SCST meets Shenzhen Vice Mayor (with photos)

The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, today (February 10) met with Vice Mayor of Shenzhen Municipal People's Government Ms Zhang Hua; the Director General of the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sports, Tourism, Radio & Television, Mr Zeng Xianglai; and the Deputy Director-General of Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sports, Tourism, Radio & Television, Mr Ding Zhongyuan, and their delegation.

They exchanged views on issues including deepening co-operation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen on cultural, sports and tourism fronts, and taking forward the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). The Permanent Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Joe Wong; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mr Vincent Liu; the Deputy Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mrs Vicki Kwok; the Deputy Commissioner for Tourism, Miss Wendy Chung; and the Acting Commissioner for Sports, Mr Paul Cheng, also attended the meeting.

Mr Yeung said, "The Culture and Tourism Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area sets out the directions for the overall cultural and tourism development of the GBA and guides the development of the GBA into an exchange hub for East and West culture, and as a world-class tourism destination. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been collaborating according to the guidance of the Plan. Hong Kong and Shenzhen, two neighbouring cities and both situated in the GBA, have been maintaining close liaison and frequent exchanges. Now that Hong Kong has fully resumed normal travel with the Mainland, we believe there will be more co-operation opportunities between Hong Kong and Shenzhen."

The Government has been supporting Hong Kong arts groups and artists to have cultural exchanges in the GBA. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department has supported 54 local productions of different genres to stage a total of 141 performances in Macao and seven other Mainland cities of the GBA since 2018, and has established its network and communication mechanisms with major performance venues in the GBA. Create Hong Kong has also supported a number of activities to promote the development of creative industries in the GBA, which include participating in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Biannual Meeting to Discuss the Development of Film Industries 2021, inviting cities of the GBA to participate in the "Business of Design Week" and sponsoring the PMQ in organising the "Renewed Creativity" roving exhibition in Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

The Shenzhen Municipal People's Government delegation visited the Kai Tak Sports Park site yesterday (February 9) to learn about Hong Kong's policy objectives of promoting sports in the community, maintaining Hong Kong as a centre for major international sports events, supporting elite sports, enhancing professionalism in the sports sector and developing sports as an industry. The delegation will visit the Hong Kong Palace Museum, the M+ museum and the Xiqu Centre of the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) this afternoon to obtain a deeper understanding of the work of the WKCD driving arts and cultural development. The delegation will also visit the Mai Po Nature Reserve and Tai Mo Shan Country Park to experience green tourism in Hong Kong.

Friday, February 10, 2023