As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, the streets and alleys of Hong Kong are adorned with colorful lanterns, exuding an air of holiday merriment.
Buying mooncakes and admiring lantern displays are traditional customs for Hong Kong residents during the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on September 17 this year. Celebrations are in full swing, with vibrant lantern exhibitions held across the city, where locals and visitors alike pause to capture moments, snap photos, and revel in the joyous activities together.
"The atmosphere of Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong is particularly rich because it's a day for traditional family reunions. People buy mooncakes, admire the moon, and there are colorful lantern displays in many areas, like at the Victoria Park, the Hong Kong Cultural Center and the Sha Tin Park. People can feel the warm and bustling ambiance everywhere," said Ng Tang, chairman of the Hong Kong Shanxi Chamber of Commerce Limited.
Mooncakes in Hong Kong stores become especially popular, as many residents choose them for family visits and gatherings.
"The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional holiday. As it approaches, many people in Hong Kong start shopping around for mooncakes. Both locals and tourists visiting Hong Kong are eagerly anticipating this festival," said a local mooncake saleswoman.
Mid-Autumn Festival mood spreads across Hong Kong
China's total import and export volume of trade in sports services reached 52.89 billion yuan (about 7.45 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023, said the State General Administration of Sport on Wednesday.
At a press conference in Beijing, Zhou Jinqiang, deputy director of the State General Administration of Sport, briefed on the achievements scored by China since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012.
China's sports sector has achieved high-quality development, with a widespread trend of fitness among the public, remarkable achievements in competitive sports, vibrant youth sports activities, and rapid growth in the sports industry, Zhou said, adding these advancements have contributed to building China into a leading sports nation.
"Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the total scale and added value of China's sports industry have significantly increased, with growth rates surpassing those of GDP during the same period. The proportion of the sports industry in the country's GDP has also continued to rise steadily," said Zhou.
"From 2012 to 2022, the annual average growth rate of the added value of the sports industry reached 15.4 percent, with its share of the domestic GDP increasing from 0.60 percent to 1.08 percent. In 2023, China's total import and export volume of trade in sports services stood at 52.89 billion yuan, marking a 178 percent increase compared to the previous year. At present, China has essentially forged a sports industry system that is led by competitive performances and fitness leisure, with the joint development of sports venue services, sports training, sports manufacturing, and sports media," said Zhou.
China's total trade in sports services reaches 52.89 bln yuan in 2023: official
