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A series of celebration activities will be held in Hong Kong to mark the 65th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Major activities include a flag-raising ceremony, a National Day reception, a National Day Extravaganza and a fireworks display on October 1 (Wednesday) as well as a cultural show on October 2 (Thursday).
The flag-raising ceremony will be held at 8am on October 1 at Golden Bauhinia Square outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) in Wan Chai.
The Chief Executive will join some 2 500 people at the ceremony including invited guests, senior government officials, and members of youth uniformed groups and community groups.
The Police Band will perform at the ceremony and a mixed choir from Diocesan Boys' School, Diocesan Girls' School and St Paul's Co-educational College Primary School will sing the national anthem under the lead of singers Ms Louise Kwong and Mr Sammy Chien, followed by a fly-past and a sea parade by the disciplined services.
The public are welcome to watch the ceremony from a designated area with a capacity of about 1 000 viewers. To ensure the smooth running of the flag-raising ceremony, people in the designated area must observe the regulations and directions given by the authorities on site.
Hosted by the Chief Executive, the National Day reception will be held after the flag-raising ceremony at the Grand Hall, Level 3, HKCEC. About 4 000 invited guests will attend, including members of the Executive and Legislative Councils, consular corps, senior government officials, community group leaders and members of various community sectors.
The two lead singers, the Police Band and the school choir will perform and sing the national anthem at the reception. In addition, there will be a singing and dancing performance by the Yip's Children's Choir. The Choir has just completed an Eastern Europe concert tour in July and August this year.
To share the joy of the 65th anniversary with the public, the Home Affairs Department will hold a National Day Extravaganza at Victoria Park from 2pm to 6pm for the enjoyment of visitors of all ages. Programmes will include a variety show, interactive games set up by the 18 districts, clown street performances, traditional art and craft demonstrations, a showcase of achievements of the People's Republic of China, a Hong Kong Nostalgia zone, Youth Talent Competition, Sketch HK Youth Painting Day final and exhibitions of winning entries in the National Day Bunting Design Competition.
A spectacular fireworks display, sponsored by the Friends of Hong Kong Association Ltd, will start at 8pm to celebrate National Day. It will last about 23 minutes.
People planning to watch the fireworks display on either side of the Victoria Harbour are requested to behave in a safe and orderly manner and follow the advice of police officers. They should also pay attention to the special traffic arrangements for the National Day celebration activities announced by the authorities.
On the evening of October 2, the Organising Committee of Compatriots in Hong Kong for Celebration of the 65th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China will present a cultural show at the Hong Kong Coliseum in Hung Hom at 7pm.
Ends/Friday, September 26, 2014
Issued at HKT 16:01
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