Countryside Harvest Festival 2026 Celebrates Ecology and Culture with Music in Hong Kong's Lai Chi Wo

Countryside Harvest Festival 2026: "Hong Kong Soundscape - Opera & Dance" One-day Music Festival held today

The Countryside Conservation Office (CCO) under the Environment and Ecology Bureau held the Countryside Harvest Festival 2026: "Hong Kong Soundscape - Opera & Dance" One-day Music Festival today (March 1) at Lai Chi Wo, Sha Tau Kok, adjacent to Yan Chau Tong in Mirs Bay. The event, for the first time, combined countryside ecology, village culture and world-class performing arts, bringing participants a fresh rural tourism experience.

Last year's Countryside Harvest Festival, held for the first time in Kuk Po, drew enthusiastic participation from the public. This year, the CCO sustained the efforts and staged a music festival in Lai Chi Wo, one of the oldest Hakka walled villages in the Northeast New Territories. The festival is presented in collaboration with internationally renowned conductor and composer Tan Dun, along with leading local, Mainland and overseas musicians and dancers.

Last December, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment announced that Hong Kong's Mirs Bay was selected as a national "Outstanding Example of Beautiful Bays". Today's performance was not only available for viewing on-site but also broadcast live through multiple online platforms. Through music and art, local and worldwide audiences could together appreciate the beautiful scenery of Hong Kong's northeastern waters and experience diverse cultures and the beauty of nature.

Since its establishment in 2018, the CCO has been committed to promoting the conservation and revitalisation of remote villages in the New Territories through various means. In addition to organising festive events, the CCO also carries out work on nature conservation, restoration of historic buildings, and cultural revitalisation, improving the rural environment and supporting countryside recreational facilities. Last year, the CCO also announced simplified guides to licence applications to assist organisations in applying for guesthouses or food business licenses in remote countryside areas.

The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, delivered a speech at the event. Other officiating guests included Legislative Council (LegCo) Member Mr Perry Yiu; LegCo Member Ms Vivian Kong, LegCo Member and Advisory Committee on Countryside Conservation member, Ms Julia Lau; the District Officer (North), Ms Winkie Chick; and the Chairman of Sha Tau Kok District Rural Committee, Mr Lee Koon-hung.

In addition to on-site viewing, the event was also broadcast live via multiple online platforms, including Brand Hong Kong, CCTV HK PLUS, Hong Kong Arts Festival, Phoenix TV, and Radio Television Hong Kong. Members of the public can visit the CCO webpage (cco.gov.hk) to review highlights of the event.

Countryside Harvest Festival 2026: "Hong Kong Soundscape - Opera & Dance" One-day Music Festival held today Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Countryside Harvest Festival 2026: "Hong Kong Soundscape - Opera & Dance" One-day Music Festival held today Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Countryside Harvest Festival 2026: "Hong Kong Soundscape - Opera & Dance" One-day Music Festival held today Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Countryside Harvest Festival 2026: "Hong Kong Soundscape - Opera & Dance" One-day Music Festival held today Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme invites new round of applications

The Main Programme under the Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme (PASS) is inviting a new round of applications for project proposals starting today (March 1) from non-profit-distributing organisations such as professional bodies, trade and industrial organisations and research institutes.

PASS, with a total allocation of $200million, aims at funding non-profit-making industry-led projects to increase exchanges and co-operation between Hong Kong's professional services and external counterparts, promote relevant publicity activities, and enhance the standards and external competitiveness of Hong Kong's professional services.

The maximum grant for each approved project under the Main Programme of PASS is $3million or 90per cent of the approved project cost, whichever is lower. A wide range of professional services, such as accounting, legal and dispute resolution, architecture, engineering, healthcare, information and communications technology, design and technical testing and analysis, are eligible for the Main Programme. Sector-specific projects and cross-sectoral projects are both welcome. Expenses directly incurred for implementing a project, such as manpower costs, venue and set-up costs, production and promotion costs, and the project team and active participants' travel and accommodation costs outside Hong Kong, are typically eligible for funding support under the Scheme. Funding support may also be provided for travel and accommodation costs incurred by participants of relatively longer professional internships or attachment programmes outside Hong Kong which are funded by the Main Programme.

Up to early February2026, around 130projects had been funded under the Main Programme, including project deliverables in and outside Hong Kong. The deliverables include capacity-building programmes for enhancing the standards of local professionals, such as training programmes, workshops and study tours; outreach and promotional activities for showcasing the strengths of Hong Kong's professional services, such as roadshows, promotional seminars and participation in exhibitions outside Hong Kong; exchange activities for deepening interaction between Hong Kong professionals and their external counterparts, such as visits to other economies and international conferences and seminars held in Hong Kong; and research projects on potential external markets for Hong Kong professional services and development of best practice guidelines and manuals for professionals. Details about the Main Programme and its funded projects are available at www.pass.gov.hk/main/en/home.

Furthermore, with a view to stepping up the promotion of Hong Kong's competitive edges and professional services to the Mainland and overseas markets, $50million has been set aside for the Professionals Participation Subsidy Programme (PSP) under PASS to subsidise Hong Kong major professional bodies to participate in relevant activities organised by the Government (such as Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council after the pandemic situation has stabilised. Details of the PSP and its list of activities are available at www.pass.gov.hk/psp. Hong Kong professionals from the eligible professional sectors under PASS may make use of the PSP subsidy to join the relevant activities.

The Main Programme and the PSP receive applications for project and activity proposals all year round, and they are processed on a quarterly basis. The deadline for the new round of applications is May 31,2026. A briefing session will be held this month for organisations interested in applying for the PASS funding. One-on-one consultations are also available upon request for discussing preliminary project ideas or projects in the planning stage. To register for the briefing session, schedule a consultation, or for other enquiries, please contact the PASS Secretariat at 36555418 or pass@cedb.gov.hk.

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