July 1st in Hong Kong is a public holiday that commemorates the Anniversary of the Establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or the handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to Mainland China in 1997.
The scope and extent of the celebrations have varied over the years including parades, flag-raising ceremonies, cultural performances, sports matches, and in some instances, fantastic fireworks displays!
Many events and activities are organised by state offices as well as many community groups to conmemorate the return of Hong Kong to the motherland and they take place throughout the territory.
District Carnivals and Festivals to Commemorate the Anniversary of the HK SAR
Events and celebrations are organised by the various District councils and scattered throughout the months. Events range from sketching and painting activities, football matches, dancing competitions, cultural nights, dragon and lion parades, marching bands, concerts and art exhibitions, tai chi and martial arts, carnivals and fairs.
In addition, enjoy free public transportation on July 1st as follows:
- Free Tram rides for all
- Children 3 to 11 ride the MTR for free.
- Free service on Light Rail and MTR Bus running in the Northwest New Territories
- Free Star Ferry rides on the Tsim Sha Tsui - Wan Chai route
- Sun Ferry and Fortune Ferry offering free vouchers for rides
Projects and events for the celebrations get underway early on as Hong Kong gears up for the occasion and gets ready to beautify all public spaces. Lavish decorations will adorn the city, from walkways and promenades, parks and many points of interest, there will be flower galore, light ups and lantern displays.
In the art and cultural scene, the celebrations include a series of exhibitions, concerts and cultural shows. There are variety shows, cultural performances, cantonese opera, etc. at Community Halls and Centres, plus FREE admission to M+ on July 1st, as well as all thematic exhibitions of the Hong Kong Palace Museum in the West Kowloon Cultural District
Top highlight sports events include dragon boat racing, martial arts shows, Dragon and Lion dances, soccer and tennis competitions and more. In addition all LCSD sport and leisure facilities that normally charge an entrance fee will be open for free use on July 1st.
There will be plenty of activities throughout the year for kids including all sorts of drawing, calligraphy, poetry, dancing competitions and the like as well as the many carnivals and fun days staged by all the local districts.
Flag Raising Ceremony and Flypast
This is pageantry at its best featuring Hong Kong's Guards of Honor, Police and Military marching bands, and a Grand Flypast as both the Chinese and Hong Kong flags are raised to full mast at Golden Bauhinia Square, the site of the original handover ceremony in 1997.
The event is quite short and as expected, fully-attended by government officials and dignitaries.
When?: July 1st at 8:00 a.m.
Where?: Golden Bauhinia Square
The Transport Department anticipates that traffic in the vicinity will become significantly congested. There will be road closures as well as suspension of the bus stops on Expo Drive East near Convention Avenue.
Check the Hong Kong Tourism Board for latest info on this year's celebrations and in particular in the event fireworks are anounced!
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