Month: July 2025

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

Please broadcast the following special announcement immediately, and repeat it at frequent intervals:

“The Social Welfare Department announces that as Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or above is now hoisted, all welfare services units of the department, services units providing after school care programmes for primary school children and elderly services centres will not open to the public. After the No. 8 signal is cancelled, those centres and units that normally operate on Sundays and public holidays will resume normal operation in two hours, if the weather and conditions permit.”

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

As the Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or above is now in force, classes of all day schools, including secondary schools, primary schools, special schools, kindergartens, and kindergarten-cum-child care centres, are suspended today (July 20). If classes of evening schools are required to be suspended tonight, the Education Bureau will make the announcement in due course.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     As Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 (T8) will soon be in force, the Labour Department (LD) today (July 19) reminded employers to make work arrangements for employees during and after tropical cyclone warnings, rainstorm warnings and extreme conditions, including arrangements on reporting for duty, release from work, resumption of work and remote work (if applicable). 
      
     An LD spokesman said, “In drawing up and implementing the work arrangements, apart from factors such as operational needs of establishments, employers should give prime consideration to employees’ safety and the feasibility of employees travelling to and from their workplaces. Employers should also give consideration as much as possible to the different situations faced by individual employees, such as their place of residence and the road and traffic conditions in the vicinity, and adopt a sympathetic and flexible approach with due regard to their actual difficulties and needs. For example, employers may permit employees who have difficulties in returning to workplaces to work remotely (if applicable) or allow more time for them to report for duty and resume work.”
      
     If the Government makes an extreme conditions announcement, apart from those required by employers to report for duty at workplaces, employees are advised to stay in the place they are currently in or in safe places when extreme conditions are in force, instead of heading for work. Employees who have already reported for duty at workplaces could continue to work as usual in a safe manner. If the workplaces are in danger, employers should release staff from work early under feasible conditions and in a safe manner, or make available a safe place as temporary shelter for employees. If the working time ends while extreme conditions are still in force, employers can release employees from workplaces in a safe manner or provide a suitable area as temporary shelter for those still at workplaces.
      
     If it is necessary for employees to report for duty at workplaces under adverse weather or extreme conditions, employers should work out arrangements for their transportation, safety, meals, rest places and more. If public transport services are suspended or limited when there is a T8 signal or higher, or extreme conditions are in force, employers should provide safe transport services for employees travelling to and from workplaces, or grant them an extra travelling allowance.
      
     The spokesman reminded employers to observe the statutory liabilities and requirements under the Employment Ordinance, Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance, Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance, Employees’ Compensation Ordinance and Minimum Wage Ordinance.
      
     The LD has published the “Code of Practice in Times of Adverse Weather and ‘Extreme Conditions'”, which provides the major principles, reference guidelines and information on relevant legislation on making work arrangements for the reference of employers and employees. The booklet can be obtained from branch offices of the Labour Relations Division or downloaded from the department’s webpage (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/wcp/Rainstorm.pdf). 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at suitable intervals:

     The Marine Department has received notification from the Hong Kong Pilots Association Limited that due to the tropical cyclone, the pilotage service will be suspended from 10pm today (July 19). Shipowners, agents, masters and other port users are advised to pay attention.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Attention TV & Radio Announcers:

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced that the event IAC 2025: “Ace Agent’s Writing class” Parent-child Creative Workshop scheduled for tomorrow at Cultural Activities Hall, Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre at 3pm has been postponed due to the issuance of Typhoon Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8.

 For enquiries, please call 2550 7309 (Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals:

     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (July 21) that Jockey Club Yan Oi Tong Swimming Pool in Tuen Mun District, which was closed earlier due to urgent clearance work after the typhoon, will be reopened at 7pm today.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, in his capacity as the chair of the sub-group on Belt and Road development under the Steering Group on Integration into National Development, will lead Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government officials, including the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau; the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn; the Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Ms Maggie Wong; the Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Joseph Chan; and the Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Ms Lillian Cheong, to attend the eighth Joint Conference on Advancing Hong Kong’s Full Participation in and Contribution to the Belt and Road Initiative to be held on Thursday morning (July 24), with departures for Beijing tomorrow (July 22) and on July 23 respectively.
 
     During his stay in Beijing, Mr Lam and the Law Officer (International Law) of the Department of Justice, Dr James Ding, will visit the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to report on the progress of the Department of Justice’s major policy initiatives, including the relevant works on the International Organization for Mediation and promoting Hong Kong’s position as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre. He will also visit the Ministry of Commerce to exchange views on matters of mutual interest.

     Mr Lam will return to Hong Kong on the afternoon of July 24. During Mr Lam’s absence, the Deputy Secretary for Justice, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan, will be the Acting Secretary for Justice. During Mr Yau’s absence, the Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Dr Bernard Chan, will be the Acting Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development. During Ms Linn’s absence, the Under Secretary for Development, Mr David Lam, will be the Acting Secretary for Development.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

In celebration and commemoration of the 60th anniversary of Dongjiang’s water supply to Hong Kong, a study tour on national water infrastructure, culture and technology jointly organised by the Water Supplies Department, the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers and the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers departed this afternoon (July 21) for Xiangyang, Hubei Province, to begin its itinerary. The 120-person study tour comprising secondary students, tertiary engineering undergraduates, young engineers, and representatives from the engineering profession and related government departments will visit key national water infrastructure projects and historical, cultural and technological landmarks in Zhengzhou, Anyang and Beijing.
 
The Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn; the Permanent Secretary for Development (Works), Mr Ricky Lau; and the Director of Water Supplies, Mr Roger Wong, saw off the study tour this afternoon. Ms Linn encouraged participants to take advantage of this valuable opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the country’s history, culture and modernisation process through site visits, and be inspired to make contributions to the development of the country and Hong Kong. She also expected that participants can gain deeper insights into the history of national water infrastructure projects, including how the country has rendered immense support in safeguarding a stable water supply to Hong Kong through Dongjiang’s water supply.
 
Secondary student members on the tour will visit the ancient city of Anyang and its Yinxu Museum tomorrow (July 22), while tour members from the professional sector, consisting of tertiary engineering undergraudates, young engineers, representatives from the engineering profession and related government departments, will visit the “Crossing the Yellow River Project” under the middle route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project and the Henan Museum in Zhengzhou. On July 23, the study tour will begin its itinerary in Beijing to visit Tuancheng Lake Regulating Pond, the central dispatch centre of the middle route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, the National Museum for Modern Chinese Scientist, and Shougang Park. On July 25, the tour will conclude the achievements of the visits in a seminar with the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council and the Ministry of Water Resources, and will return to Hong Kong on the same day.
 
Ms Linn, Mr Lau and Mr Wong will join part of the tour’s itinerary in Beijing.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will present a programme entitled “Cantonese Opera Films: The Legend of Guan Gong” from August 30 to September 7. Five Cantonese opera films in the 1950s and 1960s starring virtuosos will be screened at the Cinema of HKFA to revisit the incomparable skills and talents of the masters. This screening programme is one of the programmes of the Chinese Culture Festival (CCF) 2025.
 
     Guan Yu, a famous general of the Three Kingdoms period, was well known for his loyalty and righteousness. His legend has been frequently adapted in Chinese opera and theatre, to the extent that Peking and Cantonese opera traditions, among others, have Guan Gong (Lord Guan) as a genre of performance. The highlight of any notable interpretation of Lord Guan in the genre is how the performer brings out the stature and impressiveness of the character. The performer also needs to display mastery of both stage movements and vocal techniques, while complementing the majesty of luogu (gong-and-drum) music and showcasing the aesthetics of unadorned simplicity and elegance.
 
     Kwan Tak-hing, who was lauded as “Living Lord Guan” for his virtuoso skills, plays the role of Guan Yu in “Kwan-Ti, God of War” (1956) (2K Digitised Version) and “General Kwan Escorts His Sisters-in-Law on a Thousand Mile Journey” (1957) (2K Digitised Version). The former focuses on the tales between Guan and the legendary beauty Diao Chan, played by Tang Bik-wan, while the latter tells the story of the dangers and hardships that Guan encountered while escorting Liu Bei’s two wives on their journey. The films recorded Kwan’s impressive Cantonese opera performances in the role of Lord Guan, especially through his postures, movements and walking styles. The screening of “General Kwan Escorts His Sisters-in-Law on a Thousand Mile Journey” features a newly digitised version of the film from the HKFA’s collection, which should not be missed.
 
     The “General Kwan Guards the Huarong Path Lau Bei Crosses the River to Meet His Bride” (1957) tells the story of Sun Quan pretending to offer his sister’s hand in marriage to Liu Bei, played by Cheung Wood-yau, in an ultimately failed attempt to take back Jingzhou from Liu. Leng Wah Hang, a highly acclaimed wusheng actress of Cantonese opera, gives a definitive performance as Lord Guan in the film, especially in the scenes where she wields the Green Dragon Crescent Blade masterfully in a perfect display of techniques. The film will be screened with “Drowning Seven Armies” from “An Ideal Couple” (1960) (2K Digitised Version), starring another Cantonese opera virtuoso Sun Chu, who was also lauded as “Living Lord Guan”, in the role of Guan Yu. Following the Peking opera tradition, Sun Chu portrayed Lord Guan with a red face. The image of Lord Guan with a red face was so well received that it has since become the hallmark of the role in Cantonese opera.
 
     “Lui Bo” (1961) (2K Digitised Version) depicts the life of general Lü Bu, played by actress Yu So-chow, as described in the classical novel “Romance of the Three Kingdoms”. In the film, the character of Guan Yu is played by the acclaimed Peking opera actor Yu Zhanyuan, father of Yu So-chow. The father-daughter duo appears onscreen together as enemies in a fight scene, which is a spectacular display of their skills and stage presence.
 
     Some of the screenings will be accompanied by post-screening talks, hosted by Professor Yuen Siu-fai and Yuen Tsz-ying.
 
     Tickets priced at $60 will be available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk) from July 25 (Friday). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. A 20 per cent discount is available for every purchase of regular-priced tickets for two or more screenings of this programme. For programme details, please visit (www.filmarchive.gov.hk/en/web/hkfa/2025/ccf-guan-gong/pe-event-2025-ccf-guan-gong.html) or call 2739 2139.
 
     The CCF, presented by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and organised by the Chinese Culture Promotion Office under the LCSD, aims to promote Chinese culture and enhance the public’s national identity and cultural confidence. For more information about programmes and activities of the CCF 2025, please visit www.ccf.gov.hk.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals:

Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (July 21) that Kwai Shing Swimming Pool in Kwai Tsing District and Tuen Mun Swimming Pool in Tuen Mun District, which were closed earlier on due to urgent clearance work after the typhoon, will be reopened at 10am today.