A spokesperson for the Leisure and Cultural Services Department today (September 19) announced that URBTIX outlets at all Tom Lee Music branches and at the HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity will have special opening hours for the Mid-Autumn Festival (September 24) and the following day (September 25).
 
     The URBTIX outlets at all Tom Lee Music branches will close at 5.30pm on September 24 and will resume normal opening hours the following day. The URBTIX outlet at HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity will close at 3pm on September 24 and remain closed the following day, and will resume normal opening hours on September 26.
 
     The opening hours of all other URBTIX outlets will remain normal for the Mid-Autumn Festival and the following day. Tickets can also be purchased via the website www.urbtix.hk and the mobile ticketing app (Android and iPhone versions) throughout the day, and through the credit card telephone booking hotline 2111 5999 from 10am to 8pm. The ticketing enquiries hotline 3761 6661 will operate as usual from 10am to 8pm.

     The Transport Department (TD) announced today (September 19) that eligible Hong Kong operators are invited to apply for the quota for operating hire car services between Hong Kong and Macao using the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) starting from 10am on September 24. The deadline for application is 5pm on October 15.
      
     The Hong Kong and Macao Governments will issue a quota of 100 for eligible operators in Hong Kong and Macao to operate Hong Kong/Macao cross-boundary hire car services. An operator allocated under the quota can operate hire car services for carriage of passengers for reward between Hong Kong and Macao via the HZMB. A quota of 60 will be issued by the Hong Kong Government. The Macao Government will also issue a quota of 40 for operators from Macao, and will announce the details separately.
      
     Applicants should have at least two years' experience in operating local or cross-boundary hire car services, or have possessed a permit for at least two years for operating cross-boundary services between Hong Kong and Guangdong Province. Applications should be submitted in the name of the hire car operators.
      
     The application form and details can be downloaded from the website of the TD (www.td.gov.hk) starting from 10am on September 24.

     Veteran Cantonese opera stars Sun Kim-long and Tang Mi-ling will collaborate with local Cantonese opera performers including Liu Kwok-sum, Kwok Kai-fai, Lam Tsz-ching, Song Hong-bo, Chan Kei-ting and Ng Sin-hang in a new production of "The Magic Cup". This version is adapted from the film of the same title produced in 1961. Details are as follows:
 
7.30pm, November 14 (Wednesday)
Auditorium, Tsuen Wan Town Hall
Tickets: $120, $160, $220 and $280
 
2.30pm, November 18 (Sunday)
Auditorium, Yuen Long Theatre
Tickets: $120, $220 and $280
 
     The story centres on Cheung Tat, who gets thrown into an old well when he finds his wife committing adultery with the sorcerer Chow Kam. The ghost of Cheung's deceased wife appears and directs their daughter Ah-bo to rescue him. Ah-bo finds a magic cup inside the well, which allows her to summon a genie who can cast a spell to save her father. Later Cheung meets Princess Po Ling, who is tired of life in the palace and has escaped to live among the commoners. The two fall in love and pledge to remain together.
 
     Knowing that the King has offered a reward to find the Princess, Chow discovers the Princess' whereabouts and accuses Cheung of harbouring her. The King wants to behead Cheung. Chow steals the magic cup but fortunately Ah-bo manages to get the cup back and saves all those in danger. However, as the secret is revealed, Ah-bo has no choice but to melt the cup and bid farewell to the genie forever.
 
     "The Magic Cup" is presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. 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_636.html.
 
        A pre-performance talk will be held at 7.30pm on November 6 (Tuesday) at AC2, 4/F, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Speakers include Sun Kim-long and Tang Mi-ling. Another post-performance talk will take place after the November 18 performance at Auditorium, Yuen Long Theatre. Speakers include Tang Mi-ling, To Wing-sum and Lee Ting-fung. The talks will be held in Cantonese. Admission is free. Limited seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

     Hongkong Post announced today (September 19) that, as advised by the postal administration of the United States, due to the impact of a hurricane, mail delivery services (including Speedpost, parcels and letter post items) to North Carolina, South Carolina and southwest Virginia with postcodes from 27000 to 29999 and 23000 to 23999 are subject to delay.

     With the approach of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Housing Department (HD) reminds tenants that burning wax in the common areas of public rental housing (PRH) estates may cause their households to be allotted penalty points without warning under the Estate Management Marking Scheme and a fine of $1,500 for littering.
 
     "Parents should stop their children burning wax as it is a hazardous act which may cause fires and severe burns," an HD spokesman said today (September 19).
 
     Family members of children committing the misdeed would have their tenancy jeopardised. "Although wax burning and littering caused by tenants celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival abated last year, we will continue to step up our patrolling this year. If minors refuse to stop the misdeed despite verbal warning from our patrol staff, we will turn to their parents. The household will be subject to allotment of penalty points. The tenancy will be terminated if 16 points or more have been allotted within two years," the spokesman stressed.
 
     Apart from routine checks by estate offices, from Sunday to Tuesday (September 23 to 25), staff from the department's Regional Patrol Teams and Mobile Operations Unit will be deployed to patrol PRH estates beyond midnight. Additional cleaning workers will also be deployed to clean up early in the morning following the festival day.
 
     A total of two fixed penalty notices for littering or wax-burning in PRH estates were issued during the Mid-Autumn Festival last year. About 170 verbal warnings were given and one household was allotted penalty points.
 
     To caution tenants against wax-burning, the messages have been publicised through posters and the Housing Channel.
 
     The spokesman called for PRH tenants' support by reporting any misdeeds to estate offices or the Housing Authority Hotline 2712 2712.