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     â€‹Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) announced that The Macallan from Scotland yesterday (June 3) officially opened its new premium flagship retail concept store, The Macallan House, in the city’s Central district as a long-term investment, recognising Hong Kong as an ultimate luxury destination in Asia.
          
     The Director-General of Investment Promotion, Ms Alpha Lau, said “We are excited to see that The Macallan, a renowned global whisky brand, is coming to Hong Kong with such a marvelous shop. It is a huge investment that shows the company’s confidence in Hong Kong’s global status, and adds a premium choice for local whisky lovers and tourists from around the globe. I believe this will prove to be a good choice for The Macallan that will pay off in good business growth in future.”
          
     Located on Stanley Street, The Macallan House Hong Kong occupies 6 000 square feet of retail space across three floors, with five distinctive areas, including an exclusive retail space, a dining and exhibition area, a private engagement and entertainment lounge, a high-end bar and a showroom. The store blends nature and culture, offering guests an exceptional experience within an exclusive ambience of sight, scent, touch, taste, and sound for people to discover whisky expressions.
          
     The flagship store is the first of a series of 22 new openings scheduled through 2024 across the globe, according to the Managing Director of North Asia of Edrington, Mr Jaime Martin. He said, “It is the start of our ambitious retail plan for the brand to showcase our craftsmanship and creativity across the globe.”
          
     Mr Martin continued, “Hong Kong is the ultimate luxury destination for a lot of people across China, Asia, and the world. This is a long-term investment for the brand, and it comes with historical roots; Hong Kong is the first city where we introduced The Macallan to Asia many years ago.”
          
     Creative Director at The Macallan, Mr Jaume Ferras, said “The Macallan House is unlike anything we have unveiled before – a unique place which captures our unwavering commitment to uncompromised excellence, and brings to life the innovation, creativity and connection to nature which have been at the heart of The Macallan for nearly 200 years.”
          
     Head of Retail at The Macallan, Ms Coral Gill, shared, “From the moment visitors step foot into The Macallan House, they will find themselves transported to the brand’s home in Speyside, Scotland. The retail environment offers visitors an immersive, engaging experience to appreciate the incomparable offerings of The Macallan.”
          
     The Macallan House at 1 Stanley Street, Central, opened for business on May 11, 2024.

    

     After a long hiatus, the highly popular China National Acrobatic Troupe will be back in July to perform an acrobatics extravaganza titled “Me and My Youth” to lift the curtain on the International Arts Carnival (IAC), a summer arts festival presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. “Me and My Youth” is also one of the programmes of the inaugural Chinese Culture Festival, and a celebratory programme of the 35th anniversary of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.
 
     Founded in 1950, the China National Acrobatic Troupe is the largest of its kind and the only national-level performing group on the Mainland, most celebrated for its seamless incorporation of modern technology into traditional acrobatics. Always pushing the limits of human performance, its members possess exceptional qualities, ranging from strength, precision, balance and co-ordination to skill, courage and artistic flair. The troupe’s last appearance in the 2017 IAC earned great acclaim from the audience.
 
     As a programme marking the 70th anniversary of the troupe, “Me and My Youth” showcases the very essence of its repertoire and reinterprets classic acrobatics in a new and vibrant style. Its best talents are set to give their all, delivering beautifully choreographed stunts such as trick cycling, sway pole and plate spinning. Of particular note is the men’s bicycle feat, a highlight of the 2023 China Central Television Spring Festival Gala where the troupe’s amazing physical prowess left the audience in awe.
 
     The China National Acrobatic Troupe has won countless accolades both at home and abroad, such as two Golden Clown Awards of the Monte Carlo International Acrobatic and Circus Competition in Monaco; the Gold Prize and Budapest Grand Prix at the 15th Budapest International Circus Festival in Hungary; and the Gold Prize at the 3rd Figueres International Circus Festival in Spain.
 
     The IAC opening programme “Me and My Youth” will be held at 7.30pm on July 5 and 6, and 3pm on July 6 and 7 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Grand Theatre. Tickets priced at $220, $320, $420 and $480 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone booking, please call 3166 1288, or use the mobile ticketing app “URBTIX”.
 
     The matinee at 3pm on July 6 is an accessible performance with audio description in Cantonese. A touch tour will be provided prior to the performance for people with visual impairment and their companions.
 
     For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2370 1044 or visit www.hkiac.gov.hk.
 
     This year’s IAC will run from July 5 to August 11 featuring a wide array of fun-filled educational programmes by overseas, Mainland and local art groups and artists. In addition to acrobatics, magic, dance, music, theatre and puppetry, the IAC will also offer film screenings, online programmes, parent-child workshops and an exhibition.

          

     Hongkong Post announced today (June 4) that a special stamp issue and associated philatelic products on the theme of “Declared Monuments in Hong Kong II” will be released for sale on June 20 (Thursday).
 
     Hong Kong is a city where East meets West and tradition intertwines with modernity, boasting an abundance of historic buildings. Historic buildings are symbols of cultural identity and continuity. They also carry significant academic and aesthetic value. At present, there are a total of 134 declared monuments in the territory, which are invaluable and need proper preservation.
 
     With a view to fostering the public’s understanding and appreciation of historic buildings in Hong Kong, Hongkong Post will issue a set of six stamps and associated philatelic products on the theme of “Declared Monuments in Hong Kong II”, as a sequel to the “Declared Monuments in Hong Kong” issue released in 2007. This collection features a delicate watercolour style that highlights the historical beauty of the precious historic monuments.

     Official first day covers for “Declared Monuments in Hong Kong II” will be on sale at all post offices and on Hongkong Post’s online shopping mall ShopThruPost (shopthrupost.hongkongpost.hk) from June 5 (Wednesday). This set of special stamps and associated philatelic products will be on sale at all post offices and on ShopThruPost from June 20, while serviced first day covers affixed with the special stamps, postcards and maximum cards will be available at philatelic offices only.
 
     A hand-back date-stamping service will be provided on June 20 at all post offices for official first day covers/souvenir covers/privately made covers bearing the first day of issue indication and a local address.
 
     Information about this set of special stamps and associated philatelic products is available on the Hongkong Post Stamps website (stamps.hongkongpost.hk) and in the ShopThruPost mobile app.

          

     Local veteran pianist Hui Ling will stage a recital in July as part of the “Hong Kong Artists” Series, presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD). She will lead the audience into her music world with her superb piano skills and unique personal interpretation style.

     The first half of the recital features two classical masterpieces, Haydn’s “Sonata in D, Hob. XVI: 42” and Brahms’s “7 Fantasien, Op. 116”. The second half contains two works from the 20th century, Scriabin’s “Two Poems, Op. 32” and Prokofiev’s “Piano Sonata No. 8, Op. 84”, drawing this musical journey of piano to a perfect ending.

     Born into a musical family in Beijing, Hui studied in the secondary school of the Beijing Central Conservatory of Music and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, and obtained her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She has performed in many international music festivals, and has collaborated with various orchestras, including the Queensland Youth Orchestra of Australia and the Marin Symphony in California. She has actively engaged in educational work, and teaches at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Hong Kong Baptist University.

     The “Hong Kong Artists” Series: Piano Recital by Hui Ling will be staged at 8pm on July 5 (Friday) at the Theatre of Hong Kong City Hall. Tickets priced at $240 and $280 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. Package discounts will be available for the recitals under the “Hong Kong Artists” Series (including the Huqin Recital by Mak Ka-yin on August 13 and the Piano Duo Recital by Stephen Wong and Amy Sze on November 2). For discount schemes and programme enquiries, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/programs_1685.html.

     The LCSD has launched the new “Hong Kong Artists” Series with an aim to provide a new platform for local artists to showcase their remarkable talents. In addition to individual performances, the series also encourages cross-genre works to highlight their unique styles. This year’s series will first introduce six distinguished musicians in four stunning recitals, featuring the flute and bassoon, piano, and huqin, to bring enchanting music to the stage of Hong Kong City Hall and further enrich the diverse cultural ambience of the city. For more details, please visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/groups_1688.html.

    

     Two co-owners were convicted and fined about $70,000 in total at the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts last month for failing to comply with a removal order issued under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 123).

     The case involved some unauthorised structures with a total area of about 40 square metres on the roof of a composite building on Boundary Street, Kowloon. The roof is co-owned by two owners. As the unauthorised building works (UBWs) were carried out without the prior approval and consent from the Buildings Department (BD), a removal order was served on the owners under section 24(1) of the BO.

     Failing to comply with the removal order, the two owners were prosecuted by the BD and were fined a total of $69,680, of which $61,680 was the fine for the number of days that the offence continued, upon conviction at the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts on May 22.

     A spokesman for the BD said today (June 4), “UBWs may lead to serious consequences. Owners must comply with the removal orders without delay. The BD will continue to take enforcement action against owners who have failed to comply with removal orders, including instigation of prosecution, to ensure building and public safety.”

     Failure to comply with a removal order without reasonable excuse is a serious offence under the BO. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $200,000 and one year’s imprisonment, and a further fine of $20,000 for each day that the offence continues. read more