Hong Kong will mark the upcoming anniversary of the city’s return to Chinese rule with offerings including free tram rides and museum visits, Chief Executive John Lee has said, as he also warned against “hijacking” the occasion.
Speaking at a weekly press conference ahead of the Executive Council meeting on Tuesday, Lee said the raft of giveaways would allow the public to “happily enjoy this joyous date.”
Next Saturday, on July 1, the public will be able to take the tram, Star Ferry and Water Taxi – which serves stops around the harbour and runs between Tsim Sha Tsui and West Kowloon – for free. Fares for a number of ferry routes, including between Central and Hung Hom, and North Point and Kwun Tong, will also be waived.
Meanwhile, visitors can enjoy free entry to exhibitions at the Science Museum, Space Museum, Hong Kong Heritage Museum, Hong Kong Museum of Art, M+ Museum and Palace Museum.
Lee said the government was “taking the lead” in launching the offers, and that he hoped local businesses would also offer promotions to mark the 26th anniversary of the Handover.
Some facilities under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, including most swimming pools, will also be free to use next Saturday.
The coming Handover anniversary will mark 26 years since Britain returned Hong Kong to China to be governed under the One Country, Two Systems framework. The model allowed the city a high degree of autonomy and freedoms not found across the border.
But Beijing’s imposition of a national security law three years ago following the protests and unrest in 2019, and the subsequent disbanding of civil society groups and overhaul of elections to ensure only “patriots” can run, have elicited criticism of the central government’s overreach.
‘Cannot let down our guard’
Traditionally a day of protest for pro-democracy groups, the Handover anniversary has not seen such demonstrations since 2020.
Asked by a reporter how he viewed the possibility of people protesting on the date, Lee said all activities must be conducted “in accordance with the law.”
“We must not forget that there were two years of July 1 celebrations that were hijacked by people who disrupted the peace and did some illegal things,” Lee said. “So we cannot let down our guard.”
“We must do our utmost to happily and joyously celebrate this day that is worth our celebration,” he said. “As for other activities, we must be careful if anyone uses this date to hijack, create a negative atmosphere or engage in destructive activities.”
“We will hold them accountable to the law and we will not allow such things to hijack a date that is worth celebrating,” Lee added.
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