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As a prelude to the 15th anniversary celebrations of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto (CCCGT) will present "Bauhinia Night" at its annual Imperial Ball on May 26 at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in downtown Toronto.
The announcement was made at a press conference today (April 26, Toronto time) by the Director of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) in Toronto, Miss Gloria Lo; together with Senior Vice-president of the Toronto Stock Exchange, Mr Robert Fotheringham. The two are co-chairing the Hong Kong-theme event to be attended by over 600 people, including leaders from the business and cultural sectors, and government representatives.
Miss Lo said the 15th anniversary served as another milestone of the HKSAR. "The theme 'Bauhinia Night' is a perfect association with Hong Kong," she said. "Fifteen years since our reunification with China, we all witness the continued success of Hong Kong under 'One Country, Two Systems' principle implemented through the Basic Law."
"Hong Kong remains a free and open society, the freest economy in the world, an international financial and trading centre, as well as an attractive city to travellers around the world," Miss Lo said. She attributed Hong Kong's success to the "collective efforts of all hard-working Hong Kong people under our can-do spirits."
Miss Lo added that Hong Kong had enjoyed very strong ties with Canada over the years. "Among all the things we share in common, we both cherish diversities and the CCCGT has done a lot in cultural promotion work," she said.
Also speaking at the press conference, the Chairman of the CCCGT, Dr Cheung Ming-tat, remarked, "Generous donations made by people migrated from Hong Kong and donors with ties in Hong Kong have contributed much to make our dream come true."
"Their names displayed in various facilities of the Centre can tell," he said. "The support of these and many other donors has given CCCGT the mandate to promote Chinese culture in the context of Canada's multicultural society." The proceeds from the "Bauhinia Night" will be used to build a Heritage Hall to showcase the centenary legacy of Chinese Canadian in Ontario.
One of the highlights of the "Bauhinia Night" is the feature performance by the versatile Chinese wind player, Mr Guo Yazhi, formerly with the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. He will demonstrate various Chinese wind instruments, such as hulusi and sheng. Furthermore, dancers from the School of Toronto City Ballet will be wearing Hong Kong-style Hakka hats to perform a dance to be accompanied by an old Hong Kong pop song "Notturno in the Fisherboat". The HKETO and Hong Kong Tourism Board will also jointly present a free tasting and sampling of the "Top After-Work Cocktails" in Hong Kong at the "Bauhinia Night's" reception sponsored by the Toronto Hong Kong Lions Club.
Ends/Friday, April 27, 2012
Issued at HKT 09:02
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