CS unveils details of preparatory work for HKSAR 20th anniversary celebrations (with photos/video)
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     The Chief Secretary for Administration (CS), Mrs Carrie Lam, unveiled at a press conference today (December 2) details of the preparatory work commenced early this year for celebrating the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Chaired by the CS, an inter-departmental Steering Committee on the 20th Anniversary was also set up.

     Speaking at a press conference, Mrs Lam said the theme for the 20th anniversary will be "Together‧Progress‧Opportunity", aiming to showcase the successful implementation of "one country, two systems", bringing about social cohesion and unity, and building up confidence and seizing opportunities.

     For "Together", Hong Kong people have all along stood together to overcome various challenges over the years. She expressed the hope that the cohesion and esprit de corps of Hong Kong people could continue.

     "Progress" refers to Hong Kong's need to develop new ways to move ahead and create opportunities for new industries, including creative industries and innovation and technology.

     For "Opportunity", Hong Kong should seize the opportunities from the Mainland's Belt and Road Initiative and play the role of "super-connector" well by moving up the value chain and providing Mainland and overseas partners with professional, value-added services.

     Mrs Lam said a highlight of the celebration events is the organising of a series of major cultural and sports events. Through beautifying the city, Hong Kong people will also be able to share the joy of celebrating the 20th anniversary. Another highlight of the celebration activities will be community participation. A "Celebrations for All" project will be launched to bring about social cohesion through elderly visits and the participation of the underprivileged and ethnic minorities in activities.

     The Government will also arrange a number of meaningful activities for the youth including a youth ambassador scheme and youth internship programmes at the Palace Museum and the Wolong National Nature Reserve. Local artists will also be able to stretch their creativity through cityscape enhancement projects such as "Blossoming Stairs" and "Seats‧Together".

     The celebration events are closely linked with Hong Kong's future economic and social development. A number of international conferences, including the Asian Financial Forum, the World Sustainable Built Environment Conference, the Museum Summit and the Belt and Road Summit will be organised to enable Hong Kong to find development opportunities, open up new markets and carry on with past successes while creating new achievements in the future.

     Mrs Lam also briefly introduced promotion in the Mainland and overseas. The Government's offices in the Mainland and overseas will hold more than 200 celebration activities next year. These events will not only showcase the strengths which Hong Kong possesses on various fronts, but also welcome overseas Hong Kong citizens to participate in the celebration events.

     The Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs, Mrs Betty Fung, announced in advance that the Government will organise a number of cultural, arts, sports and youth-related events next year, and introduced some of the highlight events.

     Major exhibitions will include "Celebrating Imperial Birthdays in the Qing Dynasty" and "Yangxindian Exhibition from Palace Museum", both organised in collaboration with the Palace Museum; "Le Louvre: From Palace to Museum over 800 Years", to be jointly presented with Musée du Louvre; and "Eternal Life - Exploring Ancient Egypt", co-organised with the British Museum.

     Riding on the 20th anniversary, a Museum Summit will also be held in June next year, while a series of large-scale events will be organised to showcase Hong Kong's potential and opportunities in creative industries and innovation and technology.

     The Government will organise and support a number of special mega sporting events, including the World Snooker Master Challenge, the Volvo Ocean Race and the UCI Track Cycling World Championships.

     Mrs Fung also said a poster design competition (primary school section) and a video competition (secondary school and open section) will be launched by the Information Services Department in mid-December.

     The competitions aim to encourage creativity and let participants express their aspirations for Hong Kong's future through their art pieces. Applications will start on December 14, 2016.

     Interested primary and secondary school students and Hong Kong residents can submit entries on or before February 24, 2017. Competition details can be found on the 20th anniversary website.

     The Director of the Project Planning Office, Mr Gordon Leung, unveiled the official logo for the 20th anniversary celebrations, which features the colours of gold and red. A set of six different graphics using "20" as the theme have also been designed to portray special characteristics of Hong Kong.

     A dedicated website for the 20th anniversary has been launched. Members of the public can obtain details of celebration activities and the latest updates at www.hksar20.gov.hk.

     Mr Leung also appealed to all sectors of the community to fully support and participate in the celebration events and programmes.

     He said the Government had set up a 20th Anniversary Celebration Fund and appealed to the public for generous contributions. The Fund will support major celebration events and district-based activities hosted by the Government or jointly arranged with other organisations.

     Activities organised by community groups and organisations in support of the 20th anniversary may apply for inclusion in the official Events Calendar, which will be uploaded to the dedicated website for wider publicity.

     Organisations interested in seeking accreditation for their events can submit applications to the 20th anniversary Project Planning Office. For details, please call 3521 0123 or email 20Ainfo@hab.gov.hk.

Ends/Friday, December 2, 2016
Issued at HKT 20:40

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