Honolulu-Hong Kong Festival Launches, Celebrating Culture and Community with Month-Long Events in Hawaii

Honolulu-Hong Kong Festival fosters cultural exchanges in Hawaii

The inaugural Honolulu-Hong Kong Festival kicked off in Hawaii on January 31 (Honolulu time) with immense success, bridging cultures and enriching communities across "the Aloha State" through a vibrant celebration of Hong Kong's culture and heritage.

The month-long festival, running from January 31 to March 1, opened with the outdoor street fair "Temple Street Night Market". The street fair, held at the historic Fort Street Mall, Honolulu's first retail centre, was inspired by Hong Kong's Temple Street Night Market. Modelling on its famous namesake, it featured authentic experiences from Temple Street. Over 2 500 spectators enjoyed on-stage festivities including a milk tea demonstration, a Cantopop singing performance and a Wing Chun kung fu demonstration, while also lining up for Cha Chaan Teng delicacies, mahjong tutorials, and feng shui fortune-telling.

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in San Francisco (HKETO San Francisco) hosted a booth at the night market showcasing some of Hong Kong's intangible cultural heritage items, including Cantonese opera, a lion dance, and techniques for making a cheongsam, Hong Kong-style milk tea, and egg tarts. Visitors learned about the history and culture of these traditions through fact sheets while playing a game to collect thematic souvenirs.

Apart from cultural heritage, diverse aspects of Hong Kong, from picturesque hiking trails to the Kai Tak Sports Park, and from local flavours to home-grown Olympic medalists, were also presented via photographs and information displays.

A series of events will follow, including Hong Kong traditional lifestyle tours in the city's Chinatown, a "Hong Kong At Your Doorstep", promotion activity featuring eateries and restaurants offering Hong Kong-style street food, and an industry-focused "Hong Kong-Greater Bay Area Export Day and Trade Fair". The festival will conclude with a spring gala marking the 30th anniversary of the Hong Kong Business Association of Hawaii (HKBAH).

Supported by the City and County of Honolulu, the festival is organised by the HKBAH, with HKETO San Francisco as title sponsor, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council as gold sponsor, and the Honolulu Mayor's Office of Culture and the Arts and the Hong Kong Tourism Board as festival partners.

The Honolulu-Hong Kong Festival in Hawaii, Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Honolulu-Hong Kong Festival in Hawaii, Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Honolulu-Hong Kong Festival in Hawaii, Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Honolulu-Hong Kong Festival in Hawaii, Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs detects two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $3.4 million

Hong Kong Customs detected two dangerous drugs cases in Hong Kong International Airport and Yau Ma Tei respectively on April 1 and yesterday (April 2), and seized a total of about 3.1 kilograms of suspected ketamine, about 1.7 kilograms of suspected cocaine and about 1.7 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine with a total estimated market value of about $3.4 million. Two persons suspected to be connected with the cases were arrested.

In the first case, a 43-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Bangkok, Thailand on April 1. During customs clearance, Customs officers found about 3.1 kilograms of suspected ketamine concealed inside food packaging in his baggage. The man was subsequently arrested.

In the second case, during an anti-narcotics operation conducted in Yau Ma Tei on April 2, Customs officers intercepted a 41-year-old man and later escorted him to a hotel room nearby for a search and seized about 1.7 kilograms of suspected cocaine, about 1.7 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine, a drug inhaling apparatus and a batch of drug packaging paraphernalia. The man was subsequently arrested.

The arrested persons have been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug respectively and will appear at the Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (April 4).

Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not to participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people, nor to release their personal data or home address to others for receiving parcels or goods.

Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.

Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Hong Kong Customs detects two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $3.4 million Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs detects two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $3.4 million Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs detects two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $3.4 million Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases