Members of Hong Kong’s newly formed District Council have proposed various measures to attract visitors to their districts, among them localised versions of the government’s “vibes” campaign, LED “neon” light installations, and a cat mural.
Kowloon City District Council on Thursday proposed holding a carnival that it dubbed “Kowloon City Thai Vibes with food and water-splashing.” The area, which is home to a number of Thai residents, already holds celebrations for Songkran, or Thai new year, during which people splash water to symbolise washing away bad fortune as the new year begins.
The festivities would include song and dance performances and Muay Thai competitions, according to the council.
Kowloon City South District Councillor Jacky Lee said at the meeting that the activities should not only attract locals, but also people from across Hong Kong, and tourists.
Rizwan Ullah, a secondary school vice-principal and a member of the Equal Opportunities Commission who was appointed to the council, said local schools should be included in the activities to improve students’ sense of belonging.
The council also proposed setting up LED “neon” light installations and photo spots in the district, including “3D paintings” of a plane taking off from the old Kai Tak Airport placed outside the Kai Tak MTR station and another at the Cattle Depot Artist Village.
Similar LED light installations were also proposed on Tuesday by the Yau Tsim Mong District Council, which was the first of the 18 local councils to hold a meeting after the new term took office the previous day.
The “Night Vibes Tsim Sha Tsui” campaign, which the council aimed to launch in early February, would comprise installations at Yau Ma Tei Community Centre Rest Garden, on Nathan Road, and around Park Lane Shopper’s Boulevard.
Street performances and activities such as a “luminous dragon dance” would also be held, designed to boost spending in the district.
The government launched its “Night Vibes Hong Kong” campaign last September in a bid to boost the economy amid weaker than expected economic growth following the lifting of all Covid-related restrictions.
Chairman of the Yau Tsim Mong council Edward Yu said councillors were planning to invite artists from overseas to place heart-shaped balloon installations in the district for Valentine’s Day and the Lantern Festival, part of Lunar New Year Festivities, to attract visitors.
None of the councillors at the meeting asked about the budget for the Tsim Sha Tsui campaign, according to Ming Pao.
Meanwhile, the Sha Tin council planned to place inflatable installations and lighting decorations by the Shing Mun River at an estimated cost of HK$800,000, while the Central and Western District Council said it planned to set up photo spots at three locations including the Sai Ying Pun Community Complex, at a cost of HK$750,000 to HK$800,000.
At the Central and Western District Council meeting, councillor Jeremy Young proposed putting up signs saying “Hello Hong Kong” and “I love HK” at The Peak to signal to people that the city had “returned to normalcy.”
The proposed cat mural came courtesy of Sai Kung District Council, with councillor Christine Fong telling an English-language RTHK show on Friday morning that residents could submit photos of their cats to be included in the outdoor painting. Participating in the exercise would help “foster [a] great sense of belonging to the community,” Fong said.
In Sham Shui Po, a “lightsabre” activity was proposed to enhance the district’s atmosphere as a hotspot for buying consumer tech goods.
Plans to overhaul the District Council elections were unveiled in May 2023 to ensure only “patriots” were elected, following a pro-democracy landslide at the last polls in 2019.
The number of seats chosen democratically by the public were slashed from 452 to 88 – reducing the power of public votes to a fifth. The rest are to be chosen by the city’s leader and government-appointed committees.
Constituency boundaries were redrawn, the opposition were shut out, voting hours were slashed by an hour, and each local council is to be chaired by a government official, similar to colonial-era arrangements. All candidates undergo national security vetting to ensure patriotism.
Support HKFP | Policies & Ethics | Error/typo? | Contact Us | Newsletter | Transparency & Annual Report | Apps
Help safeguard press freedom & keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team
LATEST FROM HKFP
HKFP has an impartial stance, transparent funding, and balanced coverage guided by an Ethics Code and Corrections Policy.
Support press freedom & help us surpass 1,000 monthly Patrons: 100% independent, governed by an ethics code & not-for-profit.
