Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) On July 1st, 27 large fishing boats, adorned with the national flag and the Hong Kong SAR flag and decorated with ornaments celebrating Hong Kong's return to the motherland, lined up along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront in Hong Kong. With the sounding of their horns, the fleet set sail, making a grand counter-clockwise cruise around Victoria Harbour from east to west, jointly celebrating the 27th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland.
"Every year on this day, our Hong Kong fishing and farming community holds a fishing boat parade; it's a unique feature of Hong Kong," said Zhang Shaoqiang, chairman of the Hong Kong Fishermen's Association, the event organizer. He added that fishing has played a vital role in Hong Kong's history. Before Hong Kong opened as a port, it was already a fishing port, and fishing was its primary industry. Even today, many people in Hong Kong still engage in this profession.
The parade began at approximately 10:00 AM. The lead boat of the parade displayed a prominent floral banner that read "Celebrating the 27th Anniversary of Hong Kong's Return to the Motherland." The 27 fishing boats moved slowly forward, stretching as far as the eye could see, like fishermen silently protecting Hong Kong's waters. The heartfelt love and pride these "water people" had for Hong Kong also touched the citizens who gathered on the shore. From the boat, the shore resembled a "sea of red," with citizens spontaneously waving flags, their colors echoing the fishing boats. Some citizens also raised their phones and cameras to record this spectacular moment, witnessing the joy of the 27th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland.
"Such a happy occasion as the anniversary of the return must be celebrated together with our country and Hong Kong. Telling the story of China and the story of Hong Kong is something every Chinese son and daughter should do," said Mr. Liang, a citizen. That morning, he and a group of friends, dressed in red, came to express their blessings to Hong Kong.
Not far from the starting point of the parade, at the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower, a group of about twenty Hong Kong citizens gathered for a "flash mob." Holding national and regional flags, they sang songs such as "Ode to the Motherland" and "Under the Lion Rock." Mr. Zhong, one of the organizers, told reporters that the participants came from various districts of Hong Kong and spontaneously came after learning about the event on social media. "Today is the 27th 'birthday' of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. We hope to wish the SAR a 'Happy Birthday' in this way, and also hope that Hong Kong and the country will continue to prosper."
On the free Star Ferry ride across the harbor to Hong Kong Island, heading towards Victoria Park, you can see buses and trams with new "looks" passing by, and red flags lining the roadside, adorned with celebratory banners and posters of all sizes, creating a festive atmosphere.
Inside Victoria Park, the "Victoria Park Celebrates the Return" event, one of the series of activities celebrating the 27th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, is in full swing. Upon entering the park, a giant dragon and phoenix pattern made of tangram elements immediately catches the eye, with miniature landscapes of the Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum in Shaanxi, Sanxingdui in Sichuan, and the "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea" mythological scroll in Shandong. The scene is full of traditional cultural flavor, attracting many citizens to take photos and "check in."
In the "Fragrance of the World" themed exhibition area, classical furniture artist Chen Yushu's work "Sharing a Dream," themed on Hong Kong's return to the motherland, is on display. The main table in this artwork is a horseshoe-legged table with a meander pattern. The four legs represent the four seas, symbolizing unity and the nation's inclusiveness. The four stools beneath the table are meander-patterned stools with tortoise-foot feet, their shape resembling the Chinese character "回" (hui), with the tortoise feet being a homophone for "归" (gui). Together, the table and chairs form the Chinese character "归回" (guihui, meaning "return").
As night falls and the lights come on, strolling along the Victoria Harbour waterfront from the park, one can see beams of light shooting into the sky from the "Victoria Harbour skyline," dancing to the rhythm of music and reflecting off the continuous strips of light. The lights projected onto the water make Victoria Harbour appear as if draped in a colorful coat. Combined with the drone show held that evening on the Tsuen Wan waterfront promenade, the already magnificent Hong Kong night view became even more vibrant. (End)
