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Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Sydney (Sydney ETO) is supporting Hong Kong artist Prudence Mak in presenting the “Wave of Life” ink art exhibition tour in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, promoting Hong Kong’s vibrant arts and cultural scene and showcasing the talent of Hong Kong artists.

     The exhibition features a collection of Mak’s contemporary ink paintings, ceramics and large-scale installations, reflecting her exploration of life, memory, nature, culture and self-discovery. Through layered ink washes, expressive brushwork and imaginative compositions, Mak’s works reinterpret traditional Chinese ink aesthetics through a contemporary visual language, creating a dialogue between Eastern and Western cultures and demonstrating the evolving possibilities of Chinese ink art on the international contemporary art stage.

     The exhibition tour commenced in Sydney from August 21 to 24. The tour continued in Melbourne with an opening ceremony held yesterday (August 27), followed by the exhibition which runs until September 6. 

     Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Director of the Sydney ETO, Mr Ricky Chong, said that Hong Kong and Melbourne have long enjoyed close ties in arts and culture. He highlighted the growing arts and cultural exchanges between the two places, including collaborations involving the West Kowloon Cultural District and museums and universities in Melbourne.

     “The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is dedicated to supporting Hong Kong’s cultural development, and the Sydney ETO is keen to promote arts and cultural exchanges with local communities here in Australia. Exhibitions like ‘Way of Life’ provide a wonderful platform to showcase Hong Kong’s creative talent to audiences around the world,” Mr Chong said.

     Complementing the exhibition, a series of workshops led by Mak and her team provides participants with an opportunity to experience Chinese ink painting first-hand. Participants can explore traditional Chinese ink painting techniques and aesthetics while developing their own creative interpretations, further promoting appreciation and understanding of Chinese art and culture.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The “Hong Kong Artists” Series 2026, presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), will feature three new dance works. Artfully conceived by outstanding local choreographer Kaki Lee as well as emerging choreographers Rosalie Ng and Ching Chu, these pieces showcase the unique creative visions of young choreographic talent. Tickets will be available at URBTIX from 10am on September 1 (Tuesday).

Brief introductions of the programmes are as follows:

“After Silence: Echo” by Kaki Lee
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Date and time: October 16 and 17 (Friday and Saturday), 8pm
October 18 (Sunday), 3pm
Venue: Black Box Theatre, Kwai Tsing Theatre
Ticket price: $280

Inspired by Albert Camus’s Philosophy of the Absurd, Kaki Lee translates the conflict between human desire and reality into a distinct dance vocabulary. Using “elastic bands” as a central metaphor, two dancers lock in a continuous struggle—alternating between physical tension and release, and emotional pain and awakening consciousness. Combining stage space, lighting and video elements, the performance mirrors the inexplicable tension and underlying absurdity of life.

Lee graduated from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) majoring in contemporary dance. A former full-time dancer with the City Contemporary Dance Company, he is currently the co-artistic director of Rice Journey Production and actively participates in the dance sector as a dancer, choreographer, dance video designer, independent curator and dance educator. 

“How to Build a ______” by Ching Chu and “Dear,” by Rosalie Ng
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Date and Time: December 18 and 19 (Friday and Saturday), 8pm
December 19 and 20 (Saturday and Sunday), 3pm
Venue: Black Box Theatre, Tai Po Civic Centre
Ticket Price: $250

Two rising local choreographers will present works with distinct artistic styles: Ching Chu’s “How to Build a ______” draws inspiration from the operation of everyday tools and physical hardware labour. Through task-based movements, material exploration and a stage design that evokes the atmosphere of a workshop, the work explores the collision between the body, technical skill and gendered expectations. Rosalie Ng’s “Dear,” explores the long emotional aftershock of loss, tracing how memories of the past quietly seep into daily life. In the face of inescapable, imminent farewells, the work invites audiences to reflect on what it means to live alongside them. 

Chu graduated from the Department of Fine Arts at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the School of Dance at the HKAPA majoring in contemporary dance. Her creative practice navigates the realms of visual arts and performing arts. Her recent creations include the solo short pieces “Shifting Still” and “I Dance In This Outfit”, both of which explore female subjectivity. Ng graduated from the University of Hong Kong majoring in translation, and has been actively involved in various theatre productions. Her work “Through THE LENS” was invited to be part of the City Contemporary Dance Festival. She has recently performed in numerous productions with the Beyond Dance Theater. 

“How to Build a ______” and “Dear,” are featured as a double-bill programme under the LCSD’s “Hong Kong Artists” Series 2026, which offers a platform for local young choreographers, enabling them to develop new medium-scale dance works in a professional setting, thereby elevating their creative quality and production capabilities.

Tickets for the above-mentioned programmes will be available from September 1 onwards at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. A 30 per cent early bird discount will be offered from September 1 to September 14 (Monday) for purchases of standard tickets of the programmes. Package discounts and group booking discounts are also available. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7323 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/groups_1985.html.

In addition to the above-mentioned dance programmes, the “Hong Kong Artists” Series 2026 will present four recitals from September to November, bringing together a number of outstanding local musicians. They will perform on percussion, saxophone, piano and dizi, showcasing the musical pulse and cultural vitality of Hong Kong’s new generation. 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 3

All Hong Kong children born on or before December 31, 2021, who have not attended any primary schools and have never been allocated a Primary One (P1) place, are eligible to join the Primary One Admission (POA) System for admission to P1 in September 2027.

In line with the Smart Government strategy, the Education Bureau (EDB) has fully digitalised POA. Parents who have registered as POA e-platform (ePOA) users and bound their account to “iAM Smart+” may submit applications and check the results for discretionary places admission and Central Allocation online via ePOA. The EDB encourages parents to register with “iAM Smart+” (www.iamsmart.gov.hk/en/reg.html(1) At the Discretionary Places Admission stage, parents can submit an application to any government or aided primary school, and the school choice is not restricted to the school net in which the child resides.
(2) Irrespective of whether the application is submitted via ePOA or in paper form, parents should submit only one application for each child. If parents have applied to more than one government or aided primary school, their application for a POA discretionary place will be rendered void. In addition, parents should not submit duplicate applications via ePOA and in paper form for the same child.
(3) When completing the POA Application Form, parents should fill in the actual residential address of their child. If a false address is given by parents to secure a P1 place for their child under the POA System, the application will be rendered void and the P1 place allocated will be withdrawn. If a false instrument has been used or a false statutory declaration has been made in the application, the offender is liable on conviction to imprisonment for 14 years or imprisonment for two years and to a fine respectively under the Crimes Ordinance.
(4) Parents who are unable to submit the application form in person may authorise in writing a representative to bring along the above-mentioned documents to the primary school on their behalf.
(5) Children who have accepted the offer of P1 places in Direct Subsidy Scheme primary schools will not be allocated P1 places in government or aided primary schools through POA. Even if school places have been allocated through POA, those school places will be withdrawn.
(6) Parents could check results of discretionary place admission via ePOA from 10 a.m. on November 23, 2026. Schools will also release the discretionary places admission results on the same day. For applicant children who are not allocated with discretionary places, they will participate in the Central Allocation. The School Choice-making dates for Central Allocation will be from January 18 to 24, 2027. Details will be announced later.In addition, suspected cases of using a false address for POA applications may be reported to the School Places Allocation Section by calling its hotline at 2832 7700.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Transport Department (TD) today (August 28) invited interested platform companies to apply for ride-hailing service licences. The application deadline is noon on October 30, 2026 (Friday).

Following the passage of the Road Traffic (Amendment) (Ride-hailing Services) Ordinance 2025 by the Legislative Council in October 2025, and the completion of the scrutiny of four pieces of related subsidiary legislation in mid-July 2026, most of the legal provisions under the ride-hailing services regulatory regime came into operation on August 3, 2026. The Government has been proactively carrying out a series of preparatory work to facilitate the launch of ride-hailing services, including inviting interested platform companies to apply for ride-hailing service licences.

A Government spokesman said, “Ride-hailing service is a brand new form of personalised point-to-point public transport services. Through the introduction of the ride-hailing services regulatory regime, the platforms, vehicles as well as drivers providing such services are required to obtain the relevant licences and permits, so as to offer the public more options of safe and compliant point-to-point transport service. To ensure that ride-hailing platforms have the operational capability to provide ride-hailing platform services, we will impose certain requirements in areas such as ride-hailing booking management technology, experience in operating ride-hailing platform services, proof of financial capability and capital investment.”

Applicants for ride-hailing service licences must be companies registered in Hong Kong and must maintain a permanent establishment of executive personnel and an office in Hong Kong to facilitate the Government’s regulation of the daily operations and service performance of ride-hailing platforms. To ensure that platforms have the capability to meet local ride-hailing demand, applicant companies must demonstrate their scale of operations, including lawful operation in a city with a population comparable to that of Hong Kong (i.e. 7.5 million or above), and having processed a daily average of 100 000 or more orders for ride-hailing passenger transport services in two cities where ride-hailing services are provided.

In addition, applicant companies must demonstrate their financial capability to support stable operation of their platforms in Hong Kong and the continued provision of proper and efficient services. The Government also requires applicant companies to provide audited financial reports for the past three years, with company paid-up capital of no less than HK$50 million, and to possess bank deposits of at least HK$30 million as well as a line of credit facilities of at least HK$30 million.

To safeguard passenger safety and maintain service quality, applicant companies must submit a service proposal setting out in detail their service plans, including corporate management; implementation of due diligence to ensure that vehicle owners and drivers comply with the owner-driver binding requirement; customer service; encouraging ride-hailing driving permit holders on their platforms to provide more ride-hailing trips; providing taxi ride-hailing services; and encouraging taxi drivers to register on their platforms to provide services.

The key entry requirements and licence conditions for ride-hailing service licences are set out in the Annex.

An assessment committee comprising representatives of the Transport and Logistics Bureau, the Digital Policy Office and the TD will assess the applications and make recommendations to the Commissioner for Transport on whether to issue ride-hailing service licences to the applicant companies. If an applicant company’s licence application is approved, the licence will be valid for a maximum period of five years, with an annual licence fee of HK$1.2 million.

The spokesman added, “To enable the Government to grasp and monitor the operation and compliance situation of each licensed platform, the TD is developing a ride-hailing vehicle data management system. The systems of platforms will in future be connected to the TD’s data management system and provide operational data. The TD’s ride-hailing data management system will be able to receive operational data in real time. Such data will help the Government to regulate ride-hailing services, master the actual operation of platforms, and conduct dynamic assessments of market development and changes in supply and demand for future policy reviews. In addition to monitoring the operation of platforms through mastering their operational information, the Government also attaches great importance to data security. According to statutory requirements, licensed platforms must, in the manner specified in the licence conditions, ensure that any data relating to services provided through the licensed platform is transmitted and stored securely. Without the consent of the data subjects concerned, platforms must not use such data for other purposes, or transmit such data to other persons or organisations.”

Interested companies registered in Hong Kong may request for the invitation documents through the TD’s website.

Applicants must complete and submit the form of application, service proposal and relevant supporting documents (one original and seven legible photocopies) in accordance with the terms and conditions of the invitation documents, along with a cashier’s order of HK$16,250 as payment of the application fee, in a sealed envelope with “Application for Ride-hailing Service Licence 2026” clearly marked on the outside of the envelope. Applications must be delivered to the reception counter of the TD Headquarters on 10/F, South Tower, West Kowloon Government Offices, 11 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei, before noon on October 30, 2026 (Friday). Late applications will not be accepted.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted a series of territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations codenamed “Twilight”, a joint operation with the Labour Department codenamed “Rainbow”, joint operations with the Hong Kong Police Force codenamed “Champion” and a joint operation with Hong Kong Customs, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Hong Kong Police Force from August 21 to yesterday (August 27). During the anti-illegal worker operations, ImmD officers raided multiple target locations including restaurants, markets and warehouses. Thirty-one suspected illegal workers, four suspected employers and three overstayers were arrested. The arrested suspected illegal workers comprised 21 men and 10 women, aged 20 to 60. Among them, three men and one woman were holding recognisance forms which prohibit them from taking any employment. Four men, aged 23 to 51, were suspected of employing the illegal workers and were also arrested. The arrested overstayers were three women aged 32 to 58. An investigation into the suspected employers is ongoing, and the possibility of further arrests is not ruled out.
 
     Alongside the enforcement actions, ImmD officers were deployed to distribute leaflets to employers participating in a large-scale job fair in Mong Kok. The officers reminded the employers to stand against employing illegal workers and promoted the dedicated hotline for reporting illegal workers 185 185.
 
     An ImmD spokesman said, “Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years’ imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties.” 
 
     The spokesman warned, “As stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land is prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years’ imprisonment. As stipulated in section 20(1)(a) of the Immigration Ordinance, the Chief Executive may make a deportation order against an immigrant, prohibiting the immigrant from being in Hong Kong at any time thereafter if the immigrant has been found guilty in Hong Kong of an offence punishable by imprisonment for not less than two years.”
 
     The spokesman stressed that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years’ imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years’ imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.
 
     According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee’s identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker’s valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law by employing illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.
 
     Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct an initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) and/or forced labour victims. When any TIP and/or forced labour indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the ImmD officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP and/or forced labour elements. Identified TIP and/or forced labour victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter or temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP and/or forced labour victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.
 
     For reporting illegal employment activities, please call the dedicated hotline 185 185, fax at 2824 1166, email anti_crime@immd.gov.hk, or submit the “Online Reporting of Immigration Offences” form at www.immd.gov.hk.