Hong Kong Celebrates Year of the Horse with Festive Events in the UK, Strengthening Cultural and Economic Ties.

London ETO welcomes Year of Horse with vibrant celebrations in London

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London (London ETO) celebrated the Year of the Horse in the United Kingdom (UK) with a series of festive and promotional events, showcasing Hong Kong's dynamism and further strengthening ties between Hong Kong and the UK.

On February 26 (London time), the London ETO hosted an evening reception in London in collaboration with Invest Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Earlier, on February 22, the London ETO supported large-scale Chinese New Year celebrations organised by the London Chinatown Chinese Association at Trafalgar Square, Chinatown and Charing Cross Road, bringing the festive spirit to the heart of Central London.

Welcoming over 400 guests to the reception on February 26, the Director-General of the London ETO, Miss Fiona Chau, expressed appreciation for the long-standing economic and cultural links between Hong Kong and the UK. Guests included UK government officials, London borough mayors, senior diplomats, business leaders, academics, media representatives and members of the Chinese community.

In her remarks, Miss Chau outlined key measures in the 2026-27 Budget, newly announced by the Financial Secretary on February 25 in Hong Kong. These include increased resources for AI+ development, life and health technology, as well as measures to strengthen support for emerging industries and new industrialisation.

Miss Chau also highlighted the Northern Metropolis as an important driver of innovation and technology development, creating an innovation corridor linking Hong Kong with other cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. She emphasised that the development will open up new opportunities for collaboration with global partners, including the UK.

At the Chinese New Year celebrations on February 22, vibrant cultural and musical performances drew large crowds across Central London. Miss Chau joined distinguished guests including the Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice of London, Dr Debbie Weekes-Bernard; Member of Parliament for Cities of London and Westminster Ms Rachel Blake; and the Lord Mayor of Westminster, Mr Paul Dimoldenberg, in greeting members of the public from an open-top double-decker bus and on stage at Trafalgar Square.

Under the Economic and Trade Express platform, the London ETO, together with Invest Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, hosted six celebratory and promotional events in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and the UK to mark the Year of the Horse, showcasing Hong Kong's role as an international financial, trade and innovation centre.

London ETO welcomes Year of Horse with vibrant celebrations in London Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

London ETO welcomes Year of Horse with vibrant celebrations in London Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

London ETO welcomes Year of Horse with vibrant celebrations in London Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

London ETO welcomes Year of Horse with vibrant celebrations in London Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

London ETO welcomes Year of Horse with vibrant celebrations in London Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

London ETO welcomes Year of Horse with vibrant celebrations in London Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

London ETO welcomes Year of Horse with vibrant celebrations in London Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

London ETO welcomes Year of Horse with vibrant celebrations in London Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

London ETO welcomes Year of Horse with vibrant celebrations in London Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Leasing arrangements announced for public market stalls in March

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) announced today (February 27) that open auctions for a total of 597 stalls in 50 public markets will be held in March. Market stalls not taken at open auctions will be available to the public for renting at their upset prices on March 20 on a first-come, first-served basis.

(1) Open auctions

The types of stalls to be auctioned this time cover cooked food, frozen meat, fresh meat, fresh fish, frozen (chilled) poultry, fruits, vegetables, food-related dry goods and wet goods, non-food-related dry goods and wet goods, tradesman/service trades, siu mei and lo mei, newspaper, etc. The tenancy agreement is a three-year fixed term from April 1, 2026, with no right of renewal upon expiry of the tenancy agreement. The upset prices of the monthly rent of the stalls vary depending on the sizes, locations and vacancy periods of the individual stalls. The upset prices for the stalls in an open auction will be initially fixed at 80 per cent of the open market rent (OMR) if the stalls have been vacant for over six months, and at 60 per cent of the OMR if the vacant period has been over eight months. Relevant information is available on the FEHD website.

The date of the auctions and the number of stalls are as follows:

New Territories (1)

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Auction date: March 6 (Friday) (am)

Number of stalls: 77

New Territories (2)

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Auction date: March 6 (Friday) (pm)

Number of stalls: 78

Hong Kong Island and Islands District (except Aberdeen Market) (1)

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Auction date: March 9 (Monday) (pm)

Number of stalls: 131

Hong Kong Island and Islands District (except Aberdeen Market) (2)

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Auction date: March 10 (Tuesday) (am)

Number of stalls: 76

Aberdeen Market

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Auction date: March 10 (Tuesday) (pm)

Number of stalls: 14

Kowloon (1)

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Auction date: March 11 (Wednesday) (am)

Number of stalls: 99

Kowloon (2)

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Auction date: March 11 (Wednesday) (pm)

Number of stalls: 67

Kowloon (3)

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Auction date: March 12 (Thursday) (am)

Number of stalls: 55

The open auctions will be held at Room 410, 4/F, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Nam Cheong Offices and Vehicle Depot, 87 Yen Chow Street West, Kowloon. Limited seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The admission tickets will be issued 30 minutes prior to the commencement of each auction. Persons who want to attend the auctions must wait at the waiting area of the auction venue and produce their Hong Kong identity card or passport for registration. The registered person will then be provided with an admission ticket for the auctions. In addition, eligible bidders after verification will be issued with a bidding paddle for the auction. The FEHD has also invited representatives of the Police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption to monitor the auctions at the auction venue in order to ensure that the open auctions are conducted in an orderly and fair manner.

(2) Renting at upset prices on first-come, first-served basis

The tenancy agreement for market stalls renting on a first-come, first-served basis is a three-year fixed term from May 1, 2026; while the tenancy agreement for the market stalls at Stanley Waterfront Mart is a three-month fixed term from April 1, 2026, with no right of renewal upon expiry of the tenancy agreement. The upset prices of the monthly rent of the stalls vary depending on their sizes, locations, vacancy periods and the reduced upset prices from the last open auction of the individual stalls.

In addition, the FEHD Sunlight Market will be available to the public for renting on a first-come, first-served basis. The licence agreement for market stalls in the Sunlight Market is a two-year fixed term starting from May 1, 2026, with no right of renewal upon expiry of the licence agreement. The licence fee of the stalls varies depending on their sizes.

Members of the public who are interested in renting a market stall at its upset price should approach the following FEHD offices, as appropriate, to apply in person from 9.30am to 12.30pm or 2.30pm to 4.30pm on March 20 (Friday):

Districts in which the market stalls are located

Venues for selection of market stalls

Hong Kong Island and Islands District

Hawkers and Markets Section (Hong Kong and Islands) Office, 8/F, Lockhart Road Municipal Services Building, 225 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Kowloon

Hawkers and Markets Section (Kowloon) Office, Room 301-302, 3/F, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Nam Cheong Offices and Vehicle Depot, 87 Yen Chow Street West, Kowloon

Kwai Tsing District

Kwai Tsing District Environmental Hygiene Office, 9/F, Kwai Hing Government Offices, 166-174 Hing Fong Road, Kwai Chung, New Territories

North District

North District Environmental Hygiene Office, 4/F, Shek Wu Hui Municipal Services Building, 13 Chi Cheong Road, Sheung Shui, New Territories

Sai Kung District

Sai Kung District Environmental Hygiene Office, 7/F, Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex, 38 Pui Shing Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories

Sha Tin District

Sha Tin District Environmental Hygiene Office, Units 1201-1207 and 1220-1221, 12/F, Tower 1, Grand Central Plaza, 138 Sha Tin Rural Committee Road, Sha Tin, New Territories

Tai Po District

Tai Po District Environmental Hygiene Office, 3/F, Tai Po Complex, 8 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po, New Territories

Tsuen Wan District

Tsuen Wan District Environmental Hygiene Office, 3/F, Yeung Uk Road Municipal Services Building, 45 Yeung Uk Road, Tsuen Wan, New Territories

Tuen Mun District

Tuen Mun District Environmental Hygiene Office, 1/F, Tuen Mun Government Offices Building, 1 Tuen Hi Road, Tuen Mun, New Territories

Yuen Long District

Yuen Long District Environmental Hygiene Office, 2/F, Yuen Long Government Offices, 2 Kiu Lok Square, Yuen Long, New Territories

Relevant information on renting at upset prices on a first-come, first-served basis will be available on the FEHD website after the open auction.

A spokesman for the FEHD said, "Bidders or applicants for the market stalls must be at least 18 years old and ordinarily reside in Hong Kong. To allow more people to bid for or select the stalls and increase customer choices by enhancing the diversity in terms of the variety of stalls, there will be a restriction on the number of stalls to be rented in the same market by a single tenant. Any person who is currently a stall tenant is not allowed to bid in the first round of auction for any stall in the same market, and will only be allowed to bid for one stall in the second round of auction or to select one stall in the same market on a first-come, first-served basis (except Stanley Waterfront Mart). The existing tenants under the new three-year fixed-term tenancy scheme (i.e. those persons who became stall tenants through the market open auctions after August 2022) are allowed to bid for a stall in the auction or select a stall on a first-come, first-served basis in the same market, but shall vacate the current sall and return it to the FEHD before the effective date of commencement of the new tenancy agreement."

Details of the open auctions and the public market stalls concerned (including stalls for open auction at reduced upset prices) have been uploaded to the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pleasant_environment/tidy_market/open_auction_coming.html). Details on renting public market stalls on a first-come, first-served basis will be uploaded to the FEHD website after open auctions (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pleasant_environment/tidy_market/FCFS/index.html). Interested bidders or applicants may visit the department website or contact the respective District Environmental Hygiene Office.