Tag Archives: China

     The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London (London ETO) supported Hong Kong performance art group TS Crew’s tour across three cities in the United Kingdom (UK), namely, Bournemouth, Manchester and London. The tour brings 10 performances and cultural exchange workshops in local school as well as community-inclusive studio. 

     The Director-General of the London ETO, Mr Gilford Law, delivered an introductory message before a cultural exchange workshop held at the Talbot Primary School in Bournemouth on January 31 (London time) to kick start the tour. “TS Crew’s lion dance exemplifies Hong Kong’s unique East-meets-West culture, making it the ideal centre for international cultural exchange. Our city’s social calendar in 2024 is filled with exciting events, from the artistic Art Basel Hong Kong to the thrilling Hong Kong Sevens. I invite you all to visit Hong Kong and experience the dynamic and ever-evolving spirit of our beloved city.”

     Founded in 2017, TS Crew brings an innovative reinterpretation of lion dance and Chinese Opera to audiences around the globe. Their performance, titled “No Dragon No Lion”, skilfully blends elements of beatboxing, martial arts, tricking, and parkour, creating an electrifying fusion that pushes the boundaries of performance art. “No Dragon No Lion” was the winner of the Asian Arts Award for Best Show in the 2022 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and was nominated for Best Entertainment/Musical/Dance and Best Show under the DarkChat Awards of the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

     TS Crew held cultural exchange workshops at the Talbot Primary School, Bournemouth on January 31, and the studio of Company Chameleon in Manchester on February 5. The “No Dragon No Lion” performance was staged at Ocean Theatre, Pavilion Dance South West, Bournemouth on February 2. The group will hold more workshops and stage performances in Manchester as well as London until February 13.

        

     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, expressed deep condolences over the passing of the former Chairman of the Medical Council of Hong Kong (MCHK), Professor Joseph Lau, and extended his deepest sympathies to Professor Lau’s family today (February 7).

     Professor Lo said, “Professor Lau has made remarkable achievements in the medical field throughout his life as a world renowned expert in hepato-pancreato-biliary surgery. He was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2003, honouring his instrumental stature in the medical community.

     “Professor Lau was committed to the medical development of Hong Kong. He was a former President of the College of Surgeons of Hong Kong. He also served on the MCHK for over 22 years and just retired from the MCHK last month after serving as its Chairman for more than 11 years. During his service, Professor Lau spared no effort in upholding the professional standards of doctors and pushing ahead the enhancements to the regulatory framework. As a research professor of the Faculty of Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Professor Lau has devoted himself to teaching and research, having nurtured countless surgeons at home and abroad over the years. In 2013, he was awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in recognition of his contributions to society, in particular the medical field.

     “Professor Lau cared deeply about his patients, showed great dedication to teach medical students from all backgrounds, and carried out research diligently. His lifelong contribution to the medical community in Hong Kong has earned him much respect and he will be dearly missed. Together with my colleagues in the Health Bureau, the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority, I extend our deepest sympathies to Professor Lau’s family.” read more

     The Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department (HAD) conducted a joint operation with the Fire Services Department codenamed “Solar Flare” against unlicensed hotels/guesthouses and illegal club-house operations for two consecutive days on February 5 and 6 by posing as clients (commonly known as “snaking”) at various spots to ensure the safety of lodgers and the general public.
 
     A spokesman for the HAD today (February 7) said, “The OLA inspected 32 premises in areas of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon during the operation. Twenty premises were suspected of operating unlicensed hotels/guesthouses and three licensed club-houses were suspected of being in breach of licensing conditions. The OLA will follow up all these cases and initiate prosecution of cases with sufficient evidence after completion of the investigations.”
 
     Having regard to unlicensed hotels/guesthouses soliciting lodgers via online platforms, the OLA has strengthened its intelligence collection by forming a dedicated team to browse webpages, mobile applications, social media, discussion forums, blogs, etc, to search for information and intelligence on suspected unlicensed hotels/guesthouses. The OLA’s law enforcement officers will initiate follow-up investigations when information on unlicensed hotels/guesthouses advertised via online platforms is found. The OLA also continues to combat unlicensed hotels/guesthouses through public education and conducts publicity work on Internet search engines outside Hong Kong to enable tourists’ access to the information provided by the OLA in the course of planning their trips, so that they can make use of the search functions on the OLA’s website to distinguish whether the hotel/guesthouse reserved is licensed or not.
 
     The spokesman stressed, “Operating an unlicensed hotel/guesthouse is a criminal offence and it can lead to imprisonment and a criminal record. Upon conviction, an offender is liable to a maximum fine of $500,000, three years’ imprisonment, and a fine of $20,000 for each day during which the offence continues. A six-month closure order may also be issued for the premises involved in a repeated offence.”
　　
      Tourists may check on the OLA’s webpage (hadla.gov.hk) or through the mobile application “Hong Kong Licensed Hotels and Guesthouses” whether a hotel/guesthouse is holding a valid licence. All people should report any suspected unlicensed hotel/guesthouse to the OLA by the hotline (Tel: 2881 7498), by email (hadlaenq@had.gov.hk), by fax (2504 5805), or through the mobile application.

    

     The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, visited a residential care home for the elderly (RCHE) at the Kwu Tung North Multi-welfare Services Complex this afternoon (February 7). The Permanent Secretary for Labour and… read more

     The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, visited the Correctional Services Department today (February 7) to meet with directorate officers and frontline correctional officers, and to learn about the department’s latest developments and work of staff. She also toured the Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre.
 
     Mrs Yeung and the Permanent Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Clement Leung, first met with the Commissioner of Correctional Services, Mr Wong Kwok-hing, and directorate staff and were briefed on the custodial environment and facilities of the institution, as well as ways to introduce smart elements and an advanced management mode into facilities improvement projects of the institution.
 
     They then toured various detention, security and rehabilitation facilities, including the exercise yard, dayroom, special unit, hospital, bathroom and reception office, and learned about the challenges and difficulties encountered by the frontline staff in the operation of the reception centre.
 
     During the visit, Mrs Yeung was also briefed by frontline staff on the Intelligent Robotic Monitoring System to know more about how the system assists correctional officers in conducting nighttime patrols and enhancing supervision of persons in custody. In addition, they learned about the application of the Smart Health Sensing System and Contactless Vital Sign Monitoring System, which are used to monitor the breath and heartbeat of patients in the reception centre’s hospital.
 
     Mrs Yeung said, “It is a general trend to utilise information technology to implement a modernised management mode in correctional facilities and proactively introduce ‘smart prison’ elements, which could further improve not only the operational efficiency of the reception centre but also the working environment of correctional officers.”
 
     Before concluding her visit, Mrs Yeung met with staff representatives of various grades in the department to exchange views on matters that concerned them. She thanked the colleagues for their commitment and diligence in their work, and for striving to maintain round-the-clock security and order in the correctional facilities.