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The Financial Secretary, Mr John C Tsang, officiated at the opening of "Hong Kong: Creative Ecologies – Business, Living, Creativity" Design Exhibition organised by the Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) in Shanghai today (May 15).
The exhibition at The Bridge 8 Phase 3, No. 550 Jumen Road, Luwan District is an HKSAR programme for Expo 2010 Shanghai China (Shanghai Expo). Running throughout the Shanghai Expo period until end-October 2010, it includes an exhibition, workshops, conferences and educational forums that will profile Hong Kong's creative industries and design power.
Mr Tsang said at the opening, "This exhibition will last for over five months and showcase to Mainland and global visitors the ecologies and dynamism of Hong Kong's creative industries, so that they will understand how Hong Kong has evolved into the creative capital of Asia.
"In the past, Hong Kong was a base for entrepot trade and manufacturing goods, but it is not by chance that Hong Kong transformed into the creative capital and centre of services industry that it is today.
"Being the melting-pot of Eastern and Western cultures, Hong Kong has all the attributes of an open, accommodating and diverse city. In addition, Hong Kong is a leading hub in the region in terms of mobility of manpower, merchandise, knowledge and information.
"The exhibition will also introduce renowned Hong Kong designers, design enterprises and brands, and unveil Hong Kong's creative minds through successful cases.
"On top of this, we have invited a number of rising stars in the design trade and made known their infinite creativity by means of joint creative works."
Mr Tsang noted that the HKSAR Government had also subsidised Hong Kong organisations in the creative industries to hold the "Shanghai Expo x Creative Ecologies Study Tour".
Through the programme, close to 100 Hong Kong youths will visit Shanghai. They will conduct exchanges with Shanghai bodies and institutes in the creative industries to facilitate better knowledge about creative ecologies in Shanghai and Hong Kong, and to explore cooperation between the two places.
They will also act as volunteer workers at Hong Kong's Urban Best Practices Area exhibition in the Shanghai Expo offering briefings on Hong Kong to visitors.
Other officiating guests at the HKDC exhibition opening today included the Vice Mayor of Shanghai, Mr Tu Guangshao; Deputy Director, Shanghai Municipal Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, Ms Zhang Yixing; Communist Party China Secretary, Shanghai Luwan District, Mr Xu Yibo; Mayor of Shanghai Luwan District, Mr Weng Zuliang; Commissioner, HKSAR Expo Affairs Office, Mr Patrick Chan; Chairman of the HKDC, Mr Victor Lo; and Chief Curator of the HKDC, Ms Lo Kai-yin.
After the opening, Mr Lo showed Mr Tsang the various creative pieces by Hong Kong designers at the exhibition.
Mr Tsang also visited two other major creative clusters - The Bridge 8 Phase 1 and Tianzifang in Shanghai in the afternoon.
Ends/Saturday, May 15, 2010
Issued at HKT 20:40
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