Hong Kong launches the Mid-Autumn Lantern Celebration

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) launched the second mega-event of its Global Tourism Revival Campaign - the Mid-Autumn Lantern Celebration - in Victoria Park today, to generate immediate arrivals from the short-haul markets while adding further recovery momentum for the long-haul markets.

Tonight's opening ceremony was performed by the Secretary for Economic Development and Labour, The Hon Stephen Ip, GBS, JP; HKTB Executive Director, Clara Chong; and Deputy Director of Leisure and Cultural Services (Culture), Choi Suk Kuen, JP. They were joined by HKTB Member, Wailee Chow, JP; Vice Chairman of the Joint Committee of Hong Kong Fishermen's Organisations, Christopher Chung, MH, JP; and Vice President, Marketing and Sales of Hong Kong Disneyland, Roy Tan Hardy. As officiating guests lit up the giant "Lantern Wonderland", the spectacular, month-long festivities began.

HKTB Executive Director Clara Chong explained that the Mid-Autumn Lantern Celebration rode on the popularity of traditional Chinese festivals among many visitors, in particular those from the long-haul markets. "Our surveys show that close to 30 per cent of the visitors and 40 per cent of those from the long-haul markets are interested in traditional Chinese festivals. In organising  the celebration, we have blended traditional festivities with a number of new, unprecedented events. The enticing combination of entertainment, shopping, harbour sights and cuisines truly showcases Hong Kong's fusion of Eastern and Western cultures. Besides strengthening Hong Kong's position as the  global capital of Chinese festivals and the Events Capital of Asia, it provides a solid platform for our travel trade to package and promote Hong Kong so as to increase the pace of recovery.

"Over the past two months, we have seen a continual upward trend of visitor arrivals. In July, arrivals reached almost 1.3 million whereas provisional figures for August show that arrivals may reach 1.6 million. With strongly positive response to the HKTB's Hong Kong Welcomes You! promotion, we are confident that we can attract more than two million visitors during the welcome months," Ms Chong said.

With the tourism recovery well underway, the HKTB plans to focus on building sustained and long-term growth for Hong Kong as a destination. The Mid-Autumn Lantern Celebration launched today showcases Hong Kong's fusion of Eastern and Western, old and new, as well as historic and modern cultures through a diversity of events and attractions. The celebration, which appeals to a wide spectrum of visitors, will sustain the excitement of the first  mega-event, Strato-Fantasia and help maintain a balanced portfolio of visitors from the long and short-haul markets.

The spectacular, month-long celebration features a number of unprecedented events including what is believed to be the world's largest "Lantern Wonderland"; the legendary, over 100 years old Tai Hang Fire Dragon dancing in Victoria Park; an urban hot air balloon ride; a magnificent "Lantern Boat Parade"; and unique "Wishing Lantern Trails". In addition, there will be mega-lantern displays featuring the Sleeping Beauty Castle by Hong Kong Disneyland and a 10-metre, three-storey high lantern in Salisbury Park, Tsim  Sha Tsui, as well as a themed lantern cluster on the Chinese legend of Chang O at the Cultural Centre Piazza.

The HKTB has been proactive in promoting the Mid-Autumn Lantern Celebration and is strongly encouraging the travel trade to package the programmes together with special tour packages. "We are very pleased with the strong support of our local travel trade," Ms Chong said. "Besides special sightseeing tours organised by the travel agencies, 20 restaurants have introduced special dining offers and menus. Furthermore, various locations such as Yau Ma Tei, Knutsford Terrace, Hillwood SoHo, Harbour City in Kowloon and Stanley, Lan Kwai Fong and Peak Galleria on Hong Kong Island have put up festive decorations to create one of the most delightful and atmospheric experiences for our visitors."

To widely publicise the celebration, the HKTB has included the programme information on its web site www.DiscoverHongKong.com. The Board has also published 400,000 copies of a special leaflet, which provides full details of the events and special dining offers for distribution to visitors. Two artists, dressed up as Chang O, will distribute the leaflets and paper wishing lanterns to visitors at Hong Kong International Airport (7-16 September) along with  Tourism Hosts. Over 80 hotels have also agreed to help distribute the leaflets and paper wishing lanterns to visitors. In addition, the Board will arrange advertising in magazines and Announcement of Public Interest to be broadcast on the radio.

Supported with extensive publicity by the HKTB worldwide offices, travel agencies in Taiwan, Mainland China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia have introduced special Mid-Autumn packages to attract visitors. To create further publicity and coverage of the spectacular celebration overseas, the Board will be bringing in media guests from 10 countries, namely Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, India, Taiwan, Mainland China, USA, France and  England. The Board will also arrange 130 global travel trade representatives from Japan, Australia, New Zealand and England to visit Hong Kong during this festive period so that they can share and promote their experiences among customers in their countries.

The focus of tonight's launch ceremony - "Lantern Wonderland" - is a true reflection of Hong Kong's living fusion of Eastern and Western cultures. The dome-shaped lantern combines Chinese art and contemporary design  concepts as well as modern architectural know-how. The award-winning design by William Lim was chosen from entries in a competition organised by  the HKTB and Hong Kong Designers Association. An application has already been filed with Guinness World Records for recognising "Lantern Wonderland" as the world's largest lantern.

Besides the impressive external appearance of the "Lantern Wonderland", visitors and residents will be enthralled by the festive decorations and displays inside, which include a giant lantern featuring a 360-degree multimedia show. In the middle of the Wonderland is a "Wishing Well" - another vivid example of the fusion of Western and Chinese traditions. All receipts collected at the well will be donated to Po Leung Kuk. Tonight the officiating guests took the lead and wished for a prosperous future for Hong Kong's tourism industry.

From now until at least the first quarter of 2004, the HKTB will stage a series of mega-events to sustain the tourism revival and strengthen Hong Kong's standing as one of the main Events Capitals of Asia. Following the Mid-Autumn Lantern Celebration will be the Hong Kong International Musical Fireworks Competition in October, Hong Kong WinterFest from November to early January and the International Chinese New Year Night Parade early next year. Another major programme is the pre-launch of Avenue of Stars in March 2004  to cater for visitors' interest in Hong Kong movies.