Special traffic arrangements will be implemented in Happy Valley tomorrow (October 10). 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 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;
– Vehicles from 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 to 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 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 arrangements will be implemented from 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;
– Vehicles from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Wan Chai will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from Canal Road East, U-turn slip road beneath Canal Road flyover, Canal Road West and Hennessy Road;
– Vehicles from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from Canal Road East, eastbound Leighton Road and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Traffic on 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 Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) today (October 9) reminded members of the public that rigorous enforcement of the Cross-boundary Movement of Physical Currency and Bearer Negotiable Instruments Ordinance (Chapter 629) will begin next Tuesday (October 16).

     Under the Ordinance, a person who arrives in Hong Kong via a specified control point and is in possession of a large quantity of currency and bearer negotiable instruments (CBNIs) (i.e. the total value of which is more than HK$120,000) must use the Red Channel under the Red and Green Channel System and make a written declaration to a Customs officer. 

     A person who is about to leave Hong Kong, or who arrives in Hong Kong other than at a specified control point, must disclose upon the request of a Customs officer whether he or she is in possession of a large quantity of CBNIs and, if so, make a written declaration. 

     For a large quantity of CBNIs imported or exported in a cargo consignment, an advance declaration must be made to the C&ED through the Currency and Bearer Negotiable Instruments Declaration System accessible at the website of the C&ED.

     Persons who fail to comply with the declaration or disclosure requirements under the Ordinance are liable to a maximum penalty of a fine of HK$500,000 and imprisonment for two years. 

     To assist members of the public, visitors and relevant trades to comply with the new requirements, in the three months since the commencement of the Ordinance, the C&ED has implemented a grace period and issued written warnings as far as possible to persons who breached the declaration or disclosure requirements for the first time.  

     As at last Sunday (October 7), the C&ED handled 6 697 declarations (including 4 294 from travellers and 2 403 for cargoes) and issued 20 written warnings, 18 to travellers and two in respect of cargoes.

     "Starting on October 16, the C&ED will take enforcement action against breaches of the Ordinance without issuing any warnings," a spokesperson for the C&ED said.

     The Ordinance implements Recommendation 32 of the Financial Action Task Force to detect cross-boundary transportation of large quantities of CBNIs for the purpose of anti-money laundering and counter-financing of terrorism. For details of the Ordinance, please visit the C&ED's designated webpage at www.customs.gov.hk/en/enforcement/cds/index.html or call the enquiry hotline at 3759 3184.

     The "Digital Dunhuang – Tales of Heaven and Earth" exhibition being held at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum has been well received since its opening but will come to an end on October 22. The exhibition showcases Dunhuang grottoes and cultural relics as well as featuring cutting-edge multimedia technology, providing visitors with an interesting and interactive experience. Members of the public should grab the final opportunity to visit the exhibition.

     The exhibition is open from 10am to 6pm on Mondays and Wednesdays to Fridays, from 10am to 7pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, and closed on Tuesdays (except public holidays).

     To tie in with the exhibition, two sessions of "Buddha Passion & Digital Dunhuang" music performances will be held from 3pm to 3.30pm on October 14 and 21. The Hong Kong Philharmonic Chorus members and musicians will play music themed around Dunhuang at the museum for visitors to experience the charm of this world-famous heritage site. All are welcome to join the programme in the foyer on the ground floor of the Hong Kong Heritage Museum.

     The "Digital Dunhuang – Tales of Heaven and Earth" exhibition showcases over 100 exhibits including a replica of cave 285, one of the most wonderful caves at Mogao, built during the Western Wei period. The cave, which is featured in a Hong Kong exhibition for the first time, has been reproduced at full scale to reveal its murals and stucco statues. The exhibition also includes reproductions of caves 45 and 254, and a huge digitised mural depicting Wutai Mountain from cave 61 (Five Dynasties period), together with precious artefacts and archives, interactive multimedia installations and audio-video programmes, offering visitors a broad overview of the history and art of Dunhuang.

     Brand-new multimedia programmes and interactive installations in the exhibition have been produced using high-fidelity images and results of cave scanning provided by the Dunhuang Academy. Visitors will thus be given an opportunity to view Dunhuang art in minute detail, and be able to acquire an in-depth understanding of life in the Buddhist heaven and the ordinary world as portrayed on the murals, including their depictions and tales of heaven and earth.
 
     The exhibition is jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Dunhuang Academy and jointly organised by the Hong Kong Heritage Museum and the Dunhuang Academy. Solely sponsored by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, it is one of the exhibitions in the Hong Kong Jockey Club Series. The exhibition is also supported by Friends of Dunhuang (Hong Kong).

     For details of the exhibition, please visit the museum’s website www.heritagemuseum.gov.hk/en_US/web/hm/exhibitions/data/exid252.html or call 2180 8188 for enquiries.

      The Hong Kong Heritage Museum is located at 1 Man Lam Road, Sha Tin.

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at a media session before the Executive Council meeting this morning (October 9):
      
Reporter: Mrs Lam, Victor Mallet is not an activist and he was not advocating independence for Hong Kong. He is very different from Andy Chan. He was purely chairing a talk at the FCC. So, why was his visa denied? He is not leading the Hong Kong independence movement. He was purely facilitating a talk at the FCC…

Chief Executive: I am sorry, what you said is pure speculation. I have just answered in Cantonese that as far as entry and exit matters, these are matters within Hong Kong's autonomy under "One Country, Two Systems".

     Point number two is on every individual case, the Director of Immigration will act in accordance with the law and the policy and the circumstances concerning that particular case.

     The third point is, as a rule, not only locally, but internationally, we will never disclose, the Immigration Department will not disclose the individual circumstances of the case or the considerations of his decision. So, I cannot comment on your speculations.

Reporter: Mrs Lam, if the Government is talking about independence almost every week, how do journalists navigate this red line? Can they quote independence figures, interview them, invite them to a forum, or invite them only alongside a government representative? If reporters don’t know clearly, they may self-censor. So, can you tell us which of these reporting and which is now unlawful advocacy?

Chief Executive: I'm sorry, I cannot tell you exactly what journalists should say or act or interview, but I can assure you, as I did in Cantonese, freedom of expression, freedom of reporting are core values in Hong Kong, and as the Chief Executive, I and the HKSAR Government, will safeguard all these rights as enshrined in the Basic Law. Every act, every case will be dealt with in accordance with the law, the policy and the circumstances, including the facts of the case. Thank you very much.
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)

     The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, will attend international conferences in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea from October 10 to 19.

     In the evening on October 10, Mr Chan will depart for Bali, Indonesia, to attend the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) as a member of the Chinese delegation.

     During his stay, Mr Chan will meet with representatives of the IMF and the WBG, other attending government officials and prominent figures from the banking sector. 

     Mr Chan will return to Hong Kong in the night on October 13 and head to Papua New Guinea the following night (October 14) for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Finance Ministers' Meeting (FMM). He will also take the opportunity to hold bilateral meetings with other financial officials attending the FMM. He will return to Hong Kong in the morning on October 19.

     During his absence, the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr James Lau, will act as the Financial Secretary.