The Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware today (August 2) stages the exhibition "The Art of Living: Stationery and Tea Accessories of the Chinese Literati", featuring nearly 100 sets of stationery items and tea accessories of the Ming and Qing dynasties selected from the collections of the Hong Kong Museum of Art and the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware to illustrate the passion for antiquity and aesthetics of the Chinese literati.
      
     Since the Ming dynasty, Chinese literati had developed an increasingly sophisticated lifestyle with a keen interest in stationery and collectibles to demonstrate their superior taste and socio-economic standing. These items were crafted by skilled artisans employing fine techniques and various materials, and they conveyed a feeling of uniqueness and cultural significance. The exhibition presents artefacts including stationery, collectibles and tea accessories made of materials such as bamboo, jade, stone and purple clay. Through this exhibition, visitors can know more about the significance of these materials and the objects made from them in the Chinese culture and literati life.
      
     Highlight exhibits include an incense-burner made of bamboo and a jade wrist-rest used in writing carved with bamboo design from the Qing dynasty; a brush washer in lotus shape said to be the work of Chen Mingyuan, a renowned zisha master from the Qing dynasty; a teapot in gourd shape with prunus painted in famille-rose enamel created by calligrapher, painter and seal engraver Qu Yingshao from the Qing dynasty; and a rhinoceros horn cup carved with mantis and butterfly design.
      
     In addition to qin (Chinese zither), chess, calligraphy, painting, reading and meditation, tea appreciation was also popular among the literati. At gatherings, the literati would consume tea and exchange ideas and they were very conscientious about the usage of tea equipment, the environment and the logistics of preparing a tea ceremony. The exhibition will introduce to visitors the basic setup of a Chinese tea ceremony. Visitors can create their own design of tea ceremony through an interactive installation titled "Tea Appreciation Space: My Proposal for Tea Ceremony", to experience the charm of Chinese tea culture and enjoy the elegance of tea appreciation.
      
     The exhibition will run until September 30 next year. The Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware is located at 10 Cotton Tree Drive, Central, Hong Kong (inside Hong Kong Park). For details of the exhibition, please visit the website at hk.art.museum/en/web/ma/mt-thematic-exhibition.html or call 2869 0690 for enquires.

            

     The Land Registry today (August 2) released its statistics for July 2023.

Land registration
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* The number of sale and purchase agreements for all building units received for registration in July was 4,426 (-7.3 per cent compared with June 2023 and -11.4 per cent compared with July 2022)

* The 12-month moving average for July was 5,087 (0.9 per cent below the 12-month moving average for June 2023 and 17.1 per cent below that for July 2022)

* The total consideration for sale and purchase agreements of building units in July was $33.0 billion (-16.9 per cent compared with June 2023 and -21.4 per cent compared with July 2022)

* Among the sale and purchase agreements, 3,065 were for residential units (-15.2 per cent compared with June 2023 and -16.5 per cent compared with July 2022)

* The total consideration for sale and purchase agreements in respect of residential units was $26.6 billion (-20.9 per cent compared with June 2023 and -21.5 per cent compared with July 2022)

     Statistics on sales of residential units do not include sale and purchase agreements relating to sales of units under the Home Ownership Scheme, the Private Sector Participation Scheme, the Tenants Purchase Scheme, etc, unless the premium of the unit concerned has been paid after the sale restriction period.

     Figures on sale and purchase agreements received for the past 12 months, the year-on-year rate of change and breakdown figures on residential sales have also been released.

     As deeds may not be lodged with the Land Registry until up to 30 days after the transaction, these statistics generally relate to land transactions in the previous month.

Land search
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* The number of searches of land registers made by the public in July was 437,079 (+11.1 per cent compared with June 2023 and +0.8 per cent compared with July 2022)

     The statistics cover searches made at the counter, through the self-service terminals and via the Integrated Registration Information System Online Services.

     With a stronger than usual subtropical ridge dominating over southern China for most of the month, July 2023 was exceptionally hot in Hong Kong. The monthly mean maximum temperature of 33.0 degrees, monthly mean temperature of 30.1 degrees and monthly mean minimum temperature of 28.0 degrees were respectively 1.4 degrees, 1.2 degrees and 1.1 degrees above their normals, and all were the third highest on record for July. The month was also much drier than usual with only 175.2 millimetres of rainfall, about 45 per cent of the normal of 385.8 millimetres. The accumulated rainfall recorded in the first seven months of the year was 1 016.5 millimetres, about 31 per cent below the normal figure of 1 468.2 millimetres for the same period.

     Under the influence of a broad trough of low pressure and the subsequent southwesterly airstream, the weather of Hong Kong was mainly cloudy with occasional showers and squally thunderstorms on the first four days of the month. More than 40 millimetres of rainfall were recorded over most parts of the territory and rainfall even exceeded 100 millimetres over Tai Po, Sha Tin and parts of Lantau Island on these four days. Under the rain, temperatures at the Observatory dropped to a minimum of 26.2 degrees on July 1 and 2, the lowest of the month. Dominated by an anticyclone aloft, apart from isolated showers, local weather turned generally fine and very hot on July 5 and remained so till July 14. It was also extremely hot during the afternoons of July 13 and 14 with maximum temperatures reaching 35 degrees or above in many places.

     Meanwhile, an area of low pressure near northern Luzon intensified into a tropical depression on July 14 and was later named as Talim. It tracked west-northwestwards across the northern part of the South China Sea towards the coast of western Guangdong and intensified into a typhoon gradually on July 15 to 17. Talim moved across Leizhou Peninsula and Beibu Wan on the night of July 17 and the next morning. It then moved into the inland areas of Guangxi on July 18 and eventually weakened into an area of low pressure over the northern part of Vietnam on July 19.

     Under the influence of the outer subsiding air of Talim, it was mainly fine and extremely hot during the day on July 15. Squally thunderstorms triggered by high temperatures also affected parts of the territory later that day. With Talim edging closer to western Guangdong and further intensifying, local winds strengthened gradually with occasional squally showers and thunderstorms on July 16. Strong to gale force winds generally affected the territory with occasional storm force winds on high ground on July 17, necessitating the issuance of the first No. 8 Gale or Storm Signal this year. As Talim departed from Hong Kong and weakened over inland areas, local winds moderated gradually later on July 17 and the next day. The outer rainbands of Talim brought occasional heavy squally showers to Hong Kong on July 17 and 18. More than 40 millimetres of rainfall were generally recorded over most parts of the territory on these two days and rainfall even exceeded 90 millimetres in parts of Tai Po and North Districts.

     Under the influence of a broad trough of low pressure, the weather was mainly cloudy with a few showers on July 19. Affected by an anticyclone aloft, apart from a few showers, generally fine and very hot weather persisted in Hong Kong on July 20 to 25. It was extremely hot during the afternoons of July 24 and 25 with maximum temperatures reaching 35 degrees or above in many places. Meanwhile, tropical cyclone Doksuri moved across the Luzon Strait and entered the northeastern part of the South China Sea on July 26 and 27. It then moved north-northwestwards across the northeastern part of the South China Sea and made landfall over Jinjiang, Fujian, on July 28. 

     Under the influence of the outer subsiding air of Doksuri, it was generally fine and extremely hot during the day on July 26 and 27. The maximum temperature at the Observatory soared to 36.1 degrees on the afternoon of July 27, the highest of the month and one of the highest monthly absolute maximum temperatures on record for July. Moreover, the daily mean temperature on that day was 32.2 degrees and was the highest on record for July. The oppressive heat also triggered squally thunderstorms that evening. It was very hot with sunny periods and isolated showers on July 28. Affected by an active southerly airstream, the weather turned showery with squally thunderstorms on July 29 and 30. More than 40 millimetres of rainfall were recorded over most parts of the territory and rainfall even exceeded 100 millimetres over parts of Tai Po, Sha Tin, Tuen Mun and North Districts on these two days. Under the influence of a broad trough of low pressure, it was showery with thunderstorms in the small hours of July 31. The weather improved with sunny periods during the day.

     Three tropical cyclones occurred over the South China Sea and the western North Pacific in July 2023.

     Details of issuance and cancellation of various warnings/signals in the month are summarised in Table 1. Monthly meteorological figures and departures from normal for July are tabulated in Table 2.

The following is issued on behalf of the Secretariat of the Beat Drugs Fund Association:
 
     The Beat Drugs Fund (BDF) Regular Funding Scheme (RFS) is inviting applications for the 2023 Funding Exercise from today (August 2) until September 13.
 
     The BDF RFS aims to promote worthwhile anti-drug projects that can help address drug problems. For the 2023 Funding Exercise of the RFS, projects meeting one or more of the priority areas (in Annex) for treatment and rehabilitation, preventive education and publicity, and research will be accorded priority.
 
     The application form and guide for applicants for the 2023 Funding Exercise of the BDF RFS are available on the website of the Narcotics Division (ND) (www.nd.gov.hk/en/beat_drug_fund_2023.html). The deadline for application is 6pm on September 13. For details of guidelines on the submission of applications, please refer to paragraph 7 of the guide to the 2023 Funding Exercise of the BDF RFS, or pages 9 and 10 of the application form.
 
     The BDF will also arrange two briefing cum experience sharing sessions on August 14 and August 17 for interested applicants. Details can be found on the website of the ND (www.nd.gov.hk/en/beat_briefing_experience_sharing_sessions.html). Representatives of interested organisations may complete the online enrolment form (forms.gle/B2MHHShFTSaMc8aQ7). The Secretariat will inform successful applicants via email nearer the time.
 
     Enquiries are welcome by telephone at 2867 2769 or 2867 2286; or via email to bdf@sb.gov.hk.
 
     Results of applications for the 2023 Funding Exercise are expected to be announced in the first quarter of 2024.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     Result of the tenders of RMB Sovereign Bonds held on August 2, 2023: