Sik Sik Yuen Hosts Lantern Festival Celebrating 75 Years of the People’s Republic of China

ICHO to hold ICH exhibition and activities in Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China - Sik Sik Yuen Intangible Cultural Heritage Lantern Festival to promote Chinese culture

​To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Sik Sik Yuen is hosting the Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China - Sik Sik Yuen Intangible Cultural Heritage Lantern Festival between September 15 and October 6. The Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Office under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, and Wong Tai Sin District Office collaborated with Sik Sik Yuen to organise an exhibition to introduce 12 ICH items inscribed on the National List of ICH from Hong Kong. ICH bearer organisations from Hong Kong and the Mainland are also invited to showcase their unique ICH items through performances, showcasing and promoting the excellence of Chinese culture.

The exhibition will take place from today until October 6 at the Fung Ming Hall of Wong Tai Sin Temple, introducing Hong Kong's items inscribed on the National List of ICH, which include Cantonese opera, Wong Tai Sin belief and customs, Mid-Autumn Festival - the Tai Hang fire dragon dance, Hakka unicorn dance in Hang Hau, Sai Kung, Quanzhen Temples Taoist ritual music, Tai O dragon boat water parade, Cheung Chau Jiao Festival, the arts of the guqin (the craft of qin making), Yu Lan Festival of Hong Kong Chiu Chow community, herbal tea, Hong Kong cheongsam making technique and Tin Hau Festival in Hong Kong. Members of the public can learn more about traditional Chinese culture through the exhibition.

In addition to the exhibition, over 20 ICH bearer organisations from Hong Kong and the Mainland will deliver nearly 100 performances at the Wong Tai Sin Temple Square, showcasing unique and invaluable ICH performing arts to the public. They include Cantonese opera, face-changing of Sichuanese opera, fire dragon dance, lion and dragon dance, unicorn dance, pixiu dance, Hong Kong martial arts, puppet shows, Nanyin and more.

Other Lantern Festival programmes include lectures on intangible cultural heritage with different themes, exploring topics related to the display of ICH, the origins and changes of Wong Tai Sin belief and customs, and the analysis of Cantonese opera drama script. Moreover, there will be workshops and demonstrations hosted by different ICH bearers from Hong Kong and the Mainland, including Wudang martial arts, puppet shows and Cantonese opera movements. They will also demonstrate the technique on sugar-blowing, Hong Kong-style milk tea making, heritage restoration and birdcage craftsmanship. Together with a drone show, and an open day at Wong Tai Sin Temple, the festival allows the public to experience the unique charm of Chinese culture.

Pre-registration is not required for any events, and admission is free. For more event details, please visitwww.icho.hk/en/web/icho/sik_sik_yuen_ich_lantern_festival.html.

ICHO to hold ICH exhibition and activities in Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China - Sik Sik Yuen Intangible Cultural Heritage Lantern Festival to promote Chinese culture Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

ICHO to hold ICH exhibition and activities in Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China - Sik Sik Yuen Intangible Cultural Heritage Lantern Festival to promote Chinese culture Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

ICHO to hold ICH exhibition and activities in Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China - Sik Sik Yuen Intangible Cultural Heritage Lantern Festival to promote Chinese culture Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

ICHO to hold ICH exhibition and activities in Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China - Sik Sik Yuen Intangible Cultural Heritage Lantern Festival to promote Chinese culture Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

ICHO to hold ICH exhibition and activities in Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China - Sik Sik Yuen Intangible Cultural Heritage Lantern Festival to promote Chinese culture Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

ICHO to hold ICH exhibition and activities in Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China - Sik Sik Yuen Intangible Cultural Heritage Lantern Festival to promote Chinese culture Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

16 persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operations

The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted a series of territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations codenamed "Fastrack", "Greenlane", "Lightshadow" and "Twilight", for three consecutive days from March 31 to yesterday (April 2). A total of 14 suspected illegal workers and two suspected employers were arrested.

During the anti-illegal worker operations, ImmD Task Force officers raided 55 target locations, including commercial buildings, massage parlours, residential buildings and restaurants. Fourteen suspected illegal workers and two suspected employers were arrested. The arrested suspected illegal workers comprised four men and 10 women, aged 34 to 59. Among them, three women were suspected of using and being in possession of a forged Hong Kong identity card. Two men, aged 35 and 67, were suspected of employing the illegal workers and were also arrested.

An ImmD spokesman said, "Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years' imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties."

The spokesman warned, "As stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land is prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years' imprisonment. As stipulated in section 20(1)(a) of the Immigration Ordinance, the Chief Executive may make a deportation order against an immigrant, prohibiting the immigrant from being in Hong Kong at any time thereafter if the immigrant has been found guilty in Hong Kong of an offence punishable by imprisonment for not less than two years. Under the prevailing laws, it is an offence to use or possess a forged Hong Kong identity card or a Hong Kong identity card related to another person. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $100,000 and up to 10 years' imprisonment."

The spokesman reiterated that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years' imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years' imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.

According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee's identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker's valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman reminded all employers not to defy the law by employing illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.

Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct an initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) victims. When any TIP indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the ImmD officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP elements, such as threats and coercion in the recruitment phase and the nature of exploitation. Identified TIP victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter or temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.

16 persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operations Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases