Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Award-winning Quanzhou string puppetry to grace Chinese Culture Festival 2025 in September with timeless charm of ancient art
Quanzhou string puppetry, historically known as “hanging silk puppet”, has a long tradition that dates to the Qin and Han dynasties. It was introduced to Fujian by migrants coming from the central plain between the Jin and Tang periods. It has had a repertory of over 700 traditional plays and a unique musical genre called “kuilei diao” (or puppet tune, played on ancient instruments such as foot-pressed drums, bell-shaped gongs with corresponding performance techniques), comprising more than 300 set tunes. The art form has developed sophisticated string manipulation skills and unique puppet-head carving, figure modelling and production techniques. Its repertoire retains numerous Minnan folk customs and the dialect. It was included on the first list of Intangible Cultural Heritage at the National Level in 2006, followed by its inscription on UNESCO’s Register of Good Safeguarding Practices of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2012.
“Ancient Chinese Puppetry with Timeless Charm”, which won the prestigious 10th Wenhua Award in 2002, has captivated audiences across over 80 countries and regions on five continents. This diverse repertoire brings to life the rich heritage of Quanzhou string puppetry through a selection of timeless classics: “Lantern Festival Delight” recreates the vibrant Minnan folk tradition of “Cai Jie” (street parades) during Quanzhou’s Lantern Festival, featuring lively folk dance elements such as “chest slapping,” “jumping drums” and the lion dance, making it a perennial favourite; “The Drunken Royal Concubine” ingeniously blends Peking opera vocals with “kuilei diao”, showcasing the fascinating exchange between northern and southern theatrical arts; “Ruolan’s Journey”, an excerpt from the ancient play “The Palindromic Poems on the Brocade”, poignantly depicts the arduous journey of Su Ruolan across 1,000 miles in search of her husband.
In addition, the puppeteers breathe life and soul into the marionettes through precise and delicate string manipulation. In “The Little Monk’s Descent into the Mountain”, the little monk puppet exhibits a repertoire of intricate stumbling gaits, vividly capturing his flustered haste through wind and rain; the Zhong Kui puppet in “The Drunkenness of Zhong Kui” performs nuanced actions such as lifting a wine pot, drinking, and even hiccupping; the “Lion Dance” combines string and palm puppetry techniques to portray an affectionate mother-and-cub lion duo at play; the monkey puppet in “Taming the Monkey” astounds by playing a guitar, riding a bicycle and grooving to disco beats, showcasing Quanzhou string puppetry’s innovative spirit while honouring tradition. The programme also features an interactive segment during each performance, offering audiences a rare chance to engage up close with the intangible cultural heritage artistry.
Founded in 1952, the Quanzhou Marionette Show Inheritance and Protection Center is a principal guardian of Quanzhou string puppetry. The troupe has performed across different countries and regions, and has been featured in numerous national-level arts events, including China Central Television’s Spring Festival Gala. Notably, the troupe participated in the 2019 New Year Traditional Opera Gala.
“Ancient Chinese Puppetry with Timeless Charm” by the Quanzhou Marionette Show Inheritance and Protection Center will be held at 7.30pm on September 12 and 13 (Friday and Saturday) at the Theatre of the Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre. Lyrics and dialogues are with Chinese and English surtitles. Tickets priced at $280 and $320 are available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hkIssued at HKT 14:30
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Date of prorogation of seventh-term LegCo
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
​A Government spokesman said today (August 13) that the Chief Executive, having taken into consideration the relevant electoral legislation and the practice adopted in the past public elections, has specified October 24, 2025, as the date from which the seventh-term Legislative Council (LegCo) shall stand prorogued and its operation shall then be terminated.
In accordance with section 6(3) of the Legislative Council Ordinance (Cap. 542), to enable a LegCo general election to be held, the Chief Executive may, before the end of a term of office of the LegCo, prorogue the LegCo to terminate its operation. Taking into account that the 2025 LegCo General Election will be held on December 7 this year, the nomination period for the election will be scheduled for October 24 to November 6 this year. The Chief Executive has specified the commencement date of the nomination period as the date from which the seventh-term LegCo shall stand prorogued, so as to ensure that all candidates (including serving LegCo members) will compete on a level playing field.
The date of prorogation of the LegCo will be published in the Gazette on August 15.
Une aide au logement modernisée pour assurer sa pérennité, son équité et son financement
Source: Gouvernement de la Nouvelle-Caledonie
Le gouvernement de la Nouvelle-Calédonie a examiné un avant-projet de loi du pays qui vise à réformer l’aide au logement afin de répondre aux enjeux de gouvernance, de pérennité, de financement et d’équité de ce dispositif.
Retrouvez le communiqué ci-dessous.
Six EC subsectors to be contested
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
Twenty-eight validly nominated candidates will compete for 21 seats spanning six contested subsectors in the 2025 Election Committee Subsector (ECSS) By-elections, due to be held on September 7, the Registration & Electoral Office (REO) said today.
This follows an announcement yesterday by the Candidate Eligibility Review Committee that 100 nominations for the ECSS By-elections are valid, the REO explained.
The six contested subsectors are as follows: Commercial (third); Architectural, surveying, planning & landscape; Technology & innovation; Labour; Representatives of members of Area Committees, District Fight Crime Committees, and District Fire Safety Committees of Hong Kong & Kowloon; and Representatives of members of Area Committees, District Fight Crime Committees, and District Fire Safety Committees of the New Territories.
Five ordinary polling stations will be set up on the polling day. The polling hours will be 9am to 6pm.
In addition to the six contested subsectors, 72 candidates are returned in 22 uncontested subsectors. The nomination of one candidate for the Heung Yee Kuk subsector is invalid due to his death during the nomination period.
The REO added that the Electoral Affairs Commission will hold a briefing session for candidates on August 18 to familiarise them with electoral arrangements and regulations, with a view to ensuring that the by-elections are conducted in an open, fair and honest manner.
Two co-owners fined nearly $90,000 for not complying with removal order
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Two co-owners were convicted and fined $89,440 in total, of which $49,440 was the fine for the number of days that the offence continued, at the Fanling Magistrates’ Courts yesterday (August 12) for failing to comply with a removal order issued under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 123).
The case involved an unauthorised structure with an area of about 18 square metres on the ground floor of a residential building on Fu Shin Street, Tai Po. As the unauthorised building works (UBWs) were carried out without 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, they were prosecuted by the BD.
A spokesman for the BD said today (August 13), “UBWs may lead to serious consequences. Owners must comply with removal orders without delay. The BD will continue to take enforcement action against owners who fail to comply with removal orders, including instigation of prosecution, to ensure building and public safety.”
Failure to comply with a removal order without a 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.
Special traffic and transport arrangements for Kai Tak Sports Park concerts on August 15 to 17, 19 and 20
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Transport Department (TD) today (August 13) said that, to facilitate the holding of concerts at the Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP) on the evenings of August 15 to 17, 19 and 20, special traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented to provide convenience for spectators to travel to and from the KTSP. Concertgoers from the Mainland are urged to purchase tickets in advance, plan their journeys early and use the MTR or cross-boundary coach services.
During the event period, as the traffic in the vicinity of the KTSP is expected to be heavy, concertgoers should opt for public transport and avoid driving or taking private cars (including cross-boundary private cars).
The TD has co-ordinated with local and cross-boundary public transport operators to strengthen their services during dispersal. The MTR will enhance the interval between trains of the Tuen Ma Line (TML). Franchised bus companies will provide a total of 11 special bus routes at the Sung Wong Toi Road Pick-up/Drop-off Area (PUDOA) to Lok Ma Chau (San Tin) Public Transport Interchange (PTI), the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) Hong Kong Port and Airport, and major districts across the territory.
In addition, the KTSP will arrange cross-boundary coach services during dispersal to facilitate travellers’ return to the Mainland via the Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang (LMC/HG) Port, the HZMB and the Shenzhen Bay Port. Passengers should purchase tickets in advance. On-site ticket sales will not be available during dispersal. They should refer to the operators’ website (Eternal East Bus: www.myeebus.com/eebusfans; CTG Bus: m.hkctgbus.com/#/layout/home) for the latest ticket information.
For taxi services, the Kai Tak Stadium Taxi PUDOA will be open for taxi pick-up and drop-off. The Sung Wong Toi Road PUDOA will be open for taxi drop-off only during admission (4pm to 7.30pm) and suspended for taxi pick-up/drop-off during dispersal. The expected waiting time will be longer amid the outflux of spectators, and passengers’ patience is appreciated.
Concertgoers who plan to return to the Mainland on the same day after the concert should pay special attention that, if they use the Lo Wu Control Point, they should catch the last relevant MTR TML train departing from Sung Wong Toi Station at 10.59pm and Kai Tak Station at 11.01pm, followed by interchanging at Tai Wai Station on the East Rail Line (ERL) to Lo Wu Station. Travellers should plan their journeys ahead and arrive at the station platform in advance.
Travellers who opt for LMC/HG Port (operating 24 hours daily) may also take the ERL to Sheung Shui Station and then KMB route No. 276B or N73, or take the special bus route No. SP12 directly at the Sung Wong Toi Road PUDOA to the Lok Ma Chau (San Tin) PTI, and transfer to the LMC-HG cross-boundary shuttle bus (Yellow Bus) for their journey to the Mainland.
A spokesman for the TD said that, as a large number of travellers may use the LMC/HG Port after the concert, and football matches will also be held at Hong Kong Stadium on the evenings of August 19 and 20, the Port is expected to be very busy. Travellers’ patience is appreciated. To ensure the smooth operation of public transport services, dedicated public transport lanes will be arranged at the LMC/HG Port after midnight during the event period when necessary for the smooth operation of the Yellow Bus and cross-boundary coach services as well as effective dispersal of a large number of cross-boundary travellers. Other cross-boundary private cars and their passengers are expected to have a longer clearance time. The TD has steered operators to reserve standby vehicles and manpower to meet passengers’ demand.
Spectators are advised to heed the real-time information via the on-site broadcast and the “Easy Leave” platform (easyleave.police.gov.hk) as well as the latest traffic news through the TD’s website (www.td.gov.hk), the “HKeMobility” mobile application and radio and television broadcasts.
Polls for six contested Election Committee subsectors to be conducted at By-elections on September 7
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Registration and Electoral Office (REO) announced today (August 12) that, following the announcement made by the Candidate Eligibility Review Committee (CERC) yesterday (August 11), the nominations of 100 candidates for the 2025 Election Committee Subsector (ECSS) By-elections are valid. Pursuant to the decision of the CERC, 28 validly nominated candidates from six contested subsectors will compete for 21 seats in the ECSS By-elections to be held on September 7.
The six contested subsectors are as follows:
- Commercial (third)
- Architectural, surveying, planning and landscape
- Technology and innovation
- Labour
- Representatives of members of Area Committees, District Fight Crime Committees, and District Fire Safety Committees of Hong Kong and Kowloon
- Representatives of members of Area Committees, District Fight Crime Committees, and District Fire Safety Committees of the New Territories
Besides, there are 22 uncontested subsectors, of which 72 candidates are returned uncontested, and one candidate whose nomination for the Heung Yee Kuk subsector was ruled invalid by the CERC due to his death during the nomination period.
“The ECSS By-elections will be held on September 7. Five ordinary polling stations will be set up on the polling day, and the combined voting arrangement will continue to be adopted, i.e. a subsector voter who is also an authorised representative of another subsector can cast two votes at the same polling station. The polling hours of the ordinary polling stations are from 9am to 6pm,” a spokesman for the REO said.
The Electoral Affairs Commission will hold a briefing session for candidates on August 18 to familiarise them with the electoral arrangements and various regulations, to ensure that the By-elections will be conducted in an open, fair and honest manner. Representatives from the REO, the Department of Justice, the Independent Commission Against Corruption and Hongkong Post will also be present.
The Gazette notices incorporating the names of the 28 validly nominated candidates from the contested subsectors, along with the number of each candidate on the ballot papers that was determined by drawing lots, were published today. All relevant Gazette notices and information about the candidates are available on the election website (www.elections.gov.hk).
Woman holding charged with murder
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Police laid a holding charge against a 52-year-old woman with two counts of murder today (August 12).
The woman was arrested yesterday (August 11) in suspected connection with a murder case happened in Sham Shui Po on the same day afternoon, in which an 85-year-old woman and a 47-year-old man died.
The case will be mentioned at West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (August 13) morning.
CFS urges public not to consume a prepackaged ice cream detected with coliform bacteria count exceeding legal limit
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
​The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (August 12) urged the public not to consume a kind of prepackaged coconut flavoured ice cream, which was found to contain coliform bacteria with its count exceeding the legal limit. The trade should stop using or selling the affected batch of the product immediately if they possess it.
Details of the product are as follows:
Product name: Original Coconut Gelato
Brand: Make Meanings
Place of origin: Hong Kong
Net volume: 70ml
Best-before date: January 21, 2026
Manufacturer: Pay & Pay Ice Cream International Company Limited
Distributor: Cheung Wo Food Supply Company Limited
A spokesman for the CFS said, “The CFS collected the above-mentioned sample from a vending machine in Tseung Kwan O for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed that the sample contained 140 coliform bacteria per gram, exceeding the legal limit.”
Under the Frozen Confections Regulation (Cap. 132AC), frozen confection for sale should not contain more than 100 coliform bacteria per gram. The maximum penalty for offenders is a fine of $10,000 and three months’ imprisonment upon conviction. The fact that the coliform count exceeded the legal limit indicated that the hygienic conditions were unsatisfactory, but did not mean that consumption would lead to food poisoning.
“The CFS has informed the manufacturer and the operator of the vending machine concerned of the irregularity and instructed it to stop selling the affected ice-cream product immediately. The CFS has also immediately sent staff to the frozen confection factory concerned to conduct an investigation and took samples for testing. Health education on food safety and hygiene was provided to the person-in-charge and staff of the frozen confection factory concerned. They have also been requested to carry out thorough cleaning and disinfection of the premises,” the spokesman said.
For the sake of prudence, the CFS has instructed the above-mentioned manufacturer to stop sales, remove from shelves the affected batch of the product and to initiate a recall. Members of the public may call the hotline at 5548 9226 during office hours for enquiries about the recall.
The spokesman advised members of the public to stop consuming the affected product and seek medical treatment if they feel unwell after consuming the product concerned.
​The CFS has alerted the trade to the incident, and will continue to follow up and take appropriate action. An investigation is ongoing.
Chinese Film Panorama 2025 presents Mainland films of diverse styles (with photos)
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Chinese Film Panorama 2025, jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and the Southern Film Culture Foundation, will be held from September 10 to October 29. Twelve films produced on the Mainland with a variety of styles and themes will be screened, and two of the films were selected for free screenings for public appreciation.
The opening film, “Always Have Always Will” (2025), follows a man with hard luck unexpectedly going on a road trip full of laughter and tears with a quirky young girl, bringing a glimmer of light into each other’s gloomy lives.
“Enjoy Yourself” (2024) tells the story of a divorced couple crossing paths with an older couple who have lost their only child, exploring the balance between love and letting go. Depicting the absurdities of the adult world through a child’s perspective, “Day Dreaming” (2024) is the story of the fantasies of a mischievous transfer student Zhu Tong becoming reality, setting off a chain of bizarre events. In “Brief History of A Family” (2024), the seemingly happy life of a middle-class family of three is disrupted by the arrival of a teenager. In the guise of a suspense thriller, the film depicts the impacts faced by families in a modern world. Using an unconventional narrative and structure, “Land of Broken Hearts” (2024) depicts the journey of delicate love between two imperfect urban youths, from confrontation to mutual understanding.
“Viva La Vida” (2024) follows a young man and a young woman, both suffering from serious illnesses, entering a contract to carry each other through the final days of their lives. Seasoned with humour, the film shows the tenacity and stoicism of humanity. Based on a true story, “Stand By Me” (2024) tells the story of a street youth and an orphan looking out for each other to survive their cruel reality while growing up side by side. “I Love You, to the Moon, and Back” (2024) follows a married couple who are separated geographically and each boards a train looking forward to reuniting with the other during the Mid-autumn Festival, only to keep passing each other by. In disappointments and hopes, they gain a deeper insight into the power of love. “Tale of the Night” (2023) takes viewers on an emotional journey through a city with the stories of ordinary people, highlighted by the popular spots of the city of Changsha.
In “Gone with the Boat” (2024), after an elderly woman has been diagnosed with a brain tumour, her children bicker over the best way forward. Through depicting the woman facing the passing of her life with grace, the film offers deep insights into death and family relations. “Eye for an Eye 2” (2024) follows a blind swordsman avenging a tragedy caused by the people in power turning a blind eye, while the world sees clearly the rotten reality. The animated feature “I Am What I Am 2” (2024) continues the inspiration and passion of its predecessor while showcasing again the prowess of Chinese animation. In the film, a young lion dancer signs up for a martial arts tournament to raise money for his ailing father. He faces not only formidable opponents but also prejudices and his internal struggles.
Admission to the following two films will be free by ticket. Each person can obtain up to two tickets per screening on a first-come, first-served basis. Details of ticket distribution are as follows:
| Film | Screening location and date | Details of ticket distribution |
| “Tale of the Night” | Rayson Huang Theatre of the University of Hong Kong (September 12) | To be distributed at the University of Hong Kong Staff Association located at 5/F, T.T. Tsui Building from September 1 (every Monday to Friday) |
| Cine-Art House (Maritime Square) (September 14) | To be distributed at the screening location from September 1 | |
| “I Am What I Am 2” | Auditorium of North District Town Hall (September 28) | To be distributed at the screening location from September 14 |
| Lecture Hall of the Hong Kong Science Museum (October 11) | To be distributed at the screening location from September 22 (every Monday to Wednesday and Friday to Sunday) |
Other films will be shown at the Grand Theatre of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the Cinema of the Hong Kong Film Archive, and the Lecture Hall of the Hong Kong Space Museum. Tickets priced at $75 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. For programme details, please call 2734 2900 (LCSD) or 2385 7053 (Southern Film Culture Foundation) or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/en/listing.html?id=81.
Accompanying the screenings, two post-screening talks in Cantonese will be held on September 13 after the screening of “Day Dreaming” at the Hong Kong Film Archive and on October 18 after the screening of “Eye for an Eye 2” at the Hong Kong Space Museum respectively. Ticket holders of the screening with post-screening talk will be admitted with priority.
The Chinese Film Panorama 2025 is also one of the activities in the Chinese Culture Promotion Series. The LCSD has long been promoting Chinese history and culture through organising an array of programmes and activities to enable the public to learn more about the broad and profound Chinese culture. For more information, please visit www.ccpo.gov.hk/en.