Surely influenced by the Hello Hong Kong marketing campaign, Super Typhoon Saola saw the HK Observatory raise the T10 storm signal for just the 16th time in over 100 years as Saola’s wind speeds topped 220km/h (135 mph).
Click on any photo to see the full gallery of images.
After a four-year covid enforced break, the Tourism Board have announced that the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races will return to Victoria Harbor on 24-25 June.
Online registration for dragon boat teams will be open from 10am on 20 March on the Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association website.
Dragon Boat Carnival
Date: 24-25 June, 2023
Venue: Off Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade
Tickets: Free
images: HK Tourism Board
The government has announced that the National Day fireworks display on 1 October has been cancelled for the fourth year in a row.
image: HK Tourism
To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region the Hong Kong Tourism Board has announced a special edition of A Symphony of Lights. The Hong Kong Harbour Fiesta will run daily throughout July from 8pm – 8:10pm.
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images: Hong Kong Tourism Board
The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has released the visitor arrivals data for December 2021 and the year as a whole.
In December 2021 there were 9,448 arrivals (6.475 from the mainland, 2,973 non-mainland) a 94% rise year on year. But a 90+% drop from 2019.
Arrivals for 2021 were 91,368 (65,694 from the mainland, 25,704 non-mainland) a 97% drop from 2020.
A slew of local artists including AGA, Alfred Hui, Gin Lee, Jay Fung, Joyce Cheng, MIRROR, Edan Lui and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra created a distinctly Hong Kong style Countdown Concert in West Kowloon.
Live music has been one of the industries hardest hit by Covid and after a 2021 almost devoid of concerts, we can only hope that the Countdown Concert is the start of a year full of gigs and the uplifting feeling and happiness that sharing live music brings.
The concert was live-streamed on New Year’s Eve and is now available on the HKTB youtube channel.
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1.《＠princejoyce》鄭欣宜 (Joyce Cheng)
2.《Megahit》Anson Lo@MIRROR
3.《喘息空間》 Gin Lee
4.《金星女孩》Anson Kong@MIRROR
5.《Wonderful U》AGA
6.《So Called Love Song》AGA
7.《理性與任性之間》AGA
8.《開始倒數》AGA、 Jay Fung
9.《3am》AGA、 Jay Fung
10.《冬日寂寞考》Jay Fung
11.《思念即地獄》Jay Fung
12《另一個諾貝爾》陳卓賢@MIRROR
13.《狂人日記》Jer@MIRROR
14.《Tonight》AGA x 香港管弦樂團 (HK Philharmonic Orchestra)
15.《一步一悔過》Jay Fung x 香港管弦樂團 (HK Philharmonic Orchestra)
16.《女神》鄭欣宜 (Joyce Cheng) x 香港管弦樂團 (HK Philharmonic Orchestra)
17.《e先生連環不幸事件》Edan x 香港管弦樂團 (HK Philharmonic Orchestra)
18.《日出時讓街燈安睡》GinLee x 香港管弦樂團 (HK Philharmonic Orchestra)
19.《青春頌》許廷鏗 (Alfred Hui) x 香港管弦樂團 (HK Philharmonic Orchestra)
20.《IDK》Gin Lee
21.《幸福門》Gin Lee
22.《先哭為敬》Gin Lee、《很堅強》鄭欣宜 (Joyce Cheng)
23.《最難行的路》鄭欣宜 (Joyce Cheng)
24.《天下無雙》許廷鏗 x Jay Fung
25.《我的快樂時代》許廷鏗 (Alfred Hui) x Jay Fung
26.《修羅場》許廷鏗 (Alfred Hui)
27.《佛系人生》許廷鏗 (Alfred Hui)
28.《停半分鐘聽一闋歌》許廷鏗 (Alfred Hui)
29. 《鏡中鏡》姜濤
30. 《12》MIRROR
31.《BOSS》MIRROR
32《IGNITED》MIRROR
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photos: HKTB
Hundreds of thousands of HongKongers braved a chilly evening and gathered on both shores of Victoria Harbour to kick out a depressing and stressful 2021 and communally embrace the hope and expectations of a New Year.
It was disappointing that even after months of no local Covid infections and harsh quarantine measures, the government still cancelled the annual New Year’s Eve fireworks display. The ‘enhanced’ Symphony of Lights didn’t really offer anything to those watching from Kowloon side, not even a 2022 on the front of the HKCEC…
But you would be wrong to think too negatively, people gathered knowing there were no fireworks. We gathered peacefully, no shoving or pushing, to recharge each other. To support and strengthen the old and the young after the harshness of the last twelve months.
Where alone and individually we might not feel strong to face 2022, together unspoken counting down to midnight we recharged each other’s batteries and shared our strength.
Together we are HongKongers and our flame burns brightly in the cold dark night! Happy New Year!
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photos: HKTB
The Immigration Department (ImmD) announced today (22 December) that online visa applications and “e-Visa” arrangements will be launched on 28 December.
The new service will allow applicants to complete the entire visa application process, including application submission, payment and “e-Visa” collection, online without having to attend an Immigration office in person.
Under the new process, eligible applicants can submit their applications online through the ImmD mobile application, the ImmD’s website or the GovHK website. Once their applications are approved, applicants can use the online payment service to pay the relevant fee and download the “e-Visa” instantly upon payment. The “e-Visa” can be printed and/or saved as a PDF file on a personal mobile device.
The “e-Visa” service includes: “Notification Slip for Entry Visa/Permit”, “Notification Slip for Conditions of Stay” and “Foreign Domestic Helper – Notification Slip for Extension of Stay and Entry Visa”.
The new system will replace the existing sticker-type labels for entry visas/permits, extension of stay and more.
The “e-Visa” contains a QR code for anti-forgery purposes. The information on the “e-Visa” can only be seen by scanning the QR code with the ImmD mobile application. Personal information cannot be retrieved by scanning the QR code with other mobile applications – which just means anyone who wants to read the information will download the app, not the most private or secure system.
Full details of the new “e Visa” can be found at the Immd website www.immd.gov.hk/eng/evisaonline
