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A series of official and community celebration activities will be held on October 1 (Wednesday) to mark the 54th National Day. Major celebration activities include a Flag Raising Ceremony to be held in the morning, a National Day Reception in the afternoon as well as a variety show and a fireworks display in the evening.

At 8 am, a Flag Raising Ceremony will be held at the Golden Bauhinia Square outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) in Wan Chai. A sea parade and a flypast will also be staged in the Ceremony.

Mr. Tung Chee Hwa, the Chief Executive, will officiate at the Flag Raising Ceremony. About 700 invited guests, including government officials, members of the consular corps, dignitaries and community leaders, will attend the ceremony. In addition, about 600 cadets of the uniformed groups will also participate in the Ceremony.

Other than the invited guests, members of the public can also watch the ceremony at the Golden Bauhinia Square where there should be room to accommodate about 800 more spectators.

A cocktail reception hosted by the Chief Executive will be held at 3 pm at the Grand Hall of HKCEC for invited guests from various sectors of the community.

In the evening, the Association of Compatriots in Hong Kong for Celebrating the 54th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China will organise a variety show at 7 pm at Hong Kong Coliseum in Hung Hom. The show is jointly organised by the Home Affairs Department and sponsored by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.

The show will feature performances by the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, the 12 Girls Band, the Hong Kong Dance Company, the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong, Mr Warren Mok and local artistes, including Mr Hacken Lee, Mr Andy Hui, Mr Lui Fong and Miss Jade Kwan.

About 2 800 admission tickets will be available for distribution to members of the public for free and on a first come, first served basis at the Public Enquiry Service Centres of all the District Offices on September 29 starting from 9 am.

A breath-taking fireworks display will start at 9 pm. Sponsored by Hong Kong Chiu Chow Chamber of Commerce Ltd and Tak Sing Alliance Holdings, the fireworks will last for about 15 minutes followed by an eight-minute preview of the works by four competing teams of the Hong Kong International Musical Fireworks Competition.

Members of the public planning to watch the Flag Raising Ceremony or the fireworks display on either side of the harbour are requested to conduct themselves in a safe and orderly manner and follow the advice of police officers on the scene. They should also pay attention to the special traffic arrangements for the National Day celebration activities which will be announced by the Police nearer the date.

End/Wednesday, September 24, 2003

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