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 today (December 21) that due to big waves, red flags have been hoisted at Silverstrand Beach and Clear Water Bay Second Beach in Sai Kung District. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at these beaches.

     Special traffic arrangements will be implemented in Happy Valley today (December 21). The arrangements will come into effect one and a half hours before the start of the first race and will last until the crowds have dispersed after the race meeting.

A. Traffic arrangements before the commencement of the first race

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 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

1. Road closure

     The following roads will be closed from about 35 minutes before the start of the last race:

– The up-ramp on Wong Nai Chung Road outside 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 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 HKJC will be closed from about 10 minutes before the start of the last race.

2. Traffic diversions

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

– 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 during day racing, from 4.30pm to 11.59pm during evening racing, and from 5pm to 11.59pm during night racing.

     Any vehicles found illegally parked within the precincts of the above affected areas will be towed away without prior notice.

     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.

     The Health Bureau announced today (December 21) that all community testing centres (CTCs) and community testing stations (CTSs) across the city will remain open during the Christmas and New Year holidays to enable members of the public to undergo testing.

     The opening hours of CTCs and CTSs will be adjusted as follows:
 

 
     Please refer to the following webpage for information of the CTCs/CTSs: www.communitytest.gov.hk/en/.

     As part of a series of activities in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in San Francisco (HKETO San Francisco) partnered with the Chinese Historical Society of America (CHSA) to present an unprecedented film series, "Radiating Bruce Lee: Cinema under the Sky", in San Francisco, California.

     Across five weekends, from October 22 to November 27 (San Francisco time), the curated five-film series explored the life and works of the Chinese-American icon and honoured his enduring legacy as a martial artist, filmmaker and actor. Featuring a unique selection of silent, documentary, narrative feature and martial arts action movies accompanied by corresponding performances, talks and a roundtable discussion, the series invited guests to experience the cinematic grandeur and journeyâ�  in Chinatown, the birthplace of Bruce Lee, at outdoor screenings at CHSA Museum and in the Great Star Theater, where his father was a Cantonese opera star during the 1930s and 40s.

     Speaking before the screening of "The Way of the Dragon", the finale of the series on November 27, the Director of HKETO San Francisco, Ms Jacko Tsang, thanked the CHSA for bringing the series to life, and expressed gratitude to the Executive Director of CHSA, Mr Justin Hoover, and the curator of the series, Ms Cheng-Sim Lim.

     "In the past two years there have been some very exciting new films that have broken Hong Kong's box office records and garnered critical acclaim. With the Hong Kong Government's strong commitment to support the continued development of the film industry, I am confident we will continue to bring you inspiring Hong Kong films," she added.

     Films showcased in the series are "Red Heroine" by Wen Yiming, a 1929 silent martial arts movie screened with a live soundtrack performance; "Golden Gate Girls" by Louisa Wei, a documentary rediscovering the life story of Esther Eng, the first woman director of Southern China; "The Orphan" by Lee Sun-fung, a rarely screened film featuring a teenaged Bruce Lee; "The Grandmaster" by Wong Kar-wai, a martial arts drama film about the renowned wing chun master Ip Man, Bruce Lee's first kung fu teacher; and "The Way of the Dragon", the only complete film written and directed by Bruce Lee, which was set in Rome.

      

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

     The fire danger situation today (December 21) is red and fire risk is extreme. The countryside is extremely vulnerable to fire. If you are planning to spend the day in the countryside, please take pre-cooked food for a picnic and take all measures to prevent hill fires. The penalty for lighting fires illegally in the countryside is $25,000 and a year's imprisonment.