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Heritage Fiesta 2013, running from now until October 31, offers the public a great opportunity to appreciate Hong Kong's rich architectural heritage. The programme is a signature event of the "Hong Kong: Our Home" Campaign.
The Commissioner for Heritage's Office will host an opening ceremony at a photo exhibition at the Park Court at L1 of Pacific Place, Admiralty, on September 10.
The exhibition, featuring 151 photos of Hong Kong's historic buildings, will open at the venue one day earlier (i.e. September 9) and will be held until September 15.
This year's Heritage Fiesta is showcasing 17 historic school buildings and 13 study halls that are declared monuments or graded buildings, including two notable projects in the Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme.
The two projects are the former North Kowloon Magistracy at 292 Tai Po Road, which has been converted into the Savannah College of Art and Design (Hong Kong), and the former Fong Yuen Study Hall at Tin Liu Tsuen in Ma Wan. The latter is now the "Fong Yuen Study Hall" - Tourism and Chinese Cultural Centre cum Ma Wan Residents Museum.
Everyone is welcome to visit these historic buildings. Admission is free except at the former Fong Yuen Study Hall, and guided tours are available at some sites. For details of Heritage Fiesta 2013, please visit the website at www.heritage.gov.hk. For enquiries, please call 2848 6230.
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The Mid-Autumn Festival this year falls on September 19, and many public celebrations are being held in the coming weeks.
A highlight programme is the Lantern Wonderland at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay, to be held from September 14 to 22. The event is organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board as part of its "Hong Kong Mid-Autumn Festival" celebrations.
The centrepiece of the Lantern Wonderland is a giant half-moon-shaped lantern entitled "Rising Moon", which received the Gold Award in the Lantern Wonderland Design Competition.
Measuring 10 metres high by 20m in diameter, the iconic lantern is made from 7,000 recycled water bottles and uses energy-saving LED lights. The lighting-up ceremony will be held on September 14 at 6.30pm.
In addition to admiring "Rising Moon", visitors to the Lantern Wonderland can visit the Wishing Corridor decorated with lanterns and buy tasty treats and souvenirs at the Mid-Autumn Market. Admission is free.
Further information on the "Hong Kong Mid-Autumn Festival" events is available at the Hong Kong Tourism Board website at www.discoverhongkong.com. For enquiries, please call 2508 1234.
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The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will also hold the Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnivals 2013 at three locations:
* The Urban Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival at Victoria Park on September 19;
* The New Territories East Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival at Sha Tin Park on September 20; and
* The New Territories West Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival at Tuen Mun Park on September 21.
The carnivals will feature spectacular ethnic song and dance performances, handicraft demonstrations, lantern riddles and game booths. Admission is free.
In addition, six sets of lanterns presenting the theme of "Home Sweet Home" are on display at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza in Tsim Sha Tsui until October 13. Each set presents a scene from daily family life to convey the importance of communication and sharing with family members.
Details of the activities are available at the website: www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Entertainment/EntertainmentOffice/en/events/midautumn1.html. For enquiries, please call 2591 1340.
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The "Meet the Authors 2013 - Walking on the Path of Growth" series organised by the LCSD is about to resume after a short summer break. Two sessions will be held on September 14.
Writer Mr Wong Kin-tin will hold a session from 3pm to 4.30pm at the public library in the Quarry Bay Municipal Services Building at 38 Quarry Bay Street. Mr Wong will talk on his efforts to find success as a writer and encourage young people to make their dreams come true.
Writer Mr Au Ka-lun will give a talk at the Tsuen Wan Public Library at 38 Sai Lau Kok Road, Tsuen Wan, from 3pm to 4.30pm. Mr Au, a mass media worker, will discuss time travel with the audience as well as talk about his search for truth through reading.
In total, 11 writers will give talks, to be conducted in Chinese, at various public libraries from September to November. They will speak from personal experience with the aim of encouraging young people to be responsible and care more about society.
Information on the upcoming sessions and writer profiles are available (in Chinese) at the Hong Kong Public Libraries website at www.hkpl.gov.hk/mta.กก
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The Junior Chamber International (JCI) Peninsula is now calling for submissions to its letter writing competition entitled "Youth Letter 2013".
The competition is open to secondary school students who will compose letters addressed to their parents to share with them their thoughts and views. The competition aims to enhance communication between young people and their parents.
For the Lower Level category (Form 1 to Form 3), students are required to write about their thoughts under the theme of "Thank you for your love". For the Higher Level category (Form 4 to Form 6), students should write on "Something that can't be said" in their letters. The compositions should be in Chinese and the submission deadline is September 30.
Students can join the competition through their schools, or submit compositions by post to JCI Peninsula at 21/F, Seaview Commercial Building, 21-24 Connaught Road West, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, or by email to pjcya2@gmail.com. Details and rules of the competition are available on the website at www.jcihk.org.กก
Winning letters will be displayed at the MTR Community Art Gallery at Central Station in December, and later in the art gallery at the Breakthrough Youth Village in Sha Tin in January and February 2014.
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Spectators are welcome to cheer on the swimmers in the 41st Cross Tolo Harbour Open Race on September 15.
Organised by the Tai Po Sports Association, the race will start at 10.30am at the beach next to Sha Lan Tsuen in Shuen Wan, Tai Po. Participants will swim 2,600m to the finish line at the Tai Mei Tuk Water Sports Centre on the northern shore of Tolo Harbour.
Three hundred swimmers will race in the Competition Group. The top 10 male and female winners will each receive a trophy.
More than 1,300 people will take part in the Leisure Group race and the youngest swimmers are 10 years old. Participants who finish the race within one and a half hours will receive certificates.
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All these events support the "Hong Kong: Our Home" public participation campaign, which aims to inject positive energy into society, foster social cohesion and promote care, mutual help and solidarity in the community.
More than 220 Partner Organisations have so far pledged support for the Campaign.
Altogether, the Government and Partner Organisations are organising more than 1,000 events/activities under the four themes of the Campaign from the end of April to the end of December this year.
Full details of the Campaign can be found on the website www.hkourhome.gov.hk.
Ends/Sunday, September 8, 2013
Issued at HKT 11:00
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