***********************************************************
More than 50 programmes will be held during the three-week Wong Tai Sin District Festival 2006 which is launched today (November 5) at Wong Tai Sin Temple Court. People from all districts are welcome to join the festive events which included various cultural performances, seminars, historical exhibitions and concessionary offers for food.
Today﷿s large-scale parade, made up of more than 800 team members, included classic vehicles, music bands, dancing teams, Martial Arts School from Songshan Shaolin Monastery as well as a flower-drum opera from Hunan province. The parade made its way from Chi Lin Drive roundabout along Fung Tak Road, Sha Tin Pass Road and Wong Tai Sin Road to the Creative Art Playground.
䩕Wong Tai Sin is a special district. Its outlook today is a manifestation of numerous developments and changes. Besides modern architectures, it has preserved many cultural relics with remarkable0historical value . Today, Wong Tai Sin is accessible by a good traffic network with well-established facilities. It has great potential for development.蒅 the Director of Home Affairs, Mrs Pamela Tan, said at the opening ceremony.
To tie in with the district festival, many activities will be held from today till November 26. For seven consecutive nights starting from November 6, a number of variety shows will be held at Temple Court, Wong Tai Sin, including the performances by Martial Arts School from Songshan Shaolin Monastery, flower-drum opera from Hunan province and City Contemporary Dance.
Visitors are also welcome to watch the spectacular lighting display by the charity organisation Sik Sik Yuen, Wong Tai Sin Temple, which is now on show until November 11. Sik Sik Yuen will also pray for the blessing of Hong Kong people in a ceremony to be held at 7:00 pm on November 8. Moreover, a Chinese calligraphy and painting exhibition will be held by Hau Wong Temple from November 21 to 26. A roving photo exhibition introducing the historical buildings and features in Wong Tai Sin will also be held starting from today to November 25.
For sports fans, the 䩕Orienteering Competition蒅 to be held on November 12 and 䩕Climb to Lion Rock蒅 on November 19, are certainly the programmes not to be missed.
Other programmes include Cantonese Opera concert, martial arts performance by Tai Chi groups, basketball and football competitions, pop music concerts, a mural display as well as vibrant carnivals for all ages.
For enquiries of the programmes details and free tickets, please call 3143 1155. You may also visit the dedicated website www.wtsdf.com
The Wong Tai Sin District Festival, which is organised every four to five years, began in the early 1980s. The main theme of the festival this year is 䩕Wong Tai Sin is My Home蒅. It is organized by the Organising Committee of the Wong Tai Sin District Festival 2006 of the Wong Tai Sin District Council, co-organised by the Wong Tai Sin District Office and sponsored by local organizations. The highlights of the district festival, the parade and the opening day performance will be broadcast on TVB Jade at 11pm on November 7 and 14.
Other officiating guests at today﷿s opening ceremony included Mr. SHI Lop-tak, Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Wong Tai Sin District Festival 2006 ; Mr. CHOW Ching-lam, Convenor of the Opening and Closing Ceremony Working Group; Mrs. Teresa WONG, District Officer of Wong Tai Sin; and Mr. WONG Kam-chi, Chairman of Wong Tai Sin District Council.
Ends
Ends/Sunday, November 5, 2006
Issued at HKT 19:50
NNNN
