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A series of events will be held in Hong Kong on Sunday (October 1) to celebrate the 57th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Major activities include a flag-raising ceremony and a reception in the morning, and a variety show and a fireworks display in the evening.
The flag-raising ceremony will be held at 8am at Golden Bauhinia Square outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) in Wan Chai.
The Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang, will join some 2,500 people including invited guests, government officials, members of uniformed groups and community groups at the ceremony.
The police band and a mixed choir from the Diocesan Boys' School and Diocesan Girls' School will play and sing the national anthem at the ceremony, followed by a sea parade and a fly-past by the disciplined services.
The public is welcome to watch the ceremony at a designated area with a capacity of about 1,000 people. Six plasma TVs and an LCD screen will be set up there for the public to view the ceremony. To ensure the smooth running of the flag-raising ceremony, people are requested to observe the rules and directions given by the authorities on site.
The National Day reception, to be hosted by the Chief Executive, will be held after the flag-raising ceremony at the HKCEC Grand Hall. About 4,000 guests, including members of the Executive and Legislative Councils, consular corps, heads of missions in Hong Kong, senior government officials and members of various community sectors will attend the reception. Dancers from the Hong Kong Dance Federation will perform at the reception.
In the evening, the Organising Committee of Compatriots in Hong Kong for Celebration of the 57th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China will organise a variety show at 7pm at Hong Kong Coliseum in Hung Hom.
A spectacular fireworks display, sponsored by Mission Hills Golf Club, will start at 9.15pm over Victoria Harbour. It will last for about 23 minutes.
People should note the special traffic arrangements for the National Day celebrations announced by the police. In particular, those planning to watch the fireworks display on either side of the harbour are requested to behave in a safe and orderly manner and follow the advice of police officers at the scene.
Ends/Thursday, September 28, 2006
Issued at HKT 15:01
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