Tag Archives: China

     To celebrate the 28th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, a number of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD)’s fee-charging leisure and cultural facilities will open for use by members of the public free of charge on July 1 (Tuesday), which include:
 

• Indoor leisure facilities: badminton courts, tennis courts, basketball courts, netball courts, volleyball courts, squash courts, table tennis tables, American pool tables, billiard tables, sport climbing walls*, bowling greens, golf facilities, fitness rooms*, activity rooms, dance rooms and a cycling track*; 
• Outdoor leisure facilities: tennis courts, tennis practice courts, bowling greens, batting cages, archery ranges* and golf facilities (excluding camp facilities, sports grounds as well as artificial and natural turf pitches); 
• Public swimming pools (excluding Wan Chai Swimming Pool, and Kowloon Tsai Swimming Pool which is temporarily closed for redevelopment);
• Craft at water sports centres* (recreational kayaks, pedal-driven boats, sampans and colour boats at Chong Hing Water Sports Centre are available for free use by campers only); and
• Permanent exhibitions of the Hong Kong Science Museum and the Hong Kong Space Museum (excluding the shows at Space Theatre)

(* Users are required to possess the relevant qualification certificates.)

     The free-of-charge sessions on July 1 will be allocated through balloting. During the period June 14 to 20, members of the public can make ballot applications via SmartPLAY as individual users. Each application can cover a maximum of three balloting choices. For applications made, each applicant can revise the choices before the closing of the application period at 11.59pm on June 20. The computer balloting results will be announced on June 23. Successful applicants will be notified by the SmartPLAY system. For members of the public not having been allocated any balloted free session or made any application, they can book the remaining free sessions, if any, via SmartPLAY on a first-come, first-served basis from June 25. Each successful applicant will be allocated one free session, whether through balloting or first-come, first-served booking. 

     The LCSD appeals to successful applicants to arrive on time and make the best use of the booked facilities. If a successful applicant fails to take up a booked session 10 minutes after the starting time, the facility will be reallocated to walk-in participants on a first-come, first-served basis for use as the same purpose as that for which it has been booked. The facility should be returned to the original successful applicant if he/she shows up later. All users should observe the Conditions of Use of LCSD Recreation and Sports Facilities as shown on the LCSD website www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/condition/index.html (including the “no-show/not present during the use of the booked sessions” penalty). Please call 2414 5555 for enquiry or visit the thematic website at www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/freeuseday/index.html.

     No prior booking is required for public swimming pool facilities. Members of the public may line up at the entrances of swimming pools before the start of a session. Free admission is offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

     Admission will continue to be free at the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, the Hong Kong Museum of History, the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware, the Hong Kong Railway Museum, the Hong Kong Museum of the War of Resistance and Coastal Defence, the Fireboat Alexander Grantham Exhibition Gallery, the Law Uk Folk Museum, the Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum, the Sheung Yiu Folk Museum, the Hong Kong Film Archive, the Sam Tung Uk Museum and the Oil Street Art Space (Oi!). (The Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum is temporarily closed for upgrading works. The Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre is closed on Tuesdays (including July 1).) read more

     To celebrate the 28th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on July 1, the Government and different sectors of the community will launch a rich array of special offers and activities, covering areas including public transport; culture, arts and leisure; as well as dining and consumption, to share with members of the public the joy of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland.
 
     For public transport, members of the public can enjoy free rides on all passenger tram routes from July 1 to 3. The MTR will give away 71 000 e-single journey tickets through a lucky draw on July 1 and provide Airport Express offers to holders of Child Octopus and JoyYou Cards. Moreover, free rides on several ferry routes will be offered to the public on July 1, with vouchers for certain ferry routes to be distributed in advance.
 
     In culture, arts and leisure, the public will be offered free admission to a number of fee-charging leisure and cultural facilities of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and to the Hong Kong Wetland Park under the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department on July 1. They can also enjoy free admission to all General Admission exhibitions at M+ and all thematic exhibitions at the Hong Kong Palace Museum in the West Kowloon Cultural District on that day. Furthermore, additional free guided tours, dining, consumption and accommodation offers will be provided from mid-June to early July by the 12 projects under the Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme.
 
     As for dining and consumption, several public markets under the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will roll out different offers. Members of the public can also enjoy a 29 per cent discount when purchasing selected products of the Fish Marketing Organization and the Vegetable Marketing Organization via the “Local Fresh” online store or mobile app from July 1 to 7. The Environmental Protection Department will offer double GREEN$ Points to the public who recycle at its community recycling network GREEN@COMMUNITY on July 1.
 
     Meanwhile, more than 1 000 restaurants and merchants are expected to provide dining offers on July 1. The Peak Tram, Ngong Ping 360 and Ocean Park Hong Kong will offer ticket discounts, while Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong Science Park, various shopping malls and department stores will roll out shopping, dining, consumption or parking offers. In addition, the Hong Kong Tourism Board will team up with local businesses to offer various dining, shopping, attractions, tours and entertainment deals.
 
     The Government thanks various sectors for actively responding to its call by launching special offers and activities to celebrate with the public the HKSAR’s 28th anniversary. Information about the offers and activities is available on the dedicated website (www.hksar28.gov.hk). Relevant government departments and organisations will announce details in due course. read more

     Following are the remarks by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at a media session before the Executive Council meeting today (June 10):
 
Reporter: Good morning Mr Lee. So you have chaired a senior meeting and instructed officials to follow up in response to the fresh water supply to housing estates in Fanling. What do you think the Government can learn from this incident, and are there any areas that should be improved on? And secondly, with Aristo Sham being the first Hong Kong-born pianist to win the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, what does his win mean, in your opinion, and are there any plans to take this opportunity, perhaps, to review support to the industry? Thank you.
 
Chief Executive: In dealing with water matters, we have to ensure not just that it is safe to drink, but also that people drink it with their mind at ease. I’m highly concerned about the water matter in Queen’s Hill Estate and Shan Lai Court, and that is why I held a meeting and gave four directives and 10 tasks for the relevant bureaux and departments to implement. I repeat the four directives: to trace the source; to set up an expert group to assist in the tracing; to immediately install and strengthen the filtration facilities in each and every building in Queen’s Hill Estate and Shan Lai Court; and to speed up the work.
 
     In regard to the 10 tasks, I don’t want to repeat here, because they have been well announced. And I’ve also asked the Deputy Financial Secretary, Michael Wong, to oversee the implementation. I see the 10 specific tasks are being implemented fast and immediately. During the past weekend, colleagues deployed additional manpower on-site to speed up the work progress. The latest progress of key areas has received positive feedback from residents. For example, we have visited a lot of households that have previously made complaints about the water quality, and from them –and from the sample water we’ve collected – they’ve indicated that they no longer see any particles in the water. They find the water clean, and they feel at ease to drink the water.
 
     We have also enhanced manpower at the district level to talk to people who may still have problems. This includes government officials, care teams, District Council members and the different representatives who are willing to join the government team to visit households and also talk to the different people to address their concerns. And I’m glad to hear that they have been receiving positive feedback that those who previously complained about the particles they have reported, they no longer see those particles. There may be one or two households that still reported that they had seen particles, but after flushing and some work to the taps and also cleaning the water meter, there is very clear improvement. We’ll continue the work. Experience suggests that some particles or residue may remain in the pipes after entering into the building. In other words, in the same building, we’re seeing a lot of households saying the water is clean – they don’t see any particles anymore – but there may be one or two that still see some small particles. So these particles stay in internal pipes, probably within the households or probably within the taps or the water meter. Government colleagues are working hard to do all they can to continue to flush the pipes, flush the tap, flush the water meter. And I advise residents, they can do the same, but we’ll do our best. And what is also very important is good dissemination of information, and we have been publishing the results every day on the website, and also posting the notice at the entrance of all buildings.
 
     I think the experience that colleagues have learned from this incident is, response should be fast. We should understand the feelings of residents in water concerns to ensure that it’s not just safe, but that when they drink the water, their mind is at ease. Colleagues, of course, focus on the technical side of ensuring the water is safe. I think everybody handling this matter knows that we should, at the same time, address residents’ ease of mind when we deal with water problem. And I’ve also instructed the Water Supplies Department to replace the pipes which are the source of the particles. They’re working hard on it. My thanks to the support and advice of the expert team which has been formed, they are more or less formulating the plan to replace the pipes which are the source of the problem as soon as possible, and the Water Supplies Department will submit the plan to the Development Bureau as soon as possible.
 
     As regards the very good news of Aristo Sham having won the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, which is one of the highest levels of piano competitions, and Mr Aristo Sham, being born in Hong Kong – we are so proud of him, and we are so glad that he has won the competition. I think every Hong Kong resident feels proud of this excellent result. And of course, if Aristo will find time to make a few performances in Hong Kong, it will really get us even more excited and we will see if that will happen, but we’ll work hard to see whether we can make it happen.
 
     I’m very glad that overall, the performances of a lot of artists from Hong Kong are doing well in different areas, and this is seen in a lot of good results they have achieved. The present mechanism for the Government to support performers in this field of art is through the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, and they will be looking closely at the needs to strengthen opportunities for different areas of art so as to develop talent, to develop the overall performances of those who are interested in different areas. There is an expert group, actually, in the Arts Development Council to look at the overall situation and the different areas, strengths and potentials, to examine assistance and support, including donations or subsidies in the area of developing different arts. So the mechanism is there and we will continue to make good use of the Arts Development Council to help artists in different areas to achieve their goals and realise their dreams. Thank you.
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.) 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 today (June 10) that due… read more

     â€‹As the Heat Stress at Work Warning is now in effect, the Labour Department (LD) reminds employers and employees to take appropriate measures during the effective period of the warning to prevent heat stroke when working in hot weather or hot environments.
      
     Employees who work outdoors or in non-air-conditioned indoor environments face high levels of heat stress and are at a relatively higher risk of heat stroke. Employers should assess the risk factors of heat stress for employees at work and, based on the identified risk factors, take necessary preventive and control measures, including rescheduling work periods, setting up shading covers, providing ventilation and heat dissipation equipment, and reminding employees to replenish water and rest in a timely manner.
      
     The Heat Stress at Work Warning is formulated by the LD based on the Hong Kong Heat Index. There are three levels of the warning: Amber, Red and Black, which help employers and employees better understand the level of heat stress while working outdoors or indoors without air-conditioning systems.
      
     A spokesman for the LD said that when the department issues the Heat Stress at Work Warning, employers must refer to the criteria and recommendations provided in the “Guidance Notes on Prevention of Heat Stroke at Work” to conduct risk assessments, according to the workloads and other relevant heat stress risk factors, for employees who work outdoors or in non-air-conditioned indoor workplaces. Appropriate rest breaks should be arranged every hour, as far as reasonably practicable, based on various levels of the Heat Stress at Work Warning, to reduce employees’ risk of heat stroke.
      
     Employees must also follow instructions to rest on time. Whenever there are any symptoms of heat-related illnesses, such as headache, dizziness, thirst, and nausea, they should rest in a cool and shady place, drink water, and inform employers/supervisors to take appropriate action immediately.
      
     The LD issued the “Guidance Notes on Prevention of Heat Stroke at Work”, detailing the various risk factors that should be considered when conducting heat stress risk assessments and recommending corresponding control measures for identified risk factors for employers’ and employees’ reference. For the Heat Stress at Work Warning and related guidelines, please refer to the department’s thematic webpage: www.labour.gov.hk/eng/news/prevention_of_heat_stroke_at_work.htm. read more