Heritage Fiesta 2026 Themed "Traversing Northern Metropolis" to Launch in October

Heritage Fiesta 2026 themed "Traversing Northern Metropolis" to launch in October

The Heritage Fiesta 2026, under the theme "Traversing Northern Metropolis", will be held from October to December, featuring 12 spots with declared monuments and graded historic buildings in the Northern Metropolis (NM).

A spokesman for the Commissioner for Heritage's Office (CHO)of the Development Bureau said today (September 24), "The NM is not only a key focus and new engine of Hong Kong's future development, its traditional towns and villages are also home to rich historical and cultural resources. The 12 spots with declared monuments and graded historic buildings featured in this year's Fiesta are grouped under three themes: "Clan culture and traditional character of the New Territories", "Adaptive re-use of historic buildings" and "A century of nurturing talent: passing on the founding spirit of schools". Apart from free guided tours, parent-child workshops and public talks, this year's edition will, for the first time, feature open-top bus heritage tours on designated weekends."

The 12 selected spots with declared monuments and graded historic buildings covered by the Heritage Fiesta are as follows:

Clan culture and traditional character of the New Territories

• Hau Ku Shek Ancestral Hall

• Hau Mei Fung Ancestral Hall

• Liu Man Shek Tong Ancestral Hall

• Liu Ying Lung Study Hall

• Tai Fu Tai

• Tang Ancestral Hall, the Guesthouse and Yau Kung School in Ha Tsuen

• Lung Yeuk Tau Heritage Trail

• Ping Shan Heritage Trail

Adaptive re-use of historic buildings

• Former Lau Fau Shan Police Station (currently Former Lau Fau Shan Police Station-Hong Kong Guide Dogs Academy)

• Lady Ho Tung Welfare Centre (currently Sik Sik Yuen Lady Ho Tung Welfare Centre Eco-Learn Institute)

• Old Ping Shan Police Station (currently Ping Shan Tang Clan Gallery cum Heritage Trail Visitors Centre)

A century of nurturing talent: passing on the founding spirit of schools

• Former Yuen Long Public Middle School (currently TWGHs CYMa Memorial College (with Boarding Section))

The spokesman continued, "This event covers the Ping Shan and Lung Yeuk Tau Heritage Trails, both situated within the NM, with the Ping Shan Heritage Trail being Hong Kong's first-ever heritage trail. The Ping Shan Heritage Trail has a number of historic buildings, including the Tat Tak Communal Hall and Ching Shu Hin, both of which bear witness to the history of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. The Tat Tak Communal Hall was once lent out for use as a children's home, providing shelter to homeless children who had come south from the Mainland, while Ching Shu Hin served as a transit point, providing accommodation and food for compatriots travelling to the Chinese Mainland. These two buildings reflect the bonds of kinship and shared destiny between Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland."

The buildings and spots featured in the Heritage Fiesta 2026 are steeped in history and now serve a wide range of purposes. These range from buildings that retain their traditional uses and those that have been revitalised for new uses, to the campus of the Former Yuen Long Public Middle School, which is still in use as a school. As the campus is operating as a secondary school, it is typically closed to the public. In support of the event, the campus will specially host School Information Days on November 21 and the morning of November 28. Members of the public are welcome to take the opportunity to visit.

The Heritage Fiesta 2026 features an exciting and rich line-up of activities. In addition to free guided tours, parent-child workshops and public talks, open-top bus heritage tours will be introduced for the first time on designated weekends. Details of the open-top bus heritage tours (including dates, time slots, routes and registration arrangements) will be announced online in due course.

During the Heritage Fiesta 2026, the CHO will also hold a roving exhibition at the following venues from October 2 to December 31. Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Antiquities Advisory Board (AAB), the exhibition will feature a special thematic panel reviewing the work of the AAB.

Exhibition Venue

Exhibition Period

October 2 to December 31

Civic Education Resource Centre, 7/F Youth Square, Chai Wan

Lobby, 1/F, Immigration Tower, Wan Chai

October 7 to 14

G/F, Atrium, Yuen Long Plaza, Yuen Long

October 15 to 31

Kowloon Public Library

Lai Chi Kok Public Library

Sheung Shui Public Library

October 16 to 29

Covered Piazza, Times Square, Causeway Bay

November 2 to 15

Ngau Tau Kok Public Library

Yuen Long Public Library

November 17 to 30

North Kwai Chung Public Library

Ping Shan Tin Shui Wai Public Library

Shek Kip Mei Public Library

December 2 to 15

Lam Tin Public Library

Po On Road Public Library

Fanling Public Library

December 17 to 30

San Po Kong Public Library

Chai Wan Public Library

Sha Tin Public Library

For details of the Heritage Fiesta 2026, registration details of the activities, as well as the opening hours of the various venues, please visit the CHO website (www.heritage.gov.hk/en/about-us/events-and-promotions/heritage-fiesta-2026-themepage), "HK Heritage LIVE" Instagram page (www.instagram.com/hkheritagelive/) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/HKHeritageLive/). Event booklets will be distributed free of charge at the above 12 spots with historic buildings, the exhibition venues and museums under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre, Hong Kong Tourism Board Kowloon Visitor Centre (Star Ferry Concourse, Tsim Sha Tsui), and the Customer Services Centres at Hong Kong International Airport. For enquiries, please call 2906 1559.

The Commissioner for Heritage's Office of the Development Bureau will organise the Heritage Fiesta 2026, under the theme "Traversing Northern Metropolis", from October to December, featuring 12 spots with declared monuments and graded historic buildings in the Northern Metropolis. Photo shows the Former Yuen Long Public Middle School, currently TWGHs CY Ma Memorial College (with Boarding Section) (Grade 2 Historic Building). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Commissioner for Heritage's Office of the Development Bureau will organise the Heritage Fiesta 2026, under the theme "Traversing Northern Metropolis", from October to December, featuring 12 spots with declared monuments and graded historic buildings in the Northern Metropolis. Photo shows the Old Ping Shan Police Station, currently the Ping Shan Tang Clan Gallery cum Heritage Trail Visitors Centre (Grade 2 Historic Building). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Commissioner for Heritage's Office of the Development Bureau will organise the Heritage Fiesta 2026, under the theme "Traversing Northern Metropolis", from October to December, featuring 12 spots with declared monuments and graded historic buildings in the Northern Metropolis. Photo shows the Lady Ho Tung Welfare Centre, currently the Sik Sik Yuen Lady Ho Tung Welfare Centre Eco-Learn Institute (Grade 2 Historic Building). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Commissioner for Heritage's Office of the Development Bureau will organise the Heritage Fiesta 2026, under the theme "Traversing Northern Metropolis", from October to December, featuring 12 spots with declared monuments and graded historic buildings in the Northern Metropolis. Photo shows the Former Lau Fau Shan Police Station, currently the Former Lau Fau Shan Police Station-Hong Kong Guide Dogs Academy (Grade 3 Historic Building). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Commissioner for Heritage's Office of the Development Bureau will organise the Heritage Fiesta 2026, under the theme "Traversing Northern Metropolis", from October to December, featuring 12 spots with declared monuments and graded historic buildings in the Northern Metropolis. Photo shows the Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall in Lung Yeuk Tau (Declared Monument). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Commissioner for Heritage's Office of the Development Bureau will organise the Heritage Fiesta 2026, under the theme "Traversing Northern Metropolis", from October to December, featuring 12 spots with declared monuments and graded historic buildings in the Northern Metropolis. Photo shows the Tat Tak Communal Hall (Declared Monument). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Commissioner for Heritage's Office of the Development Bureau will organise the Heritage Fiesta 2026, under the theme "Traversing Northern Metropolis", from October to December, featuring 12 spots with declared monuments and graded historic buildings in the Northern Metropolis. Photo shows the Tang Ancestral Hall (Declared Monument). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Commissioner for Heritage's Office of the Development Bureau will organise the Heritage Fiesta 2026, under the theme "Traversing Northern Metropolis", from October to December, featuring 12 spots with declared monuments and graded historic buildings in the Northern Metropolis. Photo shows Tai Fu Tai (Declared Monument). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Commissioner for Heritage's Office of the Development Bureau will organise the Heritage Fiesta 2026, under the theme "Traversing Northern Metropolis", from October to December, featuring 12 spots with declared monuments and graded historic buildings in the Northern Metropolis. Photo shows the Liu Ying Lung Study Hall (Grade 1 Historic Building). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Commissioner for Heritage's Office of the Development Bureau will organise the Heritage Fiesta 2026, under the theme "Traversing Northern Metropolis", from October to December, featuring 12 spots with declared monuments and graded historic buildings in the Northern Metropolis. Photo shows the Liu Man Shek Tong Ancestral Hall (Declared Monument). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Commissioner for Heritage's Office of the Development Bureau will organise the Heritage Fiesta 2026, under the theme "Traversing Northern Metropolis", from October to December, featuring 12 spots with declared monuments and graded historic buildings in the Northern Metropolis. Photo shows the Hau Mei Fung Ancestral Hall (Declared Monument). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Commissioner for Heritage's Office of the Development Bureau will organise the Heritage Fiesta 2026, under the theme "Traversing Northern Metropolis", from October to December, featuring 12 spots with declared monuments and graded historic buildings in the Northern Metropolis. Photo shows the Hau Ku Shek Ancestral Hall (Declared Monument). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CSB recruitment activities in Beijing and Shanghai encourage Hong Kong students studying in Mainland to contribute to Hong Kong

A series of recruitment activities organised by the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) in Shanghai and Beijing concluded successfully today (September 24), enabling Hong Kong people studying or working in the Mainland to learn more about career development opportunities offered by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, and to better prepare themselves for applying for civil service posts.

From September 21 to 24, the CSB held recruitment talks on the Administrative Officer (AO) and Executive Officer (EO) grades at four universities in Shanghai and Beijing. At the talks, the Director of General Grades, Mr Raymond Chan, and the Principal Assistant Secretary for the Civil Service (Administrative Service), Mr Joey Tang, introduced the work, recruitment processes, as well as the training and career development opportunities of the two grades. They encouraged Hong Kong people aspiring to serve the community to apply for posts in the HKSAR Government. The CSB also specially arranged serving AO and EO colleagues who had completed their undergraduate studies at Mainland universities to share their personal journeys and work experiences, with a view to encouraging Hong Kong people who aspire to contribute to the community to join the civil service.

The four recruitment talks were held at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Fudan University, the China University of Political Science and Law and Peking University respectively. Apart from students of these universities, the talks were also attended by Hong Kong students from Tsinghua University, the Renmin University of China and other institutions, including those in their penultimate year of study. The participants showed immense interest in the work of the AO and EO grades and were keen to raise questions about the duties, entry requirements and training opportunities of the respective grades.

As more Hong Kong students choose to pursue studies in the Mainland, the CSB started sending representatives from 2023 to the Mainland to conduct recruitment talks. The number of applicants for HKSAR Government posts who possess Mainland academic qualifications has also increased.

Civil service recruitment has always been conducted under the principle of open and fair competition. In addition to recruiting local graduates, the Government actively seeks to attract talent from diverse backgrounds, including Mainland and overseas graduates as well as members of the working population. The Government has also extended eligibility to apply for civil service posts requiring a bachelor's degree to penultimate-year university students, enabling young people aspiring to join the public service to plan their career development at an earlier stage.

The CSB is currently conducting a joint recruitment exercise for appointment as AO, EO II, Assistant Information Officer (General), Assistant Trade Officer II, Management Services Officer II and Transport Officer II. The application deadline is October 2. For details, please visit the CSB website at www.csb.gov.hk. For the recruitment of AO, relevant information is also available on a dedicated website at www.ao-recruitment.gov.hk.

CSB recruitment activities in Beijing and Shanghai encourage Hong Kong students studying in Mainland to contribute to Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CSB recruitment activities in Beijing and Shanghai encourage Hong Kong students studying in Mainland to contribute to Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CSB recruitment activities in Beijing and Shanghai encourage Hong Kong students studying in Mainland to contribute to Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CSB recruitment activities in Beijing and Shanghai encourage Hong Kong students studying in Mainland to contribute to Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases