15th National Games Torch Relay Set for November 2 in Hong Kong, Macao, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen

15th National Games torch relay to be held on November 2 (with photos/video)

To welcome the official opening of the 15th National Games (NG) on November 9, the 15th NG torch relay will be held simultaneously in four cities, namely Hong Kong, Macao, Guangzhou and Shenzhen on November 2. There will be a total of 200 torchbearers, with 50 torchbearers in each city. The torch relay launching ceremony will be held at 9am that day in Shenzhen, followed by starting ceremonies in Hong Kong, Macao and Guangzhou at 9.30am, where torch relay will start simultaneously. Representatives of the four cities will return the flame to Guangzhou after the torch relay. A flame-gathering ceremony will be held at around 5pm in the Guangdong Olympic Sports Center, bridging the torch relay at the venue and the lighting of the main torch at the 15th NG opening ceremony.

The Head of the National Games Coordination Office (Hong Kong), Mr Yeung Tak-keung, together with representatives from the Hong Kong Police Force and the Transport Department, held an interdepartmental press conference today (October 27) to give briefing on the route of torch relay in Hong Kong and the relevant transportation arrangements.

Torch relay in Hong Kong will start at 9.30am on November 2. The total route length is approximately 10 kilometers, divided into five segments, with the running distance accounting for about 3.8 km. Starting from the Central Government Offices in Tamar,the Hong Kong route passes through the Central and Western District Promenade (Central Section), the Wan Chai Temporary Promenade, the Monument in Commemoration of Return of Hong Kong to China and Golden Bauhinia Square. For the second section, torchbearers will cross the Victoria Harbour by Star Ferry and take part along the Tsim Sha Tsui route. They will start from Star Ferry Bus Terminus in Tsim Sha Tsui in Salisbury Road to Mody Lane, passing by the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Hong Kong Museum of Art. Torchbearers of the fourth section will take an open-top bus to the bus terminal at the Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP). After entering KTSP, the torchbearers of the fifth section will pass by the Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground and the Kai Tak Sports Avenue before arriving at the Kai Tak Sports Park Central Square. The last torchbearer will then light the cauldron and the closing ceremony will take place.

To facilitate the holding of the torch relay, road sections of the Central and Western District Promenade (Central Section), Golden Bauhinia Square and Wan Chai Temporary Promenade will be temporarily closed during the event. Moreover, special traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented by the Police and Transport Department during the event.

Road traffic control measures

During the torch relay, road closures and special traffic arrangements will be implemented in the areas of Wan Chai North, the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, and around the Kai Tak Sports Park. All affected roads will be reopened in due course after the torch relay has passed through.The affected areas include:

(1) Wan Chai North

- Section of Expo Drive East outside Golden Bauhinia Square will be closed from 8am.

- Expo Drive, the slip road leading from Central - Wan Chai Bypass Tunnel eastbound to Expo Drive, and Expo Drive East will be closed from 9am.

- Roads near Lung Wo Road and Hung Hing Road will be intermittently closed.

(2) Area around Tsim Sha Tsui Waterfront

- Salisbury Road, Canton Road, Kowloon Park Drive, Hankow Road, Nathan Road, Middle Road, Chatham Road South, Hong Wan Path, Mody Lane, and Hung Hom Bypass etc, will be closed from 8.30am.

- Hong Chong Road, Chatham Road North, and the East Kowloon Corridor will be intermittently closed.

(3) Area around Kai Tak Sports Park

- The pick-up/drop-off area next to the Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground on Sung Wong Toi Road will be closed from 8am.

- East Kowloon Corridor, Kowloon City Road, and Sung Wong Toi Road will be intermittently closed.

Restricted Flying Zone

The Police will set up a temporary restricted flying zone (RFZ), extending two kilometres outwards from the route of the torch relay from 8.30am to 11.40am on November 2. No small unmanned aircraft, except those authorised, will be permitted to enter the zone. Details of the temporary RFZ will be shown on the electronic portal for small unmanned aircraft "eSUA".

Public transport arrangements

To facilitate the temporary road closures and traffic control measures to be implemented by the Police at Wan Chai North and Tsim Sha Tsui on the morning of the Hong Kong leg of the 15th National Games torch relay, 52 franchised bus routes and five green minibus (GMB) routes operating in the affected road sections in the vicinity of Expo Drive East in Wan Chai, Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry Pier Bus Terminus, Nathan Road and Salisbury Road will adjust their services starting from the first departure on that day. Among them, KMB Route No. 8P (Laguna Verde – Tsim Sha Tsui (Circular)) will be suspended. The remaining affected bus and GMB routes will require temporary diversion or suspension/relocation of relevant stops within the affected areas. Normal operations will resume gradually after roads reopen. Relevant public transport operators will issue notices to inform affected passengers of the service adjustment details.

According to the route of the torch relay, the torch will be passed to the Kai Tak Sports Park via ferry and an open-top bus, with temporary control measures along the route. Subject to the actual situation, there may be temporary service adjustment from around 9.45am to 10.30am in the Wan Chai – Tsim Sha Tsui ferry route. In addition, the overall traffic at Wan Chai North, West Kowloon and East Kowloon will be busier. The Transport Department urges members of the public and visitors travelling to the affected areas to plan their trips in advance and allow sufficient time for their journeys. They are advised to use railway services as far as possible and avoid driving to the affected road sections.

Mr Yeung said, the entire Hong Kong relay route is designed to highlight the unique cultural and sporting characteristics of the city. The torchbearers include representatives from various sectors, including sports, sponsors, volunteers, the youth, persons with disabilities and ethnic minorities. The detailed list of torchbearers will be announced in due course. Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao cohosted a press conference in Guangzhou this morning. Mr Yeung addressed in the press conference that the biggest highlight of the 15th NG torch relay is the collaborative progress of the three places and the relay among the four cities. The unique feature of the joint hosting of the 15th NG by the three places has been fully demonstrated, from the lighting of the "source flame" in Nansha, Guangzhou by the representatives of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau earlier this month to the simultaneous torch relay events in four locations on November 2.

15th National Games torch relay to be held on November 2 (with photos/video) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

15th National Games torch relay to be held on November 2 (with photos/video) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Speech by CE at Fourth Edition of Women Power Forum

Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at the Fourth Edition of Women Power Forum today (April 1):

Ladies and gentlemen, I am very pleased to join you, today, for the fourth Women Power Forum, delighted to be here among so many esteemed female leaders and distinguished guests.

They say women hold up half the sky, and in today's Hong Kong, that is exactly what we see.

In the private sector, a growing number of listed companies now have a good number of female directors, and women's participation in corporate leadership continues to rise. In the professional world, more than half of our accountants and lawyers are women. And within the Government, eight out of 15 directors of bureaux, along with the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, are women. Forty-nine per cent of our civilian civil servants are also women.

In short, women are both the leaders and the backbone of our economy and our government. Hong Kong is clearly far better because of it, because of the women of Hong Kong. Very proud of you all.

Hong Kong's achievements stand as a powerful testament to our unwavering commitment to women's development and gender equality.

We champion these goals because we recognise a fundamental truth: that women's progress is not just a women's issue; it is a shared responsibility, one that benefits everyone. In Hong Kong and around the world.

That's why the theme of this year's Women Power Forum is "Women Across Nations: Unite to Prosper." Working together, we can continue to drive progress, locally, regionally and globally.

I wish you all a rewarding Forum and, for those of you here from outside Hong Kong, an enjoyable stay in the world's rising East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange. Thank you.

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, attended the Fourth Edition of Women Power Forum today (April 1). Photo shows State Councillor, Chairperson of the National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council and President of the All-China Women's Federation (AWF), Ms Shen Yiqin (front row, seventh right); Mr Lee (front row, eighth right); the Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group, Vice-President and First Member of the Secretariat of the AWF, and Vice-Chairperson of the National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council, Ms Huang Xiaowei (front row, sixth right); Deputy Secretary-General of the State Council and Member of the Party Group of the State Council, Mr Liu Yuhui (front row, ninth right); Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Mr Liu Guangyuan (front row, fifth right); Deputy Head of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR Mr Sun Qingye (front row, 10th right); Deputy Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the HKSAR Mr Li Yongsheng (front row, fourth right); the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak (front row, 12th right); the Chairperson of the Hong Kong Federation of Women, Ms Pansy Ho (front row, 11th right), and other guests at the event. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, attended the Fourth Edition of Women Power Forum today (April 1). Photo shows State Councillor, Chairperson of the National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council and President of the All-China Women's Federation (AWF), Ms Shen Yiqin (seventh right); Mr Lee (eighth right); the Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group, Vice-President and First Member of the Secretariat of the AWF, and Vice-Chairperson of the National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council, Ms Huang Xiaowei (sixth right); Deputy Secretary-General of the State Council and Member of the Party Group of the State Council, Mr Liu Yuhui (ninth right); Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Mr Liu Guangyuan (fifth right); Deputy Head of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR Mr Sun Qingye (10th right); Deputy Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the HKSAR Mr Li Yongsheng (fourth right); the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak (12th right); the Chairperson of the Hong Kong Federation of Women, Ms Pansy Ho (11th right), and other guests officiating at the event. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, speaks at the Fourth Edition of Women Power Forum today (April 1). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases