Hong Kong ICH Month 2026 Launches with Exciting Events Celebrating Cultural Heritage and Tourism.

2026-05-30 18:11 Last Updated At：18:28

Hong Kong ICH Month 2026 kicks off with a Carnival of exciting performances and interactive experiential booths

Organised by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Office (ICHO) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), the second edition of the Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Month opens today (May 30). From today to June 30, a series of activities will be held across Hong Kong giving the public and tourists a greater insight intoHong Kong's ICH, and enabling them to experience the cultural richness of ICH and the pleasure it brings. With the theme "ICH Around Town", the Hong Kong ICH Month aims to attain "shaping tourism with cultural activities and promoting culture through tourism".

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Hong Kong ICH Month 2026 kicks off with a Carnival of exciting performances and interactive experiential booths Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

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Hong Kong ICH Month 2026 kicks off with a Carnival of exciting performances and interactive experiential booths Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Addressing The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: "Hong Kong ICH Month 2026" opening ceremony, the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, said the Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan approved in March this year clearly sets out the need to foster a sound cultural ecosystem, enhance the safeguarding and passing-on of ICH, extend the reach and appeal of Chinese civilisation, and help Chinese culture reach a wider global audience. The ICHO has been making active efforts in safeguarding and passing on ICH. Since last year, it has organised the "Hong Kong ICH Month" every June, in response to the national designation of the second Saturday of June as "Cultural and Natural Heritage Day". The inaugural Hong Kong ICH Month last year attracted over 160 000 participants. This year's Hong Kong ICH Month will bring even more exciting and engaging events.

Other officiating guests included the Head of Charities (Culture & Sports Cluster; Community Engagement) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Ms Winnie Yip; member of the Working Group on Patriotic Education under the Constitution and Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee Ms Melissa Pang; the Chairperson of the ICH June and Legislative Council Member Professor Lau Chi-pang; the Chairperson of the ICH Advisory Committee, Professor Ricardo Mak; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Manda Chan;and the Head of the ICHO, Ms Judith Ng.

Kicking off the Hong Kong ICH Month 2026, the ICH Carnival will be held at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza today and tomorrow (May 30 to 31) with thetheme "Unlock ICH · Boundless Inheritance". The Carnival offers diverse activities including the Tai Hang LED little fire dragon parade, traditional Hoi Luk Fung unicorn dance parade and Pok Fu Lam Village Mid-Autumn Festival fire dragon dance, as well as performances including the Pixiu dance, female lion dance, Nanyin, Cantonese opera, Hakka unicorn dance of Hang Hau in Sai Kung, puppetry, and more.

There are also activity booths where ICH organisations and practitioners will make demonstrative performances. Members of the public and tourists are welcome to participate in the activities for free to personally experience ICH of Hong Kong, including the patterned band weaving technique, lion dance, handmade birdcage, and traditional architecture preservation technique - mortise and tenon. They may also make galvanised iron keychains and try on Cantonese opera costumes. The ICH Mobile Centre "Mobile ICH"is ready to provide participants with more details about Hong Kong's ICH items. Photo-worthy spots are available at the Wing Chun Fist and fire dragon dance booths. For the first time, the carnival will present a creative market of ICH-related products. For details of the programmes, please visit the website:www.icho.hk/en/web/icho/2026_hkich_month_opening_ceremony_cum_ich_carnival.html.

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 the ICH June as a strategic partner.

TACO Targets Illegal Cigar Smoking with Surprise Inspections in Kwun Tong, Issues Three Penalty Notices.

DH clamps down on illegal cigar smoking in no-smoking areas

The Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office (TACO) of the Department of Health (DH) carried out surprise inspections in Kwun Tong today (May 30) and issued a total of threefixed penalty notices (FPNs) in an effort to clamp down on illegal cigar smoking in no-smoking areas.

During the operation codenamed "Smokeshield", officers from TACO (including plainclothes officers) carried out inspections and enforcement action at one cigar retail shop in Kwun Tong, and issued a total of three FPNs to persons smoking cigars illegally at the premises. TACO's investigation is ongoing, and prosecution may also be taken against operators of the cigar retail shop who are suspected of aiding and abetting smoking offences.

Under the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Ordinance), smoking in a statutory no-smoking area (including indoor areas of shops) is prohibited. Any person who smokes in a statutory no-smoking areas is liable to a fixed penalty of $3,000. Venue managers of statutory no-smoking areas are empowered by the Ordinance to request a smoking offender to cease the act. If the offender is not co-operative, the manager of the no-smoking area may contact the Police for assistance.

Moreover, where smoking products (including cigars) are sold, whether in cigar retail shops or otherwise, the restrictions on the promotion and sale of smoking products stipulated in the Ordinance apply. Offenders are liable on summary conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000.

In addition, under the Criminal Procedure Ordinance, any person who aids, abets, counsels or procures the commission by another person of any offence shall be guilty of the same offence.

"From January 2025 to date, the DH has conducted over 42 inspections of cigar shops regarding illegal smoking activities, and issued a total of eight FPNs for illegal smoking in these premises. The DH will continue to closely monitor and rigorously enforce the law against smoking in no-smoking areas, as well as the illegal sale and promotion of smoking products," said the Head of TACO, Dr Manny Lam.

He cautioned that cigar smoking is just as harmful to health as other smoking products, and urged smokers to quit as early as possible for their own health and that of their family and friends. In support of the World Health Organization's World No Tobacco Day on May 31 each year, the DH is launching the 'Quit in June' campaign. Free one-week smoking cessation drug trial packs are being distributed at over 300 community pharmacies, smoking cessation clinics, District Health Centres (DHCs)/DHC Expresses and DH clinics, while free Chinese medicine ear points patches are available at over 200 designated Chinese medicine clinics to help alleviate withdrawal symptoms. The DH has collaborated with the School of Nursing of the University of Hong Kong to launch a pilot AI-assisted smoking cessation counselling service - "Chat to Quit" this year. The AI provides accurate and appropriate smoking cessation information instantly, and offers personalised smoking cessation counselling according to users' smoking history and quitting preferences. It can also provide emotional support.

The DH also operates an integrated Smoking Cessation Hotline (1833 183) to answer enquiries about smoking cessation, and provide professional counselling and referral services. Members of the public can visit the smoking cessation thematic website (www.livetobaccofree.hk) for more information on smoking cessation and related support tools and services. They can also download the "Quit Smoking App" to keep track of their quitting progress and obtain tips on fighting cravings to maintain a tobacco-free life.

Hong Kong and Macao Yachts Get Temporary Registration Exemption for Greater Bay Area Travel.

19 Community Halls Open as Temporary Heat Shelters Amid Very Hot Weather Warning

EDB and SCOLAR Organise Student Language Ambassador Programme: Self-Directed Language Learning Fair, Promoting Students’ Language Capacities in Hong Kong

Hong Kong ICH Month 2026 Launches with Exciting Events Celebrating Cultural Heritage and Tourism.

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