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The Young Reporter

Society

Floral Joy Around Town: 2024 Hong Kong Flower Show

  • The Young Reporter
  • By: LI Sin Tung、MAO Anqi、James Ezekiel Kalaw MODESTOEdited by: James Ezekiel Kalaw MODESTO
  • 2024-03-18

Hong Kong welcomes the arrival of spring with the annual Hong Kong Flower Show as it returns to Victoria Park for a second straight year after a three-year halt due to Covid-19. This year’s theme is “Floral Joy Around Town,” with the Angelonia as the event’s chosen flower. Angelonia, also known as the “angel flower” and summer snapdragon, comes in various colours and is noted for its long flowering period, flourishing from Spring to Autumn. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department uses the Angelonia to symbolise Hong Kong’s ability to overcome adversity, adding that Hong Kong can always overcome difficulties and bloom with vigour like the theme flower. Around 229 organisations are participating in this year’s event, including several government departments and exhibitors from other countries. The event will be held from Mar. 15 to 24.

Business

Hong Kong hope to strengthen its position as the world’s leading air cargo hub

Hong Kong is likely to regain the world's busiest cargo airport, and passenger traffic at the airport is expected to fully recover to pre-pandemic levels this year, the Financial Secretary said on Tuesday at World Cargo Symposium. Three-runway system to be completed by the end of this year, will be able to handle 120 million passenger trips and more than 10 million tonnes of cargo annually in 2035, Paul Chan Mo-po said during the opening remarks of the World Cargo Symposium at the AsiaWorld-Expo. "Hong Kong is also cooperating with other cities in the Greater Bay Area to enable Hong Kong International Airport to fulfil its role as the logistics gateway of the Greater Bay Area and the world premier air cargo hub," he added. Later on Tuesday, Cathay Cargo and Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals were awarded the full environmental assessment certification at the symposium, becoming the first two air cargo terminals to receive the certification in Asia. The International Air Transport Association certification, is a comprehensive evaluation of companies' environmental sustainability management systems and their plans for continual performance improvement. “Having IATA environment certified facilities at Hong Kong International Airport strengthens Hong Kong’s position as the world’s leading air cargo hub and is reflective of the strong sustainability culture and vision of Hong Kong,” said Mark Watts in a press release, Cathay Cargo Terminal’s Chief Operating Officer. "Before the outbreak, the Hong Kong International Airport had more than 1,100 daily flights connecting to over 220 destinations,” Chan said. “At the end of last year, passenger throughput was back to 80 percent of pre-outbreak levels. According to the data, Guangzhou Baiyun Airport's total passenger throughput in 2023 reached 2 million tonnes, significantly ahead of Hong Kong's because of its fast recovery of domestic flights. "We have started to build …

Photo Essay

Lions and Dragons Dance again after four years silence

The 15th World Hong Kong Luminous Dragon and Lion Dance Championships returned to Hung Hom Stadium on Mar. 9, after a four year hiatus, gathering 11 lion teams and 8 luminous dragon teams. For the first time the luminous dragon performances took place during the day. “The windows were covered with black cloth and all the lights will be turned off to create a night effect,"said Gong Pui-wai, President of Hong Kong Chinese Martial Arts Dragon and Lion Dance Association. The championship is held every two years but was canceled in 2022 because of the pandemic.This year's championship includes teams from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao,Taiwan, and eight other countries and regions. The Arts Dragon and Lion Dance Association sent nine referees and more than 50 volunteers to ensure the event went smoothly "Both lion dance and dragon dance are a test of teamwork," said Gong. "Holding such a championship represents Hong Kong's welcoming spirit of tolerance and unity. reflecting our respect for traditional Chinese culture,"he added.                                    

Society

VegCoffee Mix & Match Competition attracts non-vegetarian visitors to Vegetarian Food Asia

The 10th Vegetarian Food Asia held from Friday to Sunday featured the second VegCoffee Mix & Match Competition, with a combination of cafe culture and vegan culture which attracted many non-vegetarians. This year's competition highlighted a vegan and coffee theme, requiring competitors to make desserts and coffee within an hour. The organizer of this event, the Hong Kong Roasters and Coffee Commissioners Association, said this is the only live competition in Hong Kong where coffee and roasting are held at the same time. Lei Bui-dak, 45, chairman of the Vegan Coffee Creation Competition organizing committee, said they wanted to further promote vegan culture through the growing popularity of the cafe culture in Asia. "We wanted to explore how well vegan and cafe cultures could be integrated so that the vegan culture will become widely known as a lifestyle. We were happy to see that the competition did succeed in attracting many non-vegetarians who came because they were interested,” he said. “I came to this exhibition after seeing the Coffee Association's promotion on Facebook​​,” said Cheung Ming-wing, a coffee lover, who specifically came to watch this competition. “I’m not a vegetarian, but I think I might try going vegan after this exhibition,” he said. Lim Sze-han and Chan Sung-ming participated in the VegCoffee Mix & Match competition, presenting a work called "The Hong Kong Tea Set". "The theme of our work is a very classic Hong Kong afternoon tea with pineapple buns and coffee, and all the ingredients of the pineapple bun are vegan," Lim said. “We are not vegetarians. We came to this contest because we were curious about vegan culture and our desire to help spread it for the better,” said Lim and Chan. Lim said that they had made a lot of efforts before the competition, such as …

Society

Sham Shui Po' s first Literary Youth Bazaar immerses visitors in local culture

The Home Affairs Department organised the "Searching for Sham Shui Po" Literati Bazaar at the activity space underneath the Tung Chau Street Flyover on Saturday. It is one of the events under the "District 18 is Colourful Day and Night in 2024" programme, aiming to drive people to understand and immerse themselves in local design products and Sham Shui Po textile culture while promoting itself to become the core area of ​​the innovative economy. The bazaar marked the first time for Sham Shui Po to host an event of this scale, with more than 30 stalls featuring local original works such as fabrics, leathers, and cultural and creative products. The bazaar also promotes city walking activities.After registering for admission, visitors will receive a printed eco-cup as a gift. Shadow Lee, 28, a handmade stall owner, said she was happy that the government has given  young literary youths a platform to promote their work. Cindy Chen, 26, a ceramic craftsman, said that as a resident of Sham Shui Po since childhood, she is honoured to contribute to the development of this area's culture. "Although the economy here is not well developed, the culture of cloth and handicrafts has always been very distinctive, and in recent years, I can feel that the government is emphasising these cultures," said Chen. Effie Zhu, 21, a visitor to the bazaar, said it is her first time participating in such type of bazaar in Sham Shui Po,“ I did not expect that there would be so many visitors, not only some literary youth but also many old people and children joined today’s bazaar.” Karlssen Wong, 7, said his favourite part of the whole fair was the stamping and punching of cards in the fair, where there were all sorts of prizes to be won. “I was …

People

Brisbane Celebrates International Women’s Day with a Sea of Pink

  • The Young Reporter
  • By: KURNIAWAN Trista VaniaEdited by: Lisheng CHENG、Yau To LUM
  • 2024-03-10

Australia celebrated International Women’s Day today with around 23,000 people wearing pink for a five-kilometre run in Brisbane to support breast cancer research. It’s the largest event for the cause ever held. The run began in South Brisbane and ended in City Botanical Gardens with participants walking, jogging, or running along the way. People could also join virtually across the state, bringing the total number of participants to  26,000. Tickets were sold out within a month.  The Mater Foundation has been holding the event for over 33 years to raise funds for breast cancer research.  They partnered with Queensland X-ray this year and raised over nearly 1.8 million Australian dollars (HK$9.3 million). The money will go toward providing women with high-quality X-ray imaging services.  Kaylah Pearse, one of the event organisers, said she is delighted to see the event grow every year.  “Last year was a smaller show compared to this year. It’s great because fundraisers need more support to carry out more research and provide help for women with breast cancer,” she said.  Connie Glover, one of the participants, said that her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago and she has joined the event for four years now.  “I was inspired by my mom. I think it’s important to support more people with similar experiences,” said Glover. She also added that the funds can help provide women with headscarves after chemotherapy and mastectomy bras after breast removal surgery. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare stated that breast cancer is the most common cancer among females in Australia in 2023. One in seven women in Australia is at risk of breast cancer during their lifetime.  In 2022, the Australian Bureau of Statistics found that breast cancer is the seventh-highest cause of death overall and the second …

Health & Environment

HK Red Cross uses technology to raise awareness on climate change

The second Red Cross City Challenge kicked off on March 2 in Kowloon District. The event embraced virtual reality and augmented reality technologies to better present the influence of climate change. Different from the previous event theme "Humanity City Challenge", which focused on the community services, this year’s theme is  "Rebuilding Lives, Rebuilding Homes". Participants need to race against time in the streets and alleys in Kowloon to find 60 designated checkpoints and complete various missions.  "Hong Kong Red Cross hopes that this event will encourage people to get involved in community activities to help the disadvantaged groups affected by climate change and disasters," said Ma Chak-wah, chairman of the organizing committee of the Red Cross City Challenge. The event is of a pro bono nature. After deducting administrative expenses, the funds raised from the event will be used to support various humanitarian services of the HKRC. Ma said that the event will include the use of AR technology to present participants in real-life scenes of homes stricken by extreme weather to create an experience of the huge impact of climate change in real life. This year, Hong Kong Red Cross co-branded with Snoopy™ and handed out gift bags filled with goodies of the cartoon dog. More than 2,500 people registered for the event, and about 70% of whom were young, Ma added. "I came to this event because Snoopy™ caught my eye," said Leung Sin-yee, a 17-year-old local student. "Hong Kong has also been frequently affected by extreme weather recently, and the theme of this event happens to be related to disasters. I want to learn from this event to better protect myself and help others," Liao said. Ma said that the Red Cross hopes to encourage more and more young people to understand and participate in disaster relief …

Hong Kong Budget Unveils HK$ 1.09 billion to Boost Tourism, Reinventing the City's Brand Image

  • 2024-02-29

Financial Secretary Mr. Paul Chan released the budget proposal today. Photo source: Sing Tao Daily. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said he would allocate an additional HK$1.09 billion to support the tourism industry, including monthly fireworks displays and drone performances on Victoria Harbour, revitalising the nightly harbour light show and promoting immersive and in-depth experiences such as "Citywalk."  The plan aims to effectively use the city's waterfront resources and enhance local tourism activities to attract visitors and improve Hong Kong's economy while reshaping its brand image. The Tourism Board also intends to introduce dining, retail and entertainment facilities in suitable locations along the Victoria Harbour waterfront to provide convenience and enhance the visitor experience, Chan said. “We want to promote Hong Kong as a hospitable, people-focused city,” Chan said in the budget address. The government is also launching initiatives such as the Sai Kung Hoi Art Festival to "soft sell" Hong Kong.  However, Tang Wing Tung, 20, a university student and hiking enthusiast, said, "As a hiking enthusiast, these projects already have some level of promotion within Hong Kong itself. I believe the government's so-called 'soft sell' approach will have little impact," she said. The budget highlights initiatives to promote arts, culture, and creative industries to boost tourism, including an East-meets-West Centre for International Cultural Exchange and introducing a blueprint for developing arts, culture, fashion and creative industries. Funding injections of around HK$1.4 billion and HK$2.9 billion will support film, arts and design projects, including the annual Hong Kong Fashion Design Week. Local vocational college VTC  held a fashion show in West Kowloon in October 2023, though Christian Dior postponed its highly anticipated March fashion show on Feb 26.  The government has also launched the Signature Performing Arts Programme Scheme to establish long-running, representative local performing arts programs. They aim …

Culture & Leisure

Budget 2024: Film Development Fund receives highest government investment since 2007

The government will inject $1.4 billion into the Film Development Fund in 2024, the highest investment record in 17 years, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po announced in the most recent budget speech on Wednesday. The Hong Kong Film Development Council has approved a total of $1billion in 2023, of which $134 million has been allocated for the Film Production Financing Scheme, accounting for 12.4% of the total investment. “We feel excited about the investment in film. In the past, government investment had helped many new directors and talents who lacked funding to fulfill opportunities to present their works,”  a spokesman of Hong Kong Motion Picture Industry Association said. During the 2023 Christmas period, Hong Kong cinema box office receipts were only $19.6 million, more than a 40% drop from last year and is the lowest in 20 years. “The box office increase in 2022 may be related to the delay of the release of foreign films due to the epidemic,” Rose Lu, 27, a film critic said. “The Hong Kong film market is small, the government should spend more money in promoting Hong Kong movies overseas and mainland rather than importing many overseas films,” said Lu. Hong Kong Legislative Council amended the Film Censorship Ordinance on October 27, 2021, which requires self-censorship and monitoring of film making, and re-examination of some subjects involving political factors, large scale and niche films. “It is hard for many directors in Hong Kong to do some sensitive topics, because it may not pass the film audit. This makes the Hong Kong film market less glamorous,” said Lu. People expect this money will promote diversity in Hong Kong movies and provide financial support for the film industry. “The government should support more shooting studios and try to have a new agreement about the renting cost …

Society

Budget 2024: Government to expand cross-boundary data flow and services

    Hong Kong will expand cross-boundary data flow to help Hong Kong and mainland residents in the Greater Bay Area access public services without needing to cross the border. This month, the government announced it launched self-service kiosks in Shenzhen and Guangzhou where Hong Kong citizens can apply for more than 50 government services in Hong Kong. The kiosks aim to streamline government services, promote investment in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and boost satisfaction for businesses operating cross-boundary, according to a Press Release from the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Agency. Echo Lee, 21, from Guangzhou and studying in Hong Kong, said this policy is convenient but he is concerned about the leakage of personal information. Ethan Deng, 19, from Shenzhen and studying in Hong Kong, said he hadn't paid much attention to this policy before and thinks it will be more convenient to apply for documents, especially identity documents. Zong Can, 25, a cross-border worker from Shenzhen, said this policy will help bring the two places closer together, especially for residents like her who live close to Hong Kong. Denny Deng, 26, a Hong Kong resident who works in insurance, said this policy should be helpful to the exchange of enterprises between the two places as well as the development of business, which is conducive to the flow of capital between the two places. "In the future, I hope that we can use cross-border processing to solve more livelihood issues, such as driving licenses, tax, healthcare interoperability. Because Hong Kong is a place where privacy is very important, how to get the authorization of the person to communicate between the two places or successful cases will make the whole community have confidence," said Chau Man-kong, Executive Director of the School of Applied Policy Studies and Educational Futures …