Shenzhen, seeking to better understand the latest developments of the Mainland's legal system, the impact of innovation and technology on legal services, the specific needs for legal services in the GBA and other related subjects.

     Mr Cheung and the delegation will return to Hong Kong on September 9.

    

     Hongkong Post announced today (September 6) that a special stamp issue and associated philatelic products on the theme of "Hong Kong Vegetables" will be released for sale on September 21 (Thursday).
 
     There are a great variety of vegetables which provide vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, etc. Sufficient consumption of various kinds of vegetables every day can strengthen the immune system and provide protection from chronic diseases. Dietary fibre found in vegetables can help improve intestinal function and promote gastrointestinal health.
 
     Hongkong Post will issue a set of six stamps, a stamp sheetlet and associated philatelic products on the theme of "Hong Kong Vegetables". The selected locally grown fresh vegetables, in different containers, are vividly featured through impressively colourful illustrations.
 
     Official first day covers for "Hong Kong Vegetables" will be on sale at all post offices and on Hongkong Post's online shopping mall ShopThruPost (shopthrupost.hongkongpost.hk) from tomorrow (September 7). This set of special stamps and associated philatelic products will be on sale at all post offices and ShopThruPost from September 21, while serviced first day covers affixed with the special stamps will be available at philatelic offices only.
 
   A hand-back date-stamping service will be provided on September 21 at all post offices for official first day covers/souvenir covers/privately made covers bearing the first day of issue indication and a local address.
 
   Information about this set of special stamps and associated philatelic products is available on the Hongkong Post Stamps website (stamps.hongkongpost.hk) and in the ShopThruPost mobile app.
 

      

     Jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and the South China Film Industry Workers Union, the Chinese Film Panorama 2023 will be held from September 27 to October 29, presenting 10 films produced on the Mainland at the Grand Theatre of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the Cinema of Hong Kong Film Archive, and lecture halls of the Hong Kong Space Museum and Hong Kong Science Museum. Another two films were selected for free screenings at the Auditorium of North District Town Hall, Cine-Art House (Maritime Square) and the Rayson Huang Theatre of the University of Hong Kong, bringing the excellent and distinctive works released on the Mainland in recent years to audiences in Hong Kong.

     The opening film "The Cord of Life" (2023), directed by Qiao Sixue, tells the story of a Mongolian musician bringing his Alzheimer's-stricken mother back home in the grasslands. He ties a rope to his mother to prevent her from wandering off, connecting them like an umbilical cord. The film is a selection of the "Asian Future" competition section of the 35th Tokyo International Film Festival. In another film, the protagonist of "Mr. Zheng" (2022), who is also stricken by Alzheimer's disease, embarks on a journey searching for the memories that he shared with his deceased wife. It is also the final film of the late Tu Men, a winner of the Golden Horse Award for Best Leading Actor. "Lighting Up the Stars" (2022), set in the Up Sky coffin shop, explores the common but taboo topic of death.

     In the road trip drama "Like Father and Son" (2023), a truck driver who lost his son and an abandoned boy develop a father-son bond after their initial mutual detestation. Depicting the social condition of a rural village in northern Shaanxi, the film shows mutual love and a spirit of assistance between people, brimming with humanity and the spirit of northern Shaanxi. "Sister" (2021) depicts the tenacity of women when facing restraints and difficulties under the traditional beliefs in the pursuit of personal goals. "Sunflower in the Dark" (2023) is a soulful film about the protagonist at the end of her life exploring the topics of life and death, youth, etc. "River of Salvation" (2022) follows a woman who has a hidden past, raising her slacker brother on her own.

     The documentary "Like the Dyer's Hand" (2020) traces the life of Chinese classical literature master Yeh Chia-ying, through embodying the beauty of poetic imagery and sound in film. As a murder case is being adapted into a play, "The Eleventh Chapter" (2021) depicts the intertwining of an absurd life and drama. Focusing on the issue of cyberbullying, the comedy "Post Truth" (2023) follows the story of a cemetery plot salesman dispelling rumours about a deceased client. 

     The event will screen two other films that were featured in international film festivals. "Striding into the Wind" (2021) is an official selection in the category of First Features of the 73rd Cannes Film Festival in France. Directed by Wei Shujun, the film follows a university student as he discovers the gap between ideal and reality during his coming of age. Directed by Kong Dashan, "Journey to the West" (2023), a Bright Future selection of the 51st International Film Festival Rotterdam, explores the meaning of human existence through the protagonist's quest for alien civilisations.
　　
     "The Cord of Life" is in Putonghua and Mongolian. "Lighting Up the Stars" is in Putonghua and Wuhan and Sichuan dialects. "Like Father and Son" is in Putonghua and northern Shaanxi dialect. "Sister" is in Putonghua and Sichuan dialect. "River of Salvation" is in Putonghua and Wuhan dialect. The other films are in Putonghua. All films have Chinese and English subtitles.

     "Sunflower in the Dark" and "River of Salvation" will be screened for free. The admission tickets for the free screenings at the North District Town Hall and Cine-Art House (Maritime Square) will be distributed at the respective screening locations from September 24. The admission tickets for the screening at Rayson Huang Theatre of the University of Hong Kong will be distributed at The University of Hong Kong Staff Association located at 5/F, TT Tsui Building of the University of Hong Kong starting from September 25. Each person can obtain up to two tickets per screening on a first-come, first-served basis. Other film tickets priced at $60 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. For programme details, please call 2734 2900 (LCSD) or 2780 5355 (Cine-Art House (Maritime Square)) or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/en/listing.html?id=52.

     The LCSD has all along promoted Chinese history and culture. Apart from the Chinese Film Panorama 2023, the grand finale of the Chinese Opera Festival 2023, "Blessing This Land – Cantonese Opera Showcase under the Bamboo Theatre at Victoria Park" will be staged from September 23 to October 2. Meanwhile, the Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnivals 2023 with fascinating programmes will also be held in Victoria Park, Sha Tin Park and Tuen Mun Park from September 23 to October 2. Members of the public can make use of these occasions to learn more about the characteristics of Chinese culture.

                        

The following is issued on behalf of the Major Sports Events Committee:
 
     The Major Sports Events Committee (MSEC) has awarded "M" Mark status to the VICTOR Hong Kong Open Badminton Championships 2023 part of the HSBC BWF World Tour Super 500, which will be held from September 12 to 17.
      
     The Chairman of the MSEC, Mr Wilfred Ng, said today (September 6) that like all other "M" Mark events, this event will add colour and vibrancy to Hong Kong and thereby bring in more visitors from abroad.
      
     "After a three-year hiatus, the Hong Kong Open Badminton Championships will be held in Hong Kong again, which not only showcases Hong Kong's capability to host world-class events, but also enhances Hong Kong's position as a centre for major international sports events. This event will allow Hong Kong audiences to enjoy high-level competitions and help cultivate a sporting culture in the community," Mr Ng said.
              
     The "M" Mark System aims to encourage and help local national sports associations, private and non-government organisations to organise more major international sports events and nurture them into sustainable undertakings. Sports events meeting the assessment criteria will be granted "M" Mark status by the MSEC. Funding support will also be provided to some events.

     For details of "M" Mark events, please visit www.mevents.org.hk.

     The Government announced today (September 6) the extension of the application period of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) Youth Employment Scheme to December 31 to enable more enterprises and young people to join the scheme.
 
     The Labour Department (LD) launched the regularised GBA Youth Employment Scheme in March this year to encourage enterprises with businesses in both Hong Kong and the GBA to employ university graduates of Hong Kong to work in the GBA's Mainland cities, so as to foster their career development and the exchange of talent in the GBA. As of August 31, a total of 220 enterprises had provided 2 069 job vacancies under the scheme and 333 young people had been employed.
 
     The LD's spokesman said, "Enterprises with businesses in both Hong Kong and the GBA's Mainland cities are eligible to join the scheme. Participating enterprises shall employ eligible young people in accordance with Hong Kong laws, offer them a monthly salary of not less than HK$18,000 and station them in the GBA's Mainland cities to work and receive on-the-job training. The Government will grant a monthly allowance of HK$10,000 for up to 18 months to enterprises for each employed young person. Enterprises can submit job vacancies through the scheme's website (www.jobs.gov.hk/gbayes)."
 
     The spokesman added, "Young people participating in the scheme should be Hong Kong residents lawfully employable in Hong Kong who are awarded bachelor's degrees or above from 2021 to 2023. Job vacancies under the scheme, upon the LD's vetting, have been uploaded to the scheme's website for Hong Kong young people to apply for. The deadline for graduates to apply for job vacancies under the scheme will fall on December 31. For details of the scheme, please visit the scheme's website or call the hotline 2969 0446/2969 0460.