75th National Day Celebrated with 10,000 Steps Walking Challenge in Hong Kong and Greater Bay Area

2024-11-01 20:00 Last Updated At：20:08

Walking Together in Healthy Bay Area - "Celebrating the 75th National Day 10 000 Steps a Day Walking Challenge 2024" Kick-off Ceremony

The Health Bureau (HHB) and the Department of Health (DH) today (November 1) held the "Celebrating the 75th National Day 10 000 Steps a Day Walking Challenge 2024" Kick-off Ceremony to promote the health benefits of walking. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), Hong Kong will for the first time partner with the Greater Bay Area (GBA) Mainland cities to jointly promote walking under the theme of "Walking Together in Healthy Bay Area" to mark the celebration. Shenzhen and Zhuhai also held the Kick-off Ceremony of their walking activities today. The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, and the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, officiated at the Kick-off Ceremony, while other officiating guests included Legislative Council Member Mr Tommy Cheung; the Under Secretary for Health, Dr Libby Lee; the Controller of the Centre for Health Protection of the DH, Dr Edwin Tsui; the Chairperson of the Task Group on Promotion of Physical Activities, Dr Lui Siu-fai; the Vice-chairperson of the Task Group on Promotion of Physical Activities, Dr Lobo Louie, and Ms Shelley Lee.

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Walking Together in Healthy Bay Area - "Celebrating the 75th National Day 10 000 Steps a Day Walking Challenge 2024" Kick-off Ceremony Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

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Walking Together in Healthy Bay Area - "Celebrating the 75th National Day 10 000 Steps a Day Walking Challenge 2024" Kick-off Ceremony Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Addressing the ceremony, Professor Lo said, "I sincerely thank the GBA Mainland Cities for their support in promoting walking together on the same day for the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the National Day, as well as promoting a healthy lifestyle among the GBA residents. I would also like to express gratitude for the enthusiastic participation and support in this event from various sectors of community, and I am particularly pleased to meet the 'people of the same age as our motherland' here today (that is, being born in 1949), including the Legislative Council Member Mr Tommy Cheung and Ms Lee Lai-kuen, Shelley."

He emphasised, "Like many other regions and countries, Hong Kong is confronted with the threats arising from an ageing population and non-communicable diseases, and insufficient physical activity is one of the key risk factors of non-communicable diseases, but yet this risk is modifiable. According to the DH'sStudent Health Service Annual Health Report for 2022-23 school year, around 90 per cent of students had an insufficient level of physical activity, i.e. not meeting the World Health Organization (WHO)'s recommendation of doing at least 60 minutes of daily moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity. As for members of the public aged 18 or above, according to thePopulation Health Survey 2020-22conducted by the DH, 24.8 per cent performed an insufficient level of physical activity, i.e. not meeting the WHO's recommendation of doing at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity; or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity; or an equivalent amount of physical activity throughout the week. Therefore, I call on everyone, whether school children or adults, to perform more physical activities. School children could participate in the 'e+ Go to Park' launched by the HHB in collaboration with the Education Bureau, the DH and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD); members of the public aged 18 or above could seize this opportunity to participate in the '10 000 Steps a Day' Walking Challenge."

He added, "Walking is simple form of physical activity and brings plenty of health benefits including maintaining a healthy body weight, improving cardiopulmonary function, strengthening muscles and bones, relieving symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as reducing the risk of chronic diseases."

To encourage members of the public to increase their physical activities, the DH launched the "10 000 Steps a Day" Campaign in 2022. For the second Walking Challenge in 2023, a total of 16 000 people participated, with the total number of steps accumulated exceeding 5 billion.

The Walking Challenge commences today and lasts for one month. In addition to individual Walking Challenge, it also includes a Workplace Organisation Walking Challenge, aiming to raise public awareness of the physical and mental health benefits of walking, encourage friends and colleagues to support each other and walk 10 000 steps daily. Adults are recommended to gradually increase their daily step goal to 10 000 based on an individual's own physical conditions, abilities, pace and circumstances. Any amount of walking is better than sitting, even if the goal cannot be reached yet.

Participants enrol in the Walking Challenge and record their step count during the challenge period through "e+Life", the health challenge platform launched under the eHealth app. Participants reaching a daily average of 10 000 steps during the challenge period can be awarded an electronic certificate of achievement from the "e+Life" platform. For more details about the Walking Challenge in Hong Kong, please visit the event website of the Walking Challenge (www.10000stepsaday.hk/?lang=en) and the website of "e+Life" (app.ehealth.gov.hk/elife-overview).

Asia+ Festival Celebrates Cultural Exchange with Free Performances and Exhibitions in Hong Kong on November 10.

2024-11-01 19:35 Last Updated At：19:48

Asia+ Festival: Asian Ethnic Cultural Performances to showcase diverse cultures of Asian and Belt and Road countries and regions

To develop Hong Kong into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, this year's Asia+ Festival, presented by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), continues to collaborate with consulates general and overseas cultural organisations in Hong Kong to stage the Asian Ethnic Cultural Performances. The event will take place on November 10 (Sunday), from 2pm to 6pm at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza and Foyer, where the cultural essence and artistic talent from over 20 Asian and Belt and Road countries and regions will be featured. Admission is free. Members of the public are welcome to join.

The theme for this year's edition is "Celebration in Splendour". Through folk music, dance, costume display, handicrafts and special delicacies, the event enables visitors to learn about how people of different nations celebrate milestones and important moments in their lives. Highlights include ethnic dances from Cambodia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Laos, Nepal, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Türkiye and Vietnam; as well as traditional musical instrument performances from Kazakhstan, Korea and Kuwait. Of particular note is a 20-plus-member Kuwaiti group who will for the first time fly in to perform a sword dance and Middle East instruments, namely Daf and Mirwas.

Members of the public can also enjoy handicraft displays from Bangladesh, Pakistan and other places, and participate in a vast range of workshops such as traditional dance, headgear making, spoon painting, Christmas decoration drawing, paper umbrella painting, and fragrant sachet making. Japanese sake and snacks from Türkiye and Vietnam will also be available at the food stalls on-site for the enjoyment of visitors of all ages.

Additionally, an exhibition entitled "Sartorial Splendour - National Costume Exhibition" will be held from November 10 to 17 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Foyer. The eight-day exhibition showcases beautiful costumes and accessories that Asian people wear during festive events and celebratory performances. These include wedding attire and ethnic costumes from multiple countries and regions; Kuwait's wedding attire and headdress; Laos' Sinh skirts; Bidayuh, Orang Ulu and Dayak attire from the aboriginals in Malaysia; wedding attire from Myanmar; T'boli ethnic costumes from the Philippines; and Ao Dai gowns from Vietnam. There will also be a trial session of traditional Chinese costumes for visitors to deepen their understanding of Chinese culture.

Along with the aforesaid live performances and exhibition, the Asian Ethnic Cultural Performances will also offer an online programme recapturing the event highlights, to be broadcast on November 24 on the LCSD's Community Programmes Office (CPO) website (www.cpo.gov.hk/activity/en-aecp-2024-carnival/).

Twenty-three countries andregions will participate in the event, including Hong Kong, China; Macao, China; Bangladesh; Cambodia; Indonesia; Japan; Kazakhstan; Korea; Kuwait; Laos; Malaysia; Mongolia; Myanmar; Nepal; Pakistan; the Philippines; Russia; Saudi Arabia; Singapore; Sri Lanka; Thailand; Türkiye and Vietnam. For more details of the event, please visit the CPO website or call 2591 1340.

The second Asia+ Festival is running from September to November, highlighting the arts and cultures of nearly 30 Asian and Belt and Road countries and regions. Apart from stage programmes, there are also thematic exhibitions, an outdoor carnival, film screenings, outreach activities and more, numbering over 100 in total. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2370 1044 or visit asiaplus.gov.hk/2024/en/.

75th National Day Celebrated with 10,000 Steps Walking Challenge in Hong Kong and Greater Bay Area

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