SHYA Represents Hong Kong to Attend Public Fuxi Commemoration Ceremony 2026 in Gansu Province

SHYA attends Public Fuxi Commemoration Ceremony 2026 in Gansu Province

The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, today (June 21) attended the Public Fuxi Commemoration Ceremony 2026 in Tianshui City in Gansu Province on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.

Fuxi is a representative figure of the cultural ancestor of the Chinese nation, and the Public Fuxi Commemoration Ceremony is of great significance to Chinese national identity. The Taihao Fuxi Commemoration Ceremony was inscribed in the first batch of the national list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2006. To promote Chinese traditional culture, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, and the Gansu Provincial People's Government jointly organised the Public Fuxi Commemoration Ceremony annually on the Summer Solstice in June. It is a long-standing and important festival retained by Gansu Province.

To complement this cultural event of the Public Fuxi Commemoration Ceremony, Tianshui City organised an exchange concert with the Hong Kong Gaudeamus Dunhuang Ensemble this year, to deepen regional cultural collaboration and expand the cultural dissemination landscape. Miss Mak expressed gratitude for the invitation to enjoy a wonderful performance by a group of talented young musicians from Hong Kong. She said she believes that the performance is of profound significance as it fosters exchange and mutual learning in history and culture, and celebrates the breadth and depth of traditional Chinese culture.

Miss Mak expressed her deepest appreciation for being invited to attend this meaningful event again, believing that participating in the ceremony would allow one to profoundly experience the significance of Chinese people sharing the same root and inheriting the common historical culture. Miss Mak said that Hong Kong youths were specially invited to join the delegation to participate in the ceremony, and she was delighted to see the strong Fuxi culture in Gansu and the younger generation inheriting thousands of years of Chinese civilisation and becoming the successors of Chinese culture. Miss Mak added that participation in the Public Fuxi Commemoration Ceremony enabled the younger generation of Hong Kong to experience the historical and cultural richness, as well as the rapid development of the nation, thereby enhancing their sense of identity and pride in Chinese culture.

During her visit to Tianshui City, Miss Mak met with the Executive Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Xu Qifang; the Secretary of the CPC Gansu Provincial Committee and Director of the Standing Committee of the Gansu Provincial People's Congress, Mr Hu Changsheng; and the Governor of Gansu Province, Mr Ren Zhenhe.

Miss Mak will conclude her visit to Gansu Province and proceed to Fujian Province this afternoon. She will return to Hong Kong on June 23.

The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, today (June 21) attended the Public Fuxi Commemoration Ceremony 2026 in Tianshui City in Gansu Province on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. Photo shows Miss Mak (second row, first left) presenting flowers at the Ceremony. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, today (June 21) attended the Public Fuxi Commemoration Ceremony 2026 in Tianshui City in Gansu Province on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. Photo shows Miss Mak (second left) presenting flowers at the Ceremony. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, today (June 21) attended the Public Fuxi Commemoration Ceremony 2026 in Tianshui City in Gansu Province on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. Photo shows Miss Mak (second row, first left) presenting flowers at the Ceremony. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SHYA attends Public Fuxi Commemoration Ceremony 2026 in Gansu Province Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SHYA attends Public Fuxi Commemoration Ceremony 2026 in Gansu Province Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SHYA attends Public Fuxi Commemoration Ceremony 2026 in Gansu Province Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SHYA attends Public Fuxi Commemoration Ceremony 2026 in Gansu Province Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Employers and employees should make work arrangements in times of rainstorm warnings

The Labour Department (LD) today (August 27) reminded employers to make prior work arrangements for employees during and after rainstorm warnings and extreme conditions as early as possible. These arrangements not only can ensure the safety of employees and smooth operation of organisations, but also are conducive to maintaining good labour relations.

Formulate work arrangements

Employers should make prior work arrangements and contingency measures which are reasonable and practical. In drawing up and implementing the relevant arrangements, employers should give prime consideration to employees' safety and the feasibility of employees travelling to and from their workplaces, etc. To avoid unnecessary disputes between employers and employees, employers should ensure that all employees are informed of and agree to the relevant work arrangements in advance. The work arrangements should cover the following areas:

* arrangements in respect of reporting for duty;

* arrangements in respect of early release from work;

* arrangements in respect of work resumption (e.g. the number of hours within which employees should resume duty after the relevant warning signal is cancelled or when extreme conditions come to an end, and when safety and traffic conditions allow);

* arrangements in respect of remote work (if applicable);

*arrangements regarding wages and allowances (e.g. calculation of wages and allowances in respect of reporting for duty); and

* arrangements for staff required to report for duty in times of adverse weather or extreme conditions.

"Employers should conduct an early and realistic assessment of whether there is any need for staff to report for duty at workplaces when rainstorm warning or extreme conditions are in force. In making the assessment, employers should take into account the safety of employees, the business nature, operational needs and urgency of service of their organisations, with due regard to the manpower requirements, staffing establishment and circumstances of individual employees, and keep the number of staff required to report for duty at workplaces to the minimum as far as possible," a spokesman for the LD said.

Work arrangements in times of adverse weather and extreme conditions

If a Red or Black Rainstorm Warning Signal is issued within working hours, employees working indoors should continue to work as usual unless it is dangerous to do so. Supervisors of employees working outdoors or in exposed areas should suspend outdoor duties as soon as practicable. They should arrange for their employees to take shelter temporarily and resume duty only when weather conditions permit. If the Black Rainstorm Warning Signal is still in force at the end of working hours, employees should stay in a safe place until the heavy rain has passed. Employers should also make available to employees a suitable area in the workplace as temporary shelter from wind and rain.

If the Government makes an extreme conditions announcement, except for those required to report for duty at workplaces according to prior agreements made with employers, employees should stay where they are or in safe places, instead of heading for work. Employees already on duty at workplaces could continue to work as usual in a safe manner. If the workplaces are in danger, employers should arrange to release staff from work early where practicable and safe to do so or arrange for them to take temporary shelter in a safe place. If working time ends while extreme conditions are still in force, employers can release employees from workplaces in a safe manner or provide a suitable area as temporary shelter for those still at workplaces.

If it is necessary for employees to report for duty at workplaces under adverse weather or extreme conditions, employers should discuss and agree with them in advance the duty arrangements and contingency measures. If public transport is suspended or only maintains a limited service when the Black Rainstorm Warning Signal or extreme conditions are in force, employers should provide safe transport services for employees travelling to and from workplaces, or grant them an additional travelling allowance.

The spokesman also reminded employers to observe the statutory liabilities and requirements under the Employment Ordinance, Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance, Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance, Employees' Compensation Ordinance and Minimum Wage Ordinance.

Comply with requirements of legislation

"Tropical cyclones and rainstorms are natural calamities. If employees are not required to report for duty, or are released from workplaces early, or are unable to report for duty at workplaces or resume work on time, etc due to adverse weather, extreme conditions or other environmental factors beyond their control, employers should not deduct their wages, good attendance bonus, or allowances, nor require employees to compensate subsequently for the loss of working hours in response to the aforementioned situations, or reduce employees' entitlements to annual leave, statutory holidays or rest days under the Employment Ordinance to compensate for the loss of working hours resulting from the issuance of adverse weather warnings or the extreme conditions announcement," the spokesman said.

Employers have an obligation to provide and maintain a safe working environment for their employees under the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance and the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance. If employees are required to work in times of tropical cyclone warnings, rainstorm warnings or extreme conditions, employers should ensure that the risks at work are reduced as far as reasonably practicable. Moreover, under the Employees' Compensation Ordinance, employers are liable to pay compensation for injuries or deaths incurred when employees are travelling by a direct route from their residence to their workplace, or from their workplace back to their residence after work, four hours before or after working hours on a day when Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or higher, a Red or Black Rainstorm Warning Signal or extreme conditions are in force.

The LD's latest revised "Code of Practice in Times of Adverse Weather and 'Extreme Conditions'" sets out the relevant guidelines in a reader-friendly and concise manner, reiterating the three major principles for formulating work arrangements under adverse weather and extreme conditions, including formulating work arrangements in advance, giving prime consideration to employees' safety, and complying with requirements of labour legislation, and incorporating corporate examples for reference. The booklet can be obtained from branch offices of the Labour Relations Division or downloaded from the department's webpage (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/wcp/Rainstorm.pdf).