The third Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival opens today
The opening ceremony of the third Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival (PCF) was held today (April 4th) at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre (HKCC) Grand Theatre. This year’s PCF, hosted by the Leisure and Cultural Services department, is based on the theme of “Joy Than Joy.” Viewers can understand how pop culture can be communicated and transformed, and how integration and breakthroughs are possible in addition to joy and laughter.
Restlin Lau, representative secretary of culture, sports and tourism. Ms Mandachan, director of leisure and cultural services. Eric Tsang, the actor in the opening film The Banquet (1991), hosted the opening ceremony.
The opening program, “Silhouette Resonance x The Banquet (1991),” began after the ceremony. Pop singer Alfred Huy, a cappella choral theatre company Yat Po Singers, and Beatboxer Heartgrey (Eric So) and live band performed songs from classic comedy films with fresh arrangements by renowned musician Ng Cheuk-yin. The digitally restored version of “The Banquet” (1991) was screened after performance. The audience, who blended entertainment with cultural artistry, was offered a fresh and inspiring perspective on the vibrancy of Hong Kong’s pop culture.
Another highlight program to launch PCF will be the outdoor music carnival “Imagineland 2025” to be held tomorrow (April 5th) and Sunday (April 6th) at HKCC Piazza, as well as the central lawn and event trellis at Salisbury Garden, a Boulevard of Stars. With support from the cultural and creative industries development agency, Imagineland 2025 features both daytime and evening programs, covering music, films, comics and more.
In Imagineland 2025, “Go Beyond Concert,” “Comics Fun Experience Gallery,” and “Funarts Corner” will be available during the day. Over 35 musicians and artists in Hong Kong, as well as eight countries and regions, including the mainland, Japan, South Korea, the US, Australia, France, the UK and Ukraine, perform in three stages: “Go Beyond Concert,” introducing the endless possibilities of music throughout the performance. The main lineup of local artists includes Ivana Wong, Joey Tan, Yatohoon, Cloud, Ashley Lin, Pandora and Wang Ping Chu, who performs fascinating popular songs and original works.
“Comics Fun Experience Gallery” will showcase Hong Kong comics and animations from various eras, highlighting the creativity of local artists with immersive photo shoot opportunities. The exhibition also features the work of a local humorous oulist manga artist and explores how cartoons are intertwined with the city’s pop culture. Workshops on art, music and crafts will be open to the public on “Funarts Corner.” In the evening, two comedies, “Table for Six” (2022) and “Forbidden City Cop” (1996), will be screened tomorrow and Sunday in “The Film Under the Film,” respectively, allowing audiences to enjoy outdoor films while relaxing on the grass.
Other highlights include the “Laughter Double Bill: Hong Kong Comedy Film Spectacular” film screening program. Exhibitions: “Comic Fun for All: The Magic of Hong Kong Comedy Comics” and “Legends of HK Film Comedies, 1980s and 1990s.” Concerts include “Music Office Band, Choir and Orchestra Band’s 2025 Fiesta “Animated Melodies – Nostalgic Memories”, “Ko Shan Fest”, “Music & Laughs”, and more. To support the PCF’s “Than Joy,” the Hong Kong public libraries will also organize book displays and subject talks in a series of activities under the theme of “Happy Reading.”
Several industry partners also offer a variety of events as part of the festival, but you should not miss it.
Hong Kong’s pop culture is particularly inspired by humor. Humor is a constant trendsetter that leaves a deep mark on many aspects of the city’s rich and colorful pop culture landscape. With over 20 programs, PCF 2025 not only delights audiences with exciting performances and productions, but also offers insight into Hong Kong’s pop culture development paths along the line of “happiness”. By participating in these activities, the audience can discover their happiness.
For more information, please visit the website www.pcf.gov.hk or call 2601 8703.
3rd Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival open source today: HKSAR government press release
3rd Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival open source today: HKSAR government press release
3rd Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival open source today: HKSAR government press release
3rd Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival open source today: HKSAR government press release
3rd Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival open source today: HKSAR government press release
3rd Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival open source today: HKSAR government press release
3rd Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival open source today: HKSAR government press release
Hong Kong Sewage Monitoring Program wins HKIE 50th Anniversary Legacy Award
After receiving the Gold Award at the International Water Association Project Innovation Award last August, the Territory-Wide Sewage Monitoring Programme has achieved another notable milestone by winning the Excellence Award in the Hong Kong Engineer Organization (HKIE) 50th Anniversary Legacy Award Innovation Category (Since 2010). This honor not only recognizes the groundbreaking achievements in the program’s engineering technology, but also highlights its remarkable contributions to protecting public health and the well-being of Hong Kong citizens, and is a source of pride for the Hong Kong engineering community.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary, HKIE has established the Legacy Award. It celebrated three categories: innovation, industry and infrastructure: the excellent engineering projects and technologies that have benefited Hong Kong’s engineering sector, industry and society for the past half century. The Territory-Wide Sewage Monitoring Programme stands out among over 100 nominated projects as one of the 19 award winners, winning an Excellence Award in the Innovation category. This success is attributed to future-looking technical applications, interdisciplinary collaboration, and important social impacts. The judges highly praised the programme for leveraging innovative technologies to demonstrate the professionalism and creativity of Hong Kong’s engineering department.
The award presentation ceremony was held last night (April 3) at HKIE’s 50th anniversary dinner. Environmental Protection Director Dr. Samuel Chui led the delegation along with Ringo Mok, Director of Wastewater Services, and Dr. Edwin Tsui’s Center for Health Protection (DH) controller.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, in collaboration with the Wastewater Services Division and DH, the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) formed an inter-function team that successfully developed a real-time prediction model based on sewage virus surveillance. By analyzing SARS-COV-2 concentrations in sewage, the system accurately tracked virus transmission dynamics within the community, identified potential outbreak hotspots in advance, and provided critical data support for the rapid deployment of government rapid abolition measurements. The efficient operation of the system not only helped detect hidden cases and break down the transmission chain, but also significantly reduced new infections during peak outbreaks and managed to control the Hong Kong pandemic within two months.
Dr. Chui said, “The success of this technology is not just a breakthrough in science and engineering. It is also a story of resilience and dedication. In the most challenging times of the pandemic, our team worked around the clock to protect the health of every citizen. Being awarded the HKIE 50th Anniversary Legacy Award is not only a recognition of our team, but also a strong reflection of the struggle against the pandemic for all Hong Kong people.
He added that the government will expand the application of sewage surveillance technology and monitor other infectious diseases such as seasonal influenza to create a more comprehensive public health surveillance network. EPD will actively share this successful experience with Belt & Road (B&R) countries, promote international collaboration through technology exchange, support the vision of green development under the B&R initiative, and contribute Hong Kong’s expertise to global public health activities.
Hong Kong Sewage Monitoring Programme Commemorates HKIE 50th Anniversary Legacy Award Source: HKSAR Government Press Release
Hong Kong Sewage Monitoring Programme Commemorates HKIE 50th Anniversary Legacy Award Source: HKSAR Government Press Release
Hong Kong Sewage Monitoring Programme Commemorates HKIE 50th Anniversary Legacy Award Source: HKSAR Government Press Release
