Hong Kong ICH Month Returns with Expanded Tours and Free Cultural Activities for All

Registration for public tours of LCSD's "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: ICH Highlight Tours" starts on May 15

The Intangible Cultural Heritage Office (ICHO) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will organise the second edition of the Hong Kong ICH Month, continuing its theme with "ICH Around Town", presenting a series of rich and diverse activities. The highlight programme, "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: ICH Highlight Tours", brings the public and tourists to eight handpicked districts to explore the ICH items, in which ICH practitioners will share their skills and stories. Registration will open on May 15 and 16. Participation is free of charge.

Highly acclaimed last year, the tours will expand to a total of 40 field trips this year, extending the coverage to eight districts. Apart from the two popular routes from last year in Islands District and Yau Tsim Mong District, seven new routes across six new districts will also be introduced, including Wan Chai (two routes), Kowloon City, Kwai Tsing, North, Sai Kung and Sham Shui Po Districts, offering a total of nine different ICH-themed routes. Each route has two public tours and accommodates 20 participants, and is conducted in Cantonese.

The dates and relevant ICH items of the public tours are as follows:

Date

District

ICH Items

June 3

Wan Chai District (Happy Valley)

Traditional Architecture Preservation Technique, Diwali (Festival of Lights), Holi (Festival of Colours), etc

June 6

Sham Shui Po District

The Arts of the Guqin (the Craft of Qin Making), Puppetry and Paper Crafting Technique, etc

June 7

Kowloon City District

Chiu Chow Food Making Technique, the Art of Chiu Chow Kung Fu Tea, Chiu Chow Sugar Loaf Making Technique, etc

June 13

Kwai Tsing District

Hong Kong-style Milk Tea Making Technique, Wood Carving Technique, Neon Tube Making and Styling Technique, etc

June 14

North District

Jiao Festival of Sheung Shui Heung, Rice Cookie Making Technique, Sweet Potato Cake Making Technique, etc.

June 19

Islands District

Tai O Dragon Boat Water Parade, salted Fish Making Technique, Shrimp Paste Blocks and Shrimp Paste Making Technique, etc

June 21

Wan Chai District (Tai Hang)

Mid-Autumn Festival - the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance, Kwun Yum (Goddess of Mercy) Treasury Opening Festival, Patterned Band Weaving Technique, etc

June 27

Yau Tsim Mong District

Steamer Making Technique, Wood Carving Technique, Wood Carving Technique, Mahjong Tile Making Technique, etc

June 28

Sai Kung District

Hakka Unicorn Dance in Hang Hau in Sai Kung, Cha Kwo (Steamed Sticky Rice Dumpling) Making Technique, Rice Dumpling with Lye Making Technique, etc

Members of the public can register through the ICHO's website (www.icho.hk/en/web/icho/hk_ich_month_2026_tours.html), from 10.30am on May 15 to 6.30pm on May 16. Each applicant can only register a maximum of two persons for the same tour. In case of excess applications, all quotas will be allocated by open ballot at Orientation Room 1, Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage Centre at 2.30pm on May 20. Successful applicants will receive a confirmation email by May 26.

In addition, the ICHO collaborates with the Hong Kong Tourism Board to organise "ICH Highlight Tours" in Sham Shui Po District and Wan Chai District (Happy Valley) for tourists. Special "ICH Highlight Tours" in Kowloon City District and Sham Shui Po District will also be arranged for students to take them out of the classrooms to learn firsthand about the subject ICH items and communicate with practitioners. Details will be announced in due course.

To allow more members of the public and tourists to feel the cultural richness of ICH and the pleasure it brings, reference maps and videos produced by the ICHO will be uploaded to its website for the reference of members of the public and tourists while exploring relevant ICH items and locations.

The Hong Kong ICH Month 2026 is presented by the LCSD and organised by the ICHO, with the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust as the sole sponsor of "Hong Kong ICH Month 2026 The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series", and ICH June as a strategic partner. For details of the programmes, please visit the website www.icho.hk/en/web/icho/hk_ich_month_2026.html.

Registration for public tours of LCSD's "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: ICH Highlight Tours" starts on May 15 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Registration for public tours of LCSD's "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: ICH Highlight Tours" starts on May 15 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Registration for public tours of LCSD's "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: ICH Highlight Tours" starts on May 15 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Registration for public tours of LCSD's "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: ICH Highlight Tours" starts on May 15 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Registration for public tours of LCSD's "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: ICH Highlight Tours" starts on May 15 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Registration for public tours of LCSD's "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: ICH Highlight Tours" starts on May 15 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Registration for public tours of LCSD's "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: ICH Highlight Tours" starts on May 15 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Registration for public tours of LCSD's "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: ICH Highlight Tours" starts on May 15 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Registration for public tours of LCSD's "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: ICH Highlight Tours" starts on May 15 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Registration for public tours of LCSD's "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: ICH Highlight Tours" starts on May 15 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Registration for public tours of LCSD's "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: ICH Highlight Tours" starts on May 15 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes

An incoming passenger was sentenced to four months' imprisonment and fined $1,000 by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (May 13) for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).

Customs officers intercepted an incoming male passenger, aged 32, at Hong Kong International Airport on March 19 and seized 21 400 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $96,300 and a duty potential of about $70,700, from his personal baggage. The passenger was subsequently arrested.

Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences.

Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, cigarettes are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette 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).

Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases