China's Hong Kong Special Administration Region (HKSAR) on Monday held a flag-raising ceremony to celebrate the 27th anniversary of its return to the motherland.
Vice Chairman of 14th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee Leung Chun-ying, HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, officials of the central government office in Hong Kong, HKSAR government officials and representatives from various walks of life attended the event.
China's national flag and the flag of the HKSAR were hoisted at the ceremony in the Golden Bauhinia Square at 08:00 in celebration of the anniversary, while attendees sang the national anthem to salute the rising five-starred flag as the music was played by the band.
Helicopters flew over the Victoria Harbor, displaying the national flag and flag of the HKSAR, and a fireboat sprayed a water-column salute.
Following the ceremony, the HKSAR government hosted a reception at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center.
Hong Kong holds flag-raising ceremony to celebrate 27th return anniversary
Hong Kong holds flag-raising ceremony to celebrate 27th return anniversary
Hong Kong holds flag-raising ceremony to celebrate 27th return anniversary
Hong Kong holds flag-raising ceremony to celebrate 27th return anniversary
A horse farmer in Kazakhstan's capital of Astana shared his memorable experience living in China and learning Chinese, exemplifying how strengthened diplomatic ties between China and Kazakhstan continuously deepened people-to-people exchanges and achieved results in culture and tourism cooperation.
Ernar came to China in 2014 and studied the Chinese language for six years in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
Speaking on horseback with a China Global Television (CGTN) reporter, he stressed that language is a crucial skill due to the increasing involvement of Chinese people and companies in his country.
"A child of my father's friend wanted to learn Chinese in China. I believe Chinese is an important language to learn nowadays," he said.
With deeper official bonds, Kazakhstan has been enjoying a visible increase in Chinese visitors. Ernar also noted that his horse farm business in the suburbs of Astana attracts hundreds of visitors during weekends.
"I heard people speaking Chinese. Then I asked why they were here. I found out that most of them are businesspeople," he said.
He also explained that this year is also the Year of Kazakhstan Tourism in China, and Chinese citizens are allowed to stay in Kazakhstan for up to 30 days for single crossing thanks to the visa-free agreement.
Data shows that Chinese tourists in Kazakhstan have increased more than 10-fold from 2022 to 2023, with many attracted to the country's wide open grasslands.
Kazakh horse farmer embraces flourishing people-to-people exchanges with China
