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Following is a welcome speech by the Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang, at Reception at the Earth Galleries, Natural History Museum, London on November 4 (London time):
Lord Mayor Elect, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you here tonight to this reception, marking the first joint venture between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the City of London Lord Mayor's Show. This reception is also a happy conclusion to my three-day visit programme in London, and I am delighted to meet so many friends of Hong Kong tonight.
To set the tone of the evening, as it were, I am also happy to note that musical accompaniment will be provided by our talented students from the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. Just yesterday, these students undertook another joint venture with their UK counterpart, the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. Their joint concert was very warmly received by music lovers here.
We are very pleased to be making our initial entry in the Lord Mayor's Show, a historic event with its laudable history going back virtually unbroken for almost 800 years.
Hong Kong's modern history is shorter than that - and our current incarnation dates just from 1997 - but I am happy to let you know that we are doing pretty well.
People are optimistic about the future, the economy is on the rebound and our cultural developments are progressing well. Major cultural facilities are planned for the West Kowloon Reclamation, we have just opened Hong Kong Disneyland and the 34th Hong Kong Arts Festival will be held next February.
Economically, our Gross Domestic Product grew by 6.5% in the first half of this year; we are receiving a record number of tourists and Hong Kong has retained its position as Asia's second largest destination for foreign direct investment.
We believe firmly in free trade and will host the Sixth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation next month. New infrastructure will open, such as AsiaWorld-Expo, which provides an extra 70,000 square metres of exhibition space, and a cable car to take visitors to the famous Big Buddha on Lantau Island. With these exciting developments, it is most timely for us to designate 2006 as "Discover Hong Kong Year" and welcome to Hong Kong more visitors from all over the world.
Our participation in the 2005 Lord Mayor's Show gives us the opportunity to showcase these exciting developments to the UK audience and, through its extensive broadcast, to other parts of the world.
The Dragon is what we would nowadays call a "multi-tasker". It can move on land, fly in the sky and swim in the sea. The emperors of ancient China considered themselves the Dragon, and all Chinese can be regarded as 'Sons of the Dragon'.
Despite its frightening appearance, the Dragon has a benevolent disposition. It symbolises supernatural power, goodness, fertility, vigilance and dignity. And it has attributes of various animals: the horns of a stag, the head of a camel, the ears of a cow, the eyes of a rabbit and the scales of a carp.
The dragons are the governors of rainfall in Chinese culture. They have the power to decide where and when it will rain, and people dance to implore the dragons for rain during a drought. So the Chinese dragon is a compassionate spirit and benefits the people - which contrasts with the western tradition that requires a St George to dispose of it.
The dragon dance is an important part of Chinese culture and tradition that has spread throughout China and to the whole world. It symbolises the bringing of good luck and prosperity in the year to come for everyone on earth. A traditional dance starts with the dragon asleep and it cannot spring to action until its eyes are opened and the spirit of the dragon is given life.
In a moment, the Lord Mayor Elect, Mr David Brewer, will join me in the ceremony of 'Dotting the Eye of the Dragon' to bring it to life. May the good fortune that exudes from the dragon be shared by you all.
Thank you.
Ends/Saturday, November 5, 2005
Issued at HKT 08:21
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