Hong Kong – FEHD’s Lunar New Year fairs concluded successfully (with photos)

FEHD’s Lunar New Year fairs concluded successfully (with photos)

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     The 2024 Lunar New Year (LNY) fairs concluded successfully at 7am today (February 10). The fairs were held at 15 locations for seven days from February 4, attracting about two million visitors. Yesterday (February 9) was the peak, with more than 200 000 visitors in the LNY Fair at Victoria Park on a single day.

     A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said that, with the society returned to normalcy in full, the department is pleased to resume the provision of dry goods and fast food stalls in the LNY fairs this year, and would like to thank the stall vendors for co-operating with the management measures to keep the fair sites clean and in a safe and orderly manner. The department is even more pleased to see members of the public actively support and enjoy the fairs which operation has been smooth in general with normal power supply.

     This year, the FEHD has applied innovation and technology measures to monitor the venues for implementation of crowd control when necessary. The footfall of individual LNY fairs was displayed on the FEHD website with a view to enabling the public to know about the crowds at the fair early. The FEHD has also offered assistance to stall vendors in various aspects such as security, illumination and refuse collection to ensure the smooth running of the LNY fairs.

     The department adopted various waste reduction and recycling measures. Apart from collecting general recyclables including waste paper, plastics and metals in the fairs, the department also arranged for contractors to collect bamboo sticks, wooden pallets, polyfoam and wilted or unsold flowers with reusable value. From opening of the LNY fair sites up to the site clearance operation today, about 110 tonnes of materials with reusable value were collected in the 15 LNY fair sites in order to enhance recycling of resources. Furthermore, food waste recycling is practised in the LNY fairs with fast food stalls.

     Moreover, the FEHD also gathered some 1 726 unsold pots of flowers and plants donated by vendors in the fairs. They were delivered to 223 elderly homes/residential care homes for persons with disabilities and two public hospitals by 23 volunteer teams made up of FEHD staff.

     With the LNY fairs concluded successfully, the department deployed 228 staff members and 50 refuse collection vehicles and street washing vehicles to clean up the Victoria Park venue. The other 14 LNY fair sites were cleaned up by the department’s cleansing contractors. All site clearance work was completed at about 7pm. After thorough cleaning, the venues were restored to their original state.

     Despite the conclusion of LNY fairs, the Che Kung Festival Fair and the Fong Ma Po New Year Fair at Lam Tsuen in Tai Po will be held until February 24. The spokesman reminded members of the public planning to visit the two fairs that they may browse information including the opening hours and visitor flow of the fairs at the FEHD’s webpage in advance.

Hong Kong – CE delivers Lunar New Year message (with photo/video)

CE delivers Lunar New Year message (with photo/video)

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     Following is the translation of the Lunar New Year message delivered by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (February 9):
      
     The Lunar New Year is a time for reunions, a time for families and friends to get together and cherish the joy and warmth of the festive season. We share our wishes for children to grow strong and healthy and for grown-ups to be blessed with good fortune.
      
     The dragon is an auspicious symbol signifying nobility and good luck. As we welcome the Year of the Dragon, Hong Kong is nurturing fresh vitality and prosperity. We will seize each and every new opportunity, showcase the charm of our city, and write a bright new chapter for Hong Kong.
      
     My wife and I wish the people of Hong Kong a full house of happiness and harmony in the Year of the Dragon. May all your wishes come true and may good health be with you. We wish you all the best in the Year of the Dragon!
      
     (The message is available on the website of the Chief Executive’s Office: www.ceo.gov.hk/lny-message/24/en/)

Get in the festive mood with Lunar New Year Ornament: Gold and Red Decor Pikmin

WEBWIRE

Lunar New Year festivities, which are usually celebrated around February in several regions throughout Asia, are just around the corner! This year, Purple, White, Winged, and Rock Pikmin will join Red, Blue, and Yellow Pikmin in donning Lunar New Year Ornaments as they join the party for the first time in the Pikmin Bloom app! There are two types of ornaments: Red and Goldaltogether, this makes for a total of 14 Lunar New Year Ornament Decor Pikmin.

Download the Pikmin Bloom app for free on smart devices to get in on the fun!

Event details

This event begins on February 1 at midnight (local time) and ends on February 25 at 11:59 p.m. (local time).

Collect Red Envelopes in the app to obtain exclusive costumes for your Mii character and seedlings* for Lunar New Year Ornament: Gold Decor Pikmin!

Once the event starts, youll receive missions** for collecting Red Envelopes. There are 20 missions in total. By clearing these missions, youll be able to obtain Lunar New Year Event exclusive Mii costumes, as well as seedlings for Lunar New Year Ornament: Gold Decor Pikmin.

Clear Event Challenge missions to obtain seedlings for Lunar New Year Ornament: Red Decor Pikmin

For every Event Challenges mission that you clear, youll be able to obtain rewards at random. These can be Red Envelopes, seedlings that grow into Lunar New Year: Red Decor Pikmin, flower petals, or other items. Additionally, when the Big Flower at the center of the stage blooms, youre guaranteed to receive a Gold Seedling on top of the random rewards.

Destroy Lunar New Year Mushrooms to get Mystery Boxes

During the event, you may encounter special shiny mushrooms in red and gold colors: the Lunar New Year Mushrooms. When you destroy them, youll receive Mystery Boxes that contain items such as Red Envelopes and flower petals, among others. Lunar New Year Ornament Decor Pikmin are the strongest against these mushrooms, so be sure to send them out to destroy them!

Watch out for Giant Lunar New Year Mushrooms

On weekends during the event, you may encounter Giant Lunar New Year Mushrooms that carry a rarer type of Mystery Box. Note that Lunar New Year Ornament: Gold Decor Pikmin will be even stronger than Lunar New Year Ornament: Red Decor Pikmin against Lunar New Year Mushrooms of all sizes.

Giant Mushrooms will appear on the following weekends:

February 10th & 11th

February 17th & 18th

February 24th & 25th

Learn more

For more information about thePikmin Bloomapp, visitthe official website.

Pikmin BloomiOS/AndroidLearn more

Hong Kong – Lunar New Year fair stall auctions to start this month

Lunar New Year fair stall auctions to start this month

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     The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) announced today (November 1) that stalls at the 2024 Lunar New Year (LNY) fairs will be put up for open auction in batches starting from November 13 (Monday).
 
     The LNY fairs are to be held at 15 locations and will be open for seven days from February 4 to 10, 2024. A total of 902 wet goods stalls, 572 dry goods stalls, eight thematic stalls and 25 fast food stalls will be provided.
 
     The upset prices range from $380 to $6,530 for wet goods stalls, $450 to $8,540 for dry goods stalls, and $2,280 to $120,470 for fast food stalls.
 
     Apart from wet goods, dry goods and fast food stalls, eight thematic stalls will also be set up in the Victoria Park LNY Fair to sell festive commodities such as LNY food, spring couplets (fai chun), LNY decorations and other goods. The auction for these thematic stalls, with an upset price of $24,990, will take place in the AM session of the second auction day (November 14) for the Victoria Park LNY Fair.
 
     The six fairs on Hong Kong Island, in Islands District and in Kowloon will be located at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay, Tat Tung Road Garden in Tung Chung, Fa Hui Park and Cheung Sha Wan Playground in Sham Shui Po, Morse Park in Wong Tai Sin and Kwun Tong Recreation Ground. A total of 790 stalls will be put up for auction.
 
     The auction for stalls of the LNY fair in Victoria Park will be held for three days from November 13 to 15 (Monday to Wednesday) at the Assembly Hall, 2/F, Lai Chi Kok Government Offices, 19 Lai Wan Road, Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon. The first auction day (November 13) is scheduled for fast food stalls and wet goods stalls, the second auction day (November 14) is scheduled for thematic stalls and dry goods stalls, and the third auction day (November 15) is scheduled for dry goods stalls. Due to the limited number of seats, those who are interested in bidding for a specific type of stalls at the Victoria Park LNY fair are invited to participate in the respective auction at the Lai Chi Kok Government Offices on the designated date.
 
     The auction for stalls of Tat Tung Road Garden LNY Fair in Tung Chung will be held at the above-mentioned venue on November 16 (Thursday). The auction session is scheduled from 9am until completion of the auction.
      
     The auctions for stalls of the LNY fairs in Fa Hui Park and Cheung Sha Wan Playground in Sham Shui Po, Morse Park in Wong Tai Sin and Kwun Tong Recreation Ground in Kwun Tong will be held at the above-mentioned venue from November 17 to 22. The auction sessions are scheduled from 9am or 9.30am to 12.30pm (AM session) and 2pm until completion of the auction (PM session).
      
     Details of the auctions, the number of stalls and opening prices are as follows:
 
Victoria Park (Causeway Bay)
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Number of stalls: 387
 
Auction date: November 13 (Monday)
AM session: Fast food (Stall Nos. A to D) and wet goods (Stall Nos. 209 to 268)
PM session: Wet goods (Stall Nos. 269 to 383)
Opening prices:
Fast food: $120,470
Wet goods: $6,530
 
Auction date: November 14 (Tuesday)
AM session: Thematic goods (Stall Nos. 83, 84, 141, 142, 163, 164, 185 and 186) and dry goods (Stall Nos. 1 to 42)
PM session: Dry goods (Stall Nos. 43 to 82)
Opening prices:
Thematic goods: $24,990
Dry goods: $8,540
 
Auction date: November 15 (Wednesday)
AM session: Dry goods (Stall Nos. 85 to 140)
PM session: Dry goods (Stall Nos. 143 to 162, 165 to 184 and 187 to 208)
Opening price:
Dry goods: $8,540
 
Tat Tung Road Garden (Tung Chung)
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Auction date: November 16 (Thursday)
Number of stalls: 28
Stall types: Wet goods and dry goods
Opening prices:
Wet goods: $380
Dry goods: $450
 
Fa Hui Park (Sham Shui Po)
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Auction date: November 17 (Friday)
Number of stalls: 129
AM session: Wet goods
PM session: Fast food and dry goods
Opening prices:
Wet goods: $3,540
Fast food: $17,480
Dry goods: $7,800
 
Cheung Sha Wan Playground (Sham Shui Po)
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Auction date: November 20 (Monday)
Number of stalls: 86
AM session: Wet goods
PM session: Fast food and dry goods
Opening prices:
Wet goods: $500
Fast food: $2,280
Dry goods: $550
 
Morse Park (Wong Tai Sin)
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Auction date: November 21 (Tuesday)
Number of stalls: 76
AM session: Wet goods
PM session: Fast food and dry goods
Opening prices:
Wet goods: $1,500
Fast food: $5,000
Dry goods: $1,370
 
Kwun Tong Recreation Ground (Kwun Tong)
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Auction date: November 22 (Wednesday)
Number of stalls: 84
AM session: Wet goods
PM session: Fast food and dry goods
Opening prices:
Wet goods: $2,180
Fast food: $3,030
Dry goods: $2,130
 
     In the New Territories, 513 wet goods stalls, 197 dry goods stalls and seven fast food stalls will be set up at nine fairs. They are located at Sha Tsui Road Playground in Tsuen Wan, Tin Hau Temple Fung Shui Square in Tai Po, Tung Tau Industrial Area Playground in Yuen Long, Tin Hau Temple Plaza in Tuen Mun, Yuen Wo Playground in Sha Tin, Shek Wu Hui Playground in North District, Kwai Chung Sports Ground in Kwai Tsing, Man Yee Playground in Sai Kung and Po Hong Park in Tseung Kwan O.
 
     The auctions for stalls of the LNY fairs in Tsuen Wan, Tai Po, Yuen Long, North District, Kwai Tsing, Sai Kung and Tseung Kwan O will be held at the Assembly Hall, 2/F, Lai Chi Kok Government Offices, on November 23, 24 and 27, and December 1, 4 and 5. The auction sessions are scheduled from 9am to 12.30pm (AM session) and 2pm until completion of the auction (PM session).
 
     The auction for stalls of the LNY fair in Sha Tin will be held at the above-mentioned venue on November 29. The auction session is scheduled from 9.30am until completion of the auction.
 
     The auction for stalls of Tin Hau Temple Plaza LNY fair in Tuen Mun will be held at Tseng Choi Street Community Hall, 27 Tseng Choi Street, Tuen Mun, on November 28. The auction session is scheduled from 9.30am until completion of the auction.
 
     Details of the auctions, the number of stalls and opening prices are as follows:
 
Sha Tsui Road Playground (Tsuen Wan)
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Auction date: November 23 (Thursday)
Number of stalls: 116
Stall types: Wet goods and dry goods
Opening prices:
Wet goods: $1,770
Dry goods: $8,480
 
Tin Hau Temple Fung Shui Square (Tai Po)
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Auction date: November 24 (Friday)
Number of stalls: 61
Stall types: Wet goods, dry goods and fast food
Opening prices:
Wet goods: $2,270
Dry goods: $1,450
Fast food: $5,480
 
Tung Tau Industrial Area Playground (Yuen Long)
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Auction date: November 27 (Monday)
Number of stalls: 150
Stall types: Wet goods, dry goods and fast food
Opening prices:
Wet goods: $700
Dry goods: $1,350
Fast food: $5,480
 
Tin Hau Temple Plaza (Tuen Mun)
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Auction date: November 28 (Tuesday)
Number of stalls: 46
Stall types: Wet goods, dry goods and fast food
Opening prices:
Wet goods: $1,490
Dry goods: $2,140
Fast food: $2,740
 
Yuen Wo Playground (Sha Tin)
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Auction date: November 29 (Wednesday)
Number of stalls: 71
Stall types: Wet goods and dry goods
Opening prices:
Wet goods: $3,580
Dry goods: $4,570
 
Shek Wu Hui Playground (North District)
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Auction date: December 1 (Friday)
Number of stalls: 69
Stall types: Wet goods and dry goods
Opening prices:
Wet goods: $710
Dry goods: $1,540
 
Kwai Chung Sports Ground (Kwai Tsing)
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Auction date: December 4 (Monday)
Number of stalls: 96
Stall types: Wet goods and dry goods
Opening prices:
Wet goods: $490
Dry goods: $2,250
 
Man Yee Playground (Sai Kung)
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Auction date: December 5 (Tuesday)
Number of stalls: 20
Stall types: Wet goods and dry goods
Opening prices:
Wet goods: $380
Dry goods: $450
 
Po Hong Park (Tseung Kwan O)
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Auction date: December 5 (Tuesday)
Number of stalls: 88
Stall types: Wet goods, dry goods and fast food
Opening prices:
Wet goods: $830
Dry goods: $1,540
Fast food: $4,570
 
     Bidders for LNY fair stalls must be at least 18 years old and ordinarily reside in Hong Kong.
 
     Anyone can bid for more than one stall. A bidder must pay the bid price and register in person with his or her own name as the licensee of the stall immediately after successfully bidding for a stall. The bidder is also required to sign at once a licence agreement with the FEHD, or he/she will forfeit the rights to operate the stall.
 
     All fair sites will be made available to the licensees three days in advance of the fairs (from February 1 to 3, 2024) for the setting up of stalls. In the event of any unforeseeable incident that will cause reduction of the whole licence period (including the duration for setting up stalls and the business period of the fair), the Government has the right to postpone the commencement date and shorten the duration of the period. The bidding price (licence fee) paid will be refunded to the successful bidder on a pro-rata basis without interest.
 
     Stall licensees must completely remove the stall structure and all paraphernalia, together with all refuse, debris and unsold commodities (whether damaged or otherwise), from the licensed area before 7am on February 10, 2024 (9am for the Victoria Park LNY Fair).
 
     The FEHD reminded licensees that the stalls are solely for the purpose of selling and promoting the sale of the permitted commodities, and no other activities are allowed in the licensed area. If the FEHD considers that any activity conducted by the licensee to publicise, promote, display, show or sell any permitted commodities in the venue is unlawful, contrary to the interest of national security, immoral or incompatible with the object of the LNY fair, the FEHD is entitled to direct the licensee to stop conducting such activity and the licensee must immediately comply with such direction.
 
     Stall licensees should not destroy, damage or abandon any unsold commodities at or in the vicinity of the stall. They may surrender unsold flowers and plants left behind at the stall to the FEHD at no charge, cost or compensation whatsoever, before 7am on February 10, 2024 (9am for the Victoria Park LNY Fair).
 
     According to the licence agreement, except inside designated stalls, licensees shall not keep, store or use helium cylinders in the licenced area. Whereas licensees of the designated stalls could keep, store or use helium cylinders in the licenced area, the quantity of helium should be such that a licence is not required pursuant to the Dangerous Goods (Application and Exemption) Regulation 2012 (Cap. 295E), i.e. equivalent to 150 litres of helium. Sales of floating LED glowing balloons and aquarium fish by stall licensees are prohibited at the LNY fairs.
 
     In addition, as stated in the licence agreement, for wet goods stalls with a height of more than 3 metres from ground level, the licensee must, at his own costs, provide the FEHD with a certificate issued by an authorised person, a registered structural engineer, or a competent person under the Construction Sites (Safety) Regulations (Cap. 59I) to certify the structural safety of the stall structure before the LNY fairs are opened to the public. The height of wet goods stalls must not exceed 4.5m from ground level.
 
     Successful bidders shall comply with all the stipulations and provisions as set out in the licence agreement. Otherwise, the department is entitled to terminate the agreement and the licensee shall immediately vacate the stall.
 
     Details of the 2024 LNY fairs such as the public notice, the locations and layouts of the fair venues, commodities allowed for sale at the fair stalls, open auction arrangements and related rules, and a sample of the licence agreement are available on the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk). For enquiries, please call the FEHD hotline 2868 0000.

Japan – A New Era: Challenges in Lunar Exploration and Manned Lunar Orbital Base Development

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) is advancing the development of mankind’s lunar exploration by participating in a series of domestic and international space programs. Through the contributions of these programs, which are based on our unparalleled heritage in space technologies, built over many years of space development, MHI will help launch a new era in lunar exploration and expanding the life in space half a century after the Apollo programs.

1. Environmental control and life support system (ECLSS) development for the international habitation module (I-HAB) to be used on the Gateway crewed space station

As part of the Artemis program, an international space exploration program led by NASA, MHI is working under JAXA to develop environmental control and life support system (ECLSS) for the international habitation module (I-HAB) for Gateway, the crewed space station that will serve as a base for lunar exploration. MHI is committed to successfully developing ECLSS, the core life support capabilities for I-HAB.

The Artemis program, which unites the space agencies from the USA, Europe, Canada, Japan and other countries who developed the International Space Station (ISS), has as its principal objective of “establishing a base for human activity on the moon.” Gateway is considered the centerpiece of the program and will be built in lunar orbit to serve as a habitable transit base for astronauts heading to the moon for lunar exploration.

MHI will develop ECLSS, based on its experience of development and years of operating the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) for the ISS and HTV. ECLSS enables the creation of an environment that allows humans to live in space by supplying fresh air while removing CO2 and harmful contaminants from a confined space. ECLSS is a technology that will be indispensable also for the exploration of Moon, Mars and beyond.

2. Exploration rover development for LUPEX, the Lunar Pole area Exploration program, and Toyota’s manned pressurized rover assessment support

MHI is working on the development of an exploration rover for the Lunar Pole Exploration program (LUPEX), a collaborative program between JAXA and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The project aims to collect data regarding the quantity and quality of water resources on the moon, to determine whether such water can be used for future sustained space exploration. MHI will utilize the results from in-house research to develop off-road vehicle traveling technology that will be used to survey polar areas of the moon where water may be present.

Once completed, the rover will be loaded onto a lunar lander developed by ISRO and launched by Japan’s H3 launch vehicle in the mid-2020s.

The traveling technology and lunar data collected by the rover are expected to be used to support the manned pressurized rover development. Building on technological heritage in spacecraft integration, space environmental resistance and human space stay, MHI is supporting Toyota Motor Corporation and JAXA assessment on manned pressurized rover enabling astronauts to drive on the moon with no need to wear heavy space suits.

3. Supporting an assessment of the cargo transfer vehicle for Gateway, building on the successful flight track record of HTV

MHI has been involved in the development of all nine successful flights of the HTV (H-II Transfer Vehicle) and its successor HTV-X. Building on these heritages, MHI is supporting JAXA’s assessment of the cargo transfer vehicle to Gateway space station.

For more information, visit www.mhi.com/news/23091401.html.

About MHI Group

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group is one of the world’s leading industrial groups, spanning energy, smart infrastructure, industrial machinery, aerospace and defense. MHI Group combines cutting-edge technology with deep experience to deliver innovative, integrated solutions that help to realize a carbon neutral world, improve the quality of life and ensure a safer world. For more information, please visit www.mhi.com or follow our insights and stories on spectra.mhi.com.

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