The Kam Tin Ten-Yearly Thanksgiving Festival will be held for seven days in Kam Tin from December 13. According to the introduction information provided by the organizer, the Kam Tin Rural Committee, the Kam Tin Ten-Yearly Thanksgiving Festival can date back to 1685, which is one of the oldest Taiping Qingjiao ceremonies in Hong Kong.
Photo source: FB of Leisure Photography
The Kam Tin Jiao Site, built with large bamboo scaffolds in front of the Chou Wong Yi Kung Study Hall in the Shui Tau Village, will display a large number of historically significant artifacts, such as the Agreement for Dajiao in 1925, to witness the important moments of community participation back in the day.
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Photo source: FB of Leisure Photography
Photo source: FB of Ho Yin Tang
Photo source: FB of Joyce Chan
Photo souce: FB of Joyce Chan
Photo source: FB of Ho Yin Tang
The Jiao Site will also provide an introduction to the Dajiao rituals and related intangible cultural heritage projects, including the construction techniques of the scaffolding stage, the artistry of paper crafting and flower board crafting, Taoist ritual music, the skills of making Cheongsam, lion dancing, Poon Choi, hand puppet Cantonese Opera, and Cantonese Opera for deities, to the visitors. Moreover, large-scale illustrations will be displayed, with Cheongsam and characteristic aprons provided to the public at the Jiao Site to let them take photos and enjoy the charm of the special festival.
Photo source: FB of Joyce Chan
The festival will be held from December 13 to 19, with a daily opening from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and free on-site participation. The Kam Tin Ten-Yearly Thanksgiving Festival in 2025 is the 34th festival hitherto, sponsored by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Funding Scheme in Hong Kong.
Photo souce: FB of Joyce Chan
FEHD steps up enforcement actions against fresh provision shops with unsatisfactory hygiene conditions and serious rodent infestations
Regarding earlier incidents of which fresh provision shops (FPSs) flouted regulations, mishandled pig carcasses, and caused serious rodent infestations that threatened public health, a spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said today (March 10) that the department has been placing great importance to food safety and environmental hygiene, and has earlier conducted blitz operations across districts to clamp down on violating FPSs.
The FEHD has continued to carry out special operations across all districts between late February and early March, inspecting more than 200 licensed FPSs when pig carcasses were transported by meat delivery vehicles during early morning hours, and is taking stringent enforcement actions against irregularities that increase the risk of rodent infestation, with a view to safeguarding food safety and public health. During the special operations, the FEHD staff issued 47 verbal warnings/advisories and initiated 21 prosecutions against the FPSs concerned.
During special operations on March 4 in Yuen Long District, law enforcement officers discovered that a licensed FPS, named Kai Bo Food Supermarket, breached the licensing conditions for keeping pig carcases outside the premises. The FEHD is proceeding with the cancellation of the FPS's licence.
As well, the FEHD earlier issued an immediate closure order on January 24 under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance requiring an FPS, located at G/F, 48-50 Lok Shan Road, Kowloon City District, to immediately cease operation and carry out a thorough cleaning towards preventing rodent infestation. It will only be allowed to reopen once the FEHD is satisfied with its hygiene condition. The FPS has repeatedly requested the lifting of the closure order, but as its rodent control measures have remained unsatisfactory. The requests were rejected by the FEHD, and the closure order remains in effect.
The spokesman said that the FEHD will continue to inspect FPSs regularly. To further combat the poor hygiene or serious rodent problems of shops, the department will continue to step up late-night blitz operations across districts. If FPSs are found to be mishandling pig carcasses in ways that lead to rodent infestation, the FEHD will issue immediate closure orders or cancel their licences to protect public health.
Under the relevant regulation, every person engaged in any food business, including FPSs, shall not knowingly suffer or permit in any food premises, the presence of rats, mice or insects; and shall adopt appropriate measures to protect the food from risk of contamination or deterioration. Operators must at all times keep every part of food premises clean, properly maintained, and in good condition. Offenders are liable to prosecution and a maximum fine of $10,000 and imprisonment for three months. All meat delivered to licensed FPSs must be directly delivered into the licensed premises, and at no time be left or kept outside the premises pending further handling or sale; otherwise, it constitutes a breach of licensing conditions and may result in immediate licence cancellation. Furthermore, if the condition of a premises poses an imminent health risk, the FEHD has the authority to issue closure orders and immediately close the premises.
Source: AI-found images
