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Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Information Services Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government is hosting the “Immersive Hong Kong” roving exhibition in Wuhan, Hubei Province, showcasing Hong Kong’s diversity and latest developments through interactive art technology. The opening ceremony of the exhibition was held today (April 30).
 
     Co-organised with the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Wuhan, the exhibition, themed “Hong Kong – Where the World Looks Ahead”, invites visitors from Wuhan and across Hubei Province to explore the unique opportunities and potential for tourism, education, business and investment in Hong Kong.

     The Hong Kong/Hubei co-operation mechanism established by Hubei Province and the HKSAR is the first high-level government co-operation mechanism set up between the HKSAR and a province in the central region of the Chinese Mainland. Over the years, the two sides have maintained meaningful exchanges and close co-operation, leveraging their complementary advantages and fostering robust economic and trade ties. As the provincial capital of Hubei, Wuhan also serves as a key node city of the Belt and Road Initiative.
     
     The six thematic zones at the Wuhan stop are “Financial Bridgehead”, “I&T Brain Bank”, “Blossoming Creativity”, “Diversity and Greenery” and “Buzzing Sports Action”, along with the newly added “Events Capital”, which highlights Hong Kong’s mega-event economy. Each zone presents virtual scenes representing the city, offering visitors an immersive experience. Through multi-interactive art projections, light boxes, naked-eye 3D displays and 3D animations, the exhibition showcases the distinctive appeal of Hong Kong.

     Visitors may also enjoy Hong Kong’s vibrant and colourful skyline, illustrated by Hong Kong artist Messy Desk (Jane Lee), at a photo corner in the venue. Promotional videos and digital panels presenting information about the city, as well as insights from Chinese Mainland companies about their experiences in Hong Kong, are also on display, highlighting why the city is one of the most desirable places to visit, study, live, work and invest.

     During the exhibition, visitors can take part in an interactive game, “Snap a cool shot @Immersive Hong Kong”, with exciting prizes on offer. Prizes include two pairs of round-trip business or economy class air tickets from Wuhan to Hong Kong sponsored by Cathay Pacific, and sets of six giant panda figurines. Visitors playing digital interactive games at the exhibition can also receive souvenirs.

     The exhibition is being held at Wuhan Xintiandi, a large-scale shopping centre in Wuhan by a Hong Kong developer, until May 10. Admission is free.

     Wuhan is the ninth stop of the roving exhibition, following successful events in eight cities on the Chinese Mainland, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the Middle East between July 2023 and October 2025.

     Supporting organisations of the exhibition include the Belt and Road Office of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, Hong Kong Talent Engage, Cathay Pacific, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the Hong Kong Tourism Board and Kai Tak Sports Park.

     More information on the exhibition is available from the dedicated page on the Brand Hong Kong website.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is the speech by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, at the opening ceremony of the Mark Six 50th Anniversary Exhibition this afternoon (April 30):

Winfried (Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges); Adrian (Chairman of the Betting and Lotteries Commission, Mr Adrian Yip); Raymond (Executive Director, Corporate Affairs of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Mr Raymond Tam), Gabriel (Executive Director, Charities and Community of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Dr Gabriel Leung), Edward (Director of Social Welfare, Mr Edward To), dear legislators, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The phased return of residents to Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po entered its 11th day today, with the reopening of five low-zone floors of Wang Tai House and 10 middle-zone floors of Wang Kin House.

Supported by the “one social worker per household” service, 457 residents from 117 households returned to their units – exceeding the 437 individuals initially registered. The Government described the access arrangements as orderly and smooth.

Residents spent an average of two hours and 25 minutes on-site, from a minimum of 14 minutes to a maximum of three hours and 40 minutes. Approximately 77% of residents completed their visits in under three hours, while 27% stayed for less than two hours and 4% left within an hour.

Regarding movement, 123 individuals from 65 households made multiple trips to their units. Among them, 55 people from 25 households made one additional trip, 48 people from 26 households made two more, 15 people from 11 households made three extra, three people from two households made four additional, and two people from the same household made five or more trips.

The integrated enquiry counter today handled nine requests for Police assistance, as well as one case involving physical discomfort.

The nine cases requesting Police assistance were related to suspected property loss such as watches, jewellery, cash and gold. In one case, the unit concerned was severely damaged and residents believed after investigation that the property might have been destroyed by fire. In another five cases, there were no signs of ransacking in the units, and the residents could not provide details on the property concerned. For the remaining three cases, Police will make further investigations. 

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Hong Kong Heritage Museum (HKHM) is staging the Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance exhibition from May 1 to July 27 to take visitors on an immersive digital journey to explore the famous Mona Lisa painting and showcase a selection of Renaissance art treasures from various French and Italian cultural institutions. Admission is free.

Addressing the opening ceremony today, Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Rosanna Law said the exhibition is undoubtedly a highlight programme of this year’s French May Arts Festival.

“Through the immersive digital journey specially curated by the Louvre and the Grand Palais Immersif, alongside the outstanding artworks on loan from exceptional museums and art institutions, we can step inside the frame and breathe new life into classical heritage,” she added.

The first section of the exhibition “Meet Mona Lisa”, is centred on the Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece, condensing the extraordinary journey of the portrait spanning more than 500 years into six chapters, Mona Lisa herself narrates the captivating stories behind her mysterious smile in a monologue.

Meanwhile, the second section “Portraying the Renaissance” highlights a selection of Renaissance art treasures from several renowned museums and cultural institutions, including the Musée national de la Renaissance and the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, in diverse forms of art such as paintings, prints, sculptures, decorative art, and everyday objects.

Most exhibits are being shown in Hong Kong for the first time, including four precious Leonardo da Vinci manuscripts, and works by other Renaissance period artists such as The Virgin and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist by Luca Penni, The Crucifixion by Noël Bellemare, and Michelangelo Buonarroti’s The Rebellious Slave (plaster reproduction cast using moulds).

Exhibits from the HKHM collection and paintings by Chinese Mainland artist Xu Lei that echo Renaissance art are also on display.

Furthermore, the museum lobby features a giant five-metre animated installation that blends Hong Kong-style neon elements with classic art symbols to create a unique Hong Kong version of the Mona Lisa.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The ban on the possession of alternative smoking products (ASPs) in public places came into effect today. In a press statement, the Department of Health rejected claims that the new measure will discourage tourists from visiting Hong Kong, and stressed that such claims completely overlook the fact that the importation and sale of e-cigarettes and heat sticks have already been banned for four years.

Pointing out that rumour-mongers are spreading false information, misleading the public and visitors, causing unnecessary alarm and damaging Hong Kong’s reputation, the department urged all sectors to work with the Government to convey accurate information to tourists and prevent misleading messages from damaging Hong Kong’s image as a healthy travel destination.

Since April 30, 2022, Hong Kong has prohibited the import, sale and possession of ASPs for commercial purposes, meaning that in the past four years, all inbound travellers have been legally barred from bringing those items into the city, and such items have not been available for purchase locally.

The new ban simply extends regulation to cover possession in public places, without imposing additional restrictions in practice on tourists, the department explained.

It also pointed out that the number of tourists visiting Hong Kong have continued to rise from 2023 to 2025, demonstrating that public health protection and tourism development can co-exist.

Additionally, the department’s Tobacco & Alcohol Control Office has adopted a multipronged publicity approach to spread relevant information to tourists, including giving out promotional leaflets, displaying information on large electronic screens on the Mainland side of ports, and co-ordinating with airlines to make in-flight announcements. It also conducts promotional activities on social media, at boundary control points and at major tourist attractions to remind citizens and visitors to comply with the law.

According to the extended ban, any person who possesses e-cigarette capsules, e-liquids, heat sticks or other specified ASPs in public places will be liable for a fixed penalty of $3,000. If the possession exceeds the specified quantity or involves a commercial purpose, an offender is liable to a fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority announced today (April 30) the results of its survey on residential mortgage loans (RMLs) in negative equity at end-March 2026.
  
The estimated number of RMLs in negative equity was 11 424 cases at end-March 2026, down by 46.4 per cent from 21 304 cases at end-December 2025. These cases were mainly related to bank staff housing loans or RMLs under mortgage insurance programme, which generally have a higher loan-to-value ratio.
 
The aggregate value of RMLs in negative equity decreased by 47.8 per cent to HK$55 billion at end-March 2026, compared with HK$105.4 billion at end-December 2025.
 
The unsecured portion of these loans decreased to HK$2.8 billion at end-March 2026 from HK$6.2 billion at end-December 2025.
 
The three-month delinquency ratio of RMLs in negative equity remained at a low level of 0.5 per cent at end-March 2026, as compared to 0.31 per cent at end-December 2025.
 
It is important to note that the figures derived from this survey relate only to RMLs provided by authorized institutions on the basis of first mortgages and which the reporting institution knows to be in negative equity (i.e. the outstanding loan amount with the reporting institution exceeds the current market value of the mortgaged property). Not included in these figures are RMLs associated with co-financing schemes which would be in negative equity if the second mortgages were taken into account. The extent to which such RMLs are in negative equity is not known because authorized institutions do not maintain records on the outstanding balances of the second mortgages. 
 
The mortgage portfolios of the surveyed authorized institutions represent about 99 per cent of the industry total. The survey results have been extrapolated to estimate the position of the banking sector as a whole. 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority announced the results of the residential mortgage survey for March 2026.
 
The number of mortgage applications in March increased month-on-month by 26.9 per cent to 10,311.
 
Mortgage loans approved in March increased by 38.6 per cent compared with February to HK$40.1 billion. Among these, mortgage loans financing primary market transactions increased by 55.9 per cent to HK$13.4 billion and those financing secondary market transactions increased by 36.1 per cent to HK$23.4 billion. Mortgage loans for refinancing increased by 5 per cent to HK$3.3 billion. 
 
Mortgage loans drawn down during March increased by 63.9 per cent compared with February to HK$26.9 billion. 
 
The ratio of new mortgage loans priced with reference to HIBOR decreased from 87.5 per cent in February to 83.7 per cent in March. The ratio of new mortgage loans priced with reference to best lending rates decreased from 1.9 per cent in February to 1.5 per cent in March.
 
The outstanding value of mortgage loans increased month-on-month by 0.4 per cent to HK$1,934.9 billion at end-March. 
 
The mortgage delinquency ratio stood at a low level of 0.13 per cent and the rescheduled loan ratio was unchanged at nearly 0 per cent.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Town Planning Board announced today (April 30) that the Secretary for Development has referred the approved Kam Tin North Outline Zoning Plan (OZP) to the Board for amendment to reflect the latest land use proposals.  

The OZP incorporating the respective amendments will be exhibited for public inspection under the provisions of the Town Planning Ordinance.

The Kam Tin North OZP was last approved by the Chief Executive in Council in December 2023.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

To implement the uncertificated securities market (USM) regime, the Government published in the Gazette today (April 30) the Securities and Futures and Companies Legislation (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 (Commencement) Notice to appoint November 16, 2026, as the date on which Part 2 (except section 9(2)) and Part 5 of the Securities and Futures and Companies Legislation (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 come into operation.

The relevant provisions of the Amendment Ordinance set out the principal framework of the USM regime, which seeks to eliminate the need for paper documents in evidencing and transferring legal ownership of prescribed securities, enhancing the infrastructure, efficiency, competitiveness and investor protection of the securities market in Hong Kong by reducing reliance on paper and manual processes. 

The six pieces of subsidiary legislation made in 2025, which set out detailed arrangements of the regime, will also come into operation on the same date under their commencement provisions. They are:

(i) Securities and Futures (Uncertificated Securities Market) Rules (L.N. 15 of 2025); 
(ii) Securities and Futures (Approved Securities Registrars) Rules (L.N. 16 of 2025) (as amended by the Companies (Amendment) (No. 2) Ordinance 2025); 
(iii) Securities and Futures (Stock Market Listing) (Amendment) Rules 2025 (L.N. 17 of 2025); 
(iv) Securities and Futures (Open-ended Fund Companies) (Amendment) Rules 2025 (L.N. 18 of 2025); 
(v) Securities and Futures Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 8) Order 2025 (L.N. 14 of 2025); and 
(vi) Securities and Futures Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 5) Notice 2025 (L.N. 19 of 2025).

A spokesperson for the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau said, “The Government has been in close collaboration with the Securities and Futures Commission, the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, the Federation of Share Registrars Limited and the industry to steadily take forward the preparation for the USM regime in a prudent manner, which is now in its final stage. The implementation of the USM regime will enhance the efficiency and infrastructure of the Hong Kong securities market, as well as provide better investor protection and transparency. The regime will help consolidate and enhance Hong Kong’s competitiveness and status as an international financial centre.”

The Commencement Notice will be tabled before the Legislative Council on May 6.