The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Friday, August 25, 2023 is 105.3 (up 0.2 against yesterday's index).

     To complement the upcoming Chinese Opera Festival (COF) 2023 programme "Blessing This Land – Cantonese Opera Showcase under the Bamboo Theatre at Victoria Park", the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will hold three free talks in September to enable members of the public to have a better understanding of the artistic characteristics of bamboo theatre and Cantonese opera plays staged in bamboo sheds.
 
     The bamboo shed theatre building technique is an Hong Kong's intangible cultural heritage (ICH) item of traditional craftsmanship, while Cantonese opera was inscribed onto the first national list of ICH and the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and became the city's first world ICH item. The three talks organised by the LCSD will introduce the building technique of local bamboo theatre from multiple perspectives and the legacy of opera in the bamboo theatre and invite renowned Cantonese opera artists to share anecdotes during performances in bamboo theatres. Details are as follows:
 
Constructing a Theatre with Bamboo Scaffoldings
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Date and time: September 2 (Saturday) 3pm
Speaker: Cheung Suet-ying (bamboo theatre construction project manager)
Moderator: Sun Kim Long
 
Opera in the Bamboo Theatre – Legacy of Ritualistic Cantonese Opera of Hong Kong
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Date and time: September 9 (Saturday) 3pm
Speaker: Chan Sau-yan
 
Trivia during Performances under the Bamboo Big Top
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Date and time: September 16 (Saturday) 3pm
Speaker: Loong Koon-tin
Moderator: Ip Sai-hung 
 
     The above-mentioned talks will be conducted in Cantonese at AC1, 4/F, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Admission is free with limited seats available on a first-come, first-served basis. For details, please call 2268 7325 or visit www.cof.gov.hk/2023/en/blessthisland.html.
 
     Organised by the LCSD, the COF has curated quality operatic programmes with the aim of promoting the artistry and culture of Chinese traditional opera since its inception in 2010. The grand finale of the COF 2023, "Blessing This Land – Cantonese Opera Showcase under the Bamboo Theatre at Victoria Park", will be staged from September 23 to October 8. A large-scale bamboo theatre will be erected at Victoria Park, where four local Cantonese opera troupes will stage multiple exciting repertoires by renowned artists, bringing back the local culture of bamboo theatre in urban areas of the past, and celebrating the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival with well wishes for the prosperity and peace of Hong Kong. For more information, please visit the above mentioned website.
 
     The LCSD has all along promoted Chinese history and culture. Apart from the bamboo theatre performance, the Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnivals 2023 with fascinating programmes will be held in Victoria Park, Sha Tin Park and Tuen Mun Park from September 23 to October 2. Meanwhile, the Chinese Film Panorama 2023 will be launched on September 27. Members of the public can make use of these occasions to learn more about the characteristics of the Chinese culture.

     The Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) today (August 25) released the Accident Investigation Preliminary Report and Public Notice 04-2023 on an occurrence in which a cabin crew member sustained a serious injury on board an Airbus A320-214 aircraft (registration mark B-LPI) operated by Hong Kong Airlines Limited during a turbulence encounter enroute from Hong Kong International Airport to Haikou Meilan International Airport on April 21, 2023.

     A spokesperson for the AAIA said that the preliminary report has been published to provide factual information established in the investigation's early evidence collection phase to both the aviation industry and the general public in a timely manner, and should be regarded as tentative. The full report is available for download from the AAIA webpage (www.tlb.gov.hk/aaia/eng/investigation_reports/index.html).
           
     "The AAIA investigation team is conducting a detailed analysis of the data and information collected in order to determine the circumstances and causes of this occurrence with a view to preventing a recurrence in conjunction with identifying areas for further investigation or lines of inquiry to follow up," the spokesperson said.  

     The AAIA, an independent investigation authority formed under the Transport and Logistics Bureau, is responsible for the investigation of civil aircraft accidents and incidents in accordance with the Hong Kong Civil Aviation (Investigation of Accidents) Regulations (Cap. 448B) and with reference to the International Civil Aviation Organization's standards. 

     The Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene has ordered a fresh provision shop in Kwai Chung to suspend business for 21 days, as the operator repeatedly breached the Food Business Regulation (FBR) by extending the business area illegally, and making unauthorised alterations to matters specified in the approved plan.
 
     The shop, located at Shop 6A on the ground floor of King Po Mansion, 186 Hing Fong Road, Kwai Chung, was ordered to suspend business from today (August 25) to September 14.
 
     "Four convictions for the above-mentioned breaches were recorded against the shop in March this year. A total fine of $8,300 was levied by the court and 45 demerit points were registered against the licensee under the department's demerit points system. The contraventions resulted in a seven-day and a 14-day licence suspension running consecutively," a spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said.
 
     The spokesman reminded the licensees of food premises to comply with the FBR and other relevant regulations, or their licences could be suspended or cancelled.
 
     Licensed food premises are required to exhibit a sign, at a conspicuous place near the main entrance, indicating that the premises has been licensed. A list of licensed food premises is available on the FEHD's website (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/licensing/index.html).

     Police will implement special traffic arrangements to facilitate the implementation of the HKeToll, a free-flow tolling service, at the Eastern Harbour Crossing on August 27 (Sunday).

A. Road closure
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– A section of slow lane at the Eastern Harbour Crossing (Kowloon bound) near tunnel portal will be closed from 6am tomorrow (August 26);
– A section of fast lane at the slip road from Lei Yue Mun Road to the Eastern Harbour Crossing Toll Plaza (Hong Kong bound) will be closed from 2pm tomorrow;
– The Lam Tin bound tunnel tube of Tseung Kwan O – Lam Tin Tunnel will be closed from midnight to 5am on August 27;
– Some of the toll booth lanes of the Eastern Harbour Crossing Toll Plaza (Hong Kong and Kowloon bounds) will be closed from midnight to 4am on August 27; and
– The Eastern Harbour Crossing and all slip roads leading to the Eastern Harbour Crossing will be closed from 4am to 5am on August 27.

B. Traffic diversions
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     Traffic from Tseung Kwan O via Tseung Kwan O – Lam Tin Tunnel heading for Eastern Harbour Crossing will be diverted via eastbound Cha Kwo Ling Road, northbound Yau Tong Road and northbound Lei Yue Mun Road from midnight to 5am on August 27.

     The following traffic diversions will be implemented from 4am to 5am on August 27:

– Traffic along eastbound and westbound Lei Yue Mun Road heading for Hong Kong are advised to divert via Lei Yue Mun Road / Kai Tin Road Roundabout, westbound Lei Yue Mun Road, Wai Fat Road, westbound Kwun Tong Bypass, westbound Kai Fuk Road, westbound Kai Tak Tunnel, westbound East Kowloon Corridor, westbound Chatham Road North and southbound Hong Chong Road to use the Cross-Harbour Tunnel; or divert via Lei Yue Mun Road / Kai Tin Road Roundabout, westbound Lei Yue Mun Road, Wai Fat Road, westbound Kwun Tong Bypass, westbound Kai Fuk Road, westbound Kai Tak Tunnel, westbound East Kowloon Corridor, westbound Chatham Road North, westbound Gascoigne Road Flyover, westbound Gascoigne Road, northbound West Kowloon Highway, Ferry Street, westbound Cherry Street, Lin Cheung Road and southbound West Kowloon Highway to use the Western Harbour Crossing;
– Traffic along eastbound Island Eastern Corridor heading for Kowloon are advised to divert via eastbound Island Eastern Corridor slip road (Exit 4), Taikoo Wan Road, Tai Fung Avenue, Taikoo Shing Road, Tai Mou Avenue, Taikoo Wan Road, westbound Island Eastern Corridor, westbound Victoria Park Road, westbound Gloucester Road and Wan Chai Interchange to use the Cross Harbour Tunnel; or divert via eastbound Island Eastern Corridor slip road (Exit 4), Taikoo Wan Road, Tai Fung Avenue, Taikoo Shing Road, Tai Mou Avenue, Taikoo Wan Road, westbound Island Eastern Corridor, westbound Central-Wan Chai Bypass Tunnel and westbound Connaught Road Central / West Flyover to use the Western Harbour Crossing;
– Traffic along westbound Island Eastern Corridor heading for Kowloon are advised to divert westbound Victoria Park Road, westbound Gloucester Road and Wan Chai Interchange to use the Cross Harbour Tunnel; or divert via westbound Central-Wan Chai Bypass Tunnel and westbound Connaught Road Central / West Flyover to use the Western Harbour Crossing; and
– Traffic along Java Road or Man Hong Street heading for Kowloon via eastbound Island Eastern Corridor are advised to divert via Java Road, King’s Road, westbound Island Eastern Corridor, westbound Victoria Park Road, westbound Gloucester Road and Wan Chai Interchange to use the Cross Harbour Tunnel; or divert via Java Road, King’s Road, westbound Island Eastern Corridor, westbound Central-Wan Chai Bypass Tunnel and westbound Connaught Road Central / West Flyover to use the Western Harbour Crossing.

     Actual implementation of the traffic arrangements will be made depending on traffic conditions in the area. Members of the public are urged to take heed of instructions of police at scene.