To welcome the official opening of the 15th National Games (NG) on November 9, the 15th NG torch relay will be held simultaneously in four cities, namely Hong Kong, Macao, Guangzhou and Shenzhen on November 2. There will be a total of 200 torchbearers, with 50 torchbearers in each city. The torch relay launching ceremony will be held at 9am that day in Shenzhen, followed by starting ceremonies in Hong Kong, Macao and Guangzhou at 9.30am, where torch relay will start simultaneously. Representatives of the four cities will return the flame to Guangzhou after the torch relay. A flame-gathering ceremony will be held at around 5pm in the Guangdong Olympic Sports Center, bridging the torch relay at the venue and the lighting of the main torch at the 15th NG opening ceremony. 
 
     The Head of the National Games Coordination Office (Hong Kong), Mr Yeung Tak-keung, together with representatives from the Hong Kong Police Force and the Transport Department, held an interdepartmental press conference today (October 27) to give briefing on the route of torch relay in Hong Kong and the relevant transportation arrangements.
 
     Torch relay in Hong Kong will start at 9.30am on November 2. The total route length is approximately 10 kilometers, divided into five segments, with the running distance accounting for about 3.8 kilometers. Starting from the Central Government Offices in Tamar, the Hong Kong route passes through the Central and Western District Promenade (Central Section), the Wan Chai Temporary Promenade, the Monument in Commemoration of Return of Hong Kong to China and Golden Bauhinia Square. For the second section, torchbearers will cross the Victoria Harbour by Star Ferry and take part along the Tsim Sha Tsui route. They will start from Star Ferry Bus Terminus in Tsim Sha Tsui in Salisbury Road to Mody Lane, passing by the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Hong Kong Museum of Art. Torchbearers of the fourth section will take an open-top bus to the bus terminal at the Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP). After entering KTSP, the torchbearers of the fifth section will pass by the Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground and the Kai Tak Sports Avenue before arriving at the Kai Tak Sports Park Central Square. The last torchbearer will then light the cauldron and the closing ceremony will take place.
 
     To facilitate the holding of the torch relay, road sections of the Central and Western District Promenade (Central Section), Golden Bauhinia Square and Wan Chai Temporary Promenade will be temporarily closed during the event. Moreover, special traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented by the Police and Transport Department during the event.
 
Road traffic control measures
 
     During the torch relay, road closures and special traffic arrangements will be implemented in the areas of Wan Chai North, the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, and around the Kai Tak Sports Park. All affected roads will be reopened in due course after the torch relay has passed through. The affected areas include:
 
(1) Wan Chai North
- Section of Expo Drive East outside Golden Bauhinia Square will be closed from 8am.
- Expo Drive, the slip road leading from Central - Wan Chai Bypass Tunnel eastbound to Expo Drive, and Expo Drive East will be closed from 9am.
- Roads near Lung Wo Road and Hung Hing Road will be intermittently closed.
 
(2) Area around Tsim Sha Tsui Waterfront
- Salisbury Road, Canton Road, Kowloon Park Drive, Hankow Road, Nathan Road, Middle Road, Chatham Road South, Hong Wan Path, Mody Lane, and Hung Hom Bypass etc, will be closed from 8.30am.
- Hong Chong Road, Chatham Road North, and the East Kowloon Corridor will be intermittently closed.
 
(3) Area around Kai Tak Sports Park
- The pick-up/drop-off area next to the Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground on Sung Wong Toi Road will be closed from 8am.
- East Kowloon Corridor, Kowloon City Road, and Sung Wong Toi Road will be intermittently closed.
 
Restricted Flying Zone
 
     The Police will set up a temporary restricted flying zone (RFZ), extending two kilometres outwards from the route of the torch relay from 8.30am to 11.40am on November 2. No small unmanned aircraft, except those authorised, will be permitted to enter the zone. Details of the temporary RFZ will be shown on the electronic portal for small unmanned aircraft "eSUA".
 
Public transport arrangements
 
     To facilitate the temporary road closures and traffic control measures to be implemented by the Police at Wan Chai North and Tsim Sha Tsui on the morning of the Hong Kong leg of the 15th National Games torch relay, 52 franchised bus routes and five green minibus (GMB) routes operating in the affected road sections in the vicinity of Expo Drive East in Wan Chai, Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry Pier Bus Terminus, Nathan Road and Salisbury Road will adjust their services starting from the first departure on that day. Among them, KMB Route No. 8P (Laguna Verde – Tsim Sha Tsui (Circular)) will be suspended. The remaining affected bus and GMB routes will require temporary diversion or suspension/relocation of relevant stops within the affected areas. Normal operations will resume gradually after roads reopen. Relevant public transport operators will issue notices to inform affected passengers of the service adjustment details.
 
     According to the route of the torch relay, the torch will be passed to the Kai Tak Sports Park via ferry and an open-top bus, with temporary control measures along the route. Subject to the actual situation, there may be temporary service adjustment from around 9.45am to 10.30am in the Wan Chai – Tsim Sha Tsui ferry route. In addition, the overall traffic at Wan Chai North, West Kowloon and East Kowloon will be busier. The Transport Department urges members of the public and visitors travelling to the affected areas to plan their trips in advance and allow sufficient time for their journeys. They are advised to use railway services as far as possible and avoid driving to the affected road sections.
 
　　Mr Yeung said, the entire Hong Kong relay route is designed to highlight the unique cultural and sporting characteristics of the city. The torchbearers include representatives from various sectors, including sports, sponsors, volunteers, the youth, persons with disabilities and ethnic minorities. The detailed list of torchbearers will be announced in due course. Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao cohosted a press conference in Guangzhou this morning. Mr Yeung addressed in the press conference that the biggest highlight of the 15th NG torch relay is the collaborative progress of the three places and the relay among the four cities. The unique feature of the joint hosting of the 15th NG by the three places has been fully demonstrated, from the lighting of the "source flame" in Nansha, Guangzhou by the representatives of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau earlier this month to the simultaneous torch relay events in four locations on November 2.

Ends/Monday, October 27, 2025
Issued at HKT 22:40

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