Special arrangements at LCSD venues during Mid-Autumn Festival
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will extend the opening hours or make special arrangements at the following venues during the Mid-Autumn Festival period:
Aldrich Bay Park (Eastern District)
- Water Feature and Fisherman Hut Pavilion
September 25: 6.30am to 11pm (extended by half an hour)
Ngau Chi Wan Park (Wong Tai Sin District)
September 25: 6.30am to midnight (extended by one hour)
Hang Hau Man Kuk Lane Park (Sai Kung District)
September 25: 6.30am to 1am the next day (extended by two hours)
Tseung Kwan O South Park (Sai Kung District)
- Children's Playground
September 25: 6.30am to 1am the next day (extended by two hours)
Victoria Park (Wan Chai District)
- Central Lawn
September 26: Temporarily closed from 2am to 5am for cleaning operations
The LCSD appeals to members of the public to keep places clean and tidy, and not to burn wax or fly sky lanterns when celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival.
"To ensure the enjoyment of the festivity in a good environment, we are appealing to members of the public not to throw glow sticks or other objects onto trees, as doing so may cause damage to the trees and affect the cleanliness of venues. Do not fly sky lanterns or burn wax, which may cause injury to yourself or others, or damage to property and facilities," a spokesman for the LCSD said.
The spokesman said that the LCSD will deploy staff to step up patrols at its venues (including parks, public beaches and barbecue sites) on September 25, and to take enforcement actions against littering, wax burning, throwing objects onto trees and flying sky lanterns.
Members of the public may call the LCSD hotline on 2414 5555 to report any wax burning or sky lantern flying, or other non-compliance found at LCSD venues.
Under the Pleasure Grounds Regulation, no person shall, in any pleasure ground, melt or burn any wax, sprinkle or pour any liquid onto any hot wax, damage any part of any tree, shrub or plant, or fly kites, model aircraft, balloons or other devices (including sky lanterns). Under the Bathing Beaches Regulation, no person shall, on any bathing beach, do any act which is likely to endanger or obstruct any other person using the beach, or damage, deface or pollute the beach or anything situated thereon. Any convicted person is liable to a maximum fine of $2,000 and 14 days' imprisonment.
The LCSD will issue to littering offenders a fixed penalty notice with a fine of $3,000. Persons who burn wax, throw objects onto trees or fly sky lanterns may be prosecuted.
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department, Photo source: reference image
FEHD reviews this year's efforts to tackle dripping air conditioners
A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said today (November 10) that the department has continued to adopt a multipronged approach to tackle the problem of dripping air conditioners, combining enhanced inspections and enforcement with publicity and education, innovative technology and adjustments to operational strategies. This year, the FEHD has fully deployed the third-generation Air-conditioning Water Dripping Inspection System, featuring infrared night-vision technology and artificial intelligence (AI) image recognition, across all districts to detect dripping locations quickly and accurately, significantly enhancing enforcement effectiveness.
The spokesman said, "As of September 30, the FEHD had issued about 8 100 nuisance notices concerning dripping air conditioners this year, representing an increase of about 16 per cent and 54 per cent over the corresponding periods last year and in 2024 respectively. The figure was about four times that for the same period in 2023. Over 99 per cent of the households that received the notices have addressed the dripping problem as required. Significant improvements have also been recorded at the locations of concern identified by the department."
In recent years, the FEHD has adopted a new operational strategy. In addition to handling public complaints, officers proactively conduct door-to-door inspections and take enforcement action, focusing on around 300 locations of concern with more serious dripping problems across districts, including bus stops, minibus stops and pedestrian passages. Each location is inspected at least once a week. By August, dripping problems at about half of these locations had been resolved or had shown significant improvement. As conditions improved at some locations, the FEHD extended its operations to more than 110 additional locations with less serious problems. As of September 30, the number of locations being followed up by the FEHD had increased from around 300 to more than 400.
The FEHD has also actively applied innovative technology, collaborating with a local innovation and technology institution to develop the Air-conditioning Water Dripping Inspection System. Using infrared night-vision technology, the system enables officers to detect dripping locations quickly in low-light conditions without entering residents' premises. The enhanced second-generation system features a remote-controlled pan-tilt head and autofocus functions. Its detection range has been extended to 120 metres, enabling it to cover buildings around 40 storeys high. In April this year, the system won a bronze award in thecategory of Engineering and Robotics – Optical Sensing and Spatial Intelligence at the Edison Awards 2026, gaining international recognition for its innovative technology. This year, the department has fully deployed the third-generation system, featuring AI image recognition, across all districts. The system uses high-precision image recognition to detect dripping locations automatically and pinpoint their sources quickly and accurately, further reducing the time required for observation and evidence collection.
In addition to strengthening enforcement, the FEHD actively collaborates with the property management sector to tackle dripping air conditioners. The department continues to promote the Scheme of Participation by Property Management Agents in Tackling Dripping Air-conditioners, inviting staff of property management companies serving private housing estates to help identify dripping sources and advise residents to rectify the problem. More than 300 private housing estates across the territory currently participate in the scheme, helping to complete follow-up and handling of an average of over 4 000 dripping complaints each year. The department also works closely with the Property Management Services Authority to provide relevant guidelines for licensed property management companies and property management personnel, and encourages more licensed companies to join the scheme.
The FEHD calls on all sectors to work together to tackle dripping air conditioners. Property management companies should regularly repair and maintain building drainage systems and remind residents to inspect and repair their air conditioners. Members of the public should also inspect and maintain their air conditioners regularly and address any dripping problems promptly to avoid causing a nuisance. For more information, please refer to the leaflet on the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pleasant_environment/library/aircon/Pamphlet_water_dripping_from_air_conditioner.pdf).
Source: AI-found images
