Hong Kong Leads Traditional Chinese Medicine Collaboration at Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao GBA Conference in Dongguan.

Secretary for Health attends Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Conference on Inheritance, Innovation and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Dongguan

The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, led a delegation to attend the 6th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Conference on Inheritance, Innovation and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Dongguan today (November 14) to have in-depth exchanges and discussions on Chinese medicine (CM) services, education and industry development with officials from the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (NATCM), the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), Guangdong Province and GBA cities, with a view to fostering collaboration.

Professor Lo said, "The year's conference has its theme on 'Developing New Quality Productive Forces to Facilitate CM Development in the GBA', echoing the spirit of deepening the reform of the medical and healthcare system, and enhancing the inheritance and innovation development mechanism of CM as highlighted in the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. Hong Kong has been participating in taking forward and deepening the construction of the CM highlands and high-quality development of CM in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. Over the past year, the Hong Kong SAR Government fully exploited the advantages of CM and integrated Chinese-Western medicine (ICWM) in the healthcare system that has been adopting both Chinese and Western medicine on a dual-track basis, and significantly increased the number of public hospitals and service points providing ICWM services. The Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute (GCMTI) of the Department of Health also launched the Digital Herbarium for Chinese Medicines website, which is open for use by members of the public, the industry and international scientific research institutions. The Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to introduce innovative measures in multiple aspects, including CM healthcare services and inpatient services, CM standards and application of CM data sources, as well as scientific research, in order to develop Hong Kong into a bridgehead for the internationalisation of CM.

"The year of 2025 will be a notable year for CM development in Hong Kong. By the end of 2025, the Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong (CMHHK) and the permanent GCMTI building will have their services commenced in phases. The CM Development Blueprint will also be released at the end of 2025. I am honoured that it will be Hong Kong's turn to host the 7th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Conference on Inheritance, Innovation and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine next year. I am looking forward to meeting you all in Hong Kong then to witness our key milestones of CM development as well as experiencing the charm of the city as an events capital."

Professor Lo also witnessed at the conference the signing of framework agreements on co-operation in CM talent cultivation by the Health Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government (HHB) and the Health Bureau of the Macao SAR Government with the Traditional Chinese Medicine Bureau of Guangdong Province (TCMBGD) respectively. The framework agreements aim to strengthen the interaction and collaboration in cultivating CM talent and establish a long-term and efficient collaboration mechanism. He also witnessed the signing of various agreements on multiple GBA CM co-operation projects, including the Co-operation Framework on GBA CM Visiting Scholars Programme between the Hospital Authority (HA) and Guangdong Second Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, with a view to strengthening professional clinical exchange and promoting the development of ICWM services.

Representatives of the HHB, the Department of Health (DH) and the CMHHK participated in the plenary session, roundtable discussion and keynote session of the conference respectively to update attendees on the latest developments and policy visions of CM in Hong Kong, the city's effort in contributing to the nation's promotion of the internationalisation of CM, the future development of the CMHHK, etc.

In the afternoon, some members of the delegation attended the meeting on the co-operation mechanism of the construction of CM highlands in the GBA convened by the NATCM to exchange views on the latest developments of the construction of CM highlands in the GBA.

The next conference will be held in Hong Kong. A representative of the TCMBGD handed over the conference flag to a representative of the HHB at the closing ceremony of the conference.

Co-organised by the TCMBGD, the HHB, the Health Bureau of the Macao SAR Government and the Dongguan Municipal People's Government, this year's conference aims to press ahead with the in-depth integration of CM development in the GBA and the full implementation of the Outline Development Plan for the GBA and the Construction Plan for the Chinese Medicine Highlands in the GBA (2020-2025).

Members of the Hong Kong delegation included the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam; the Project Director of the Chinese Medicine Hospital Project Office of the HHB, Dr Cheung Wai-lun; the Commissioner for Chinese Medicine Development of the HHB, Dr Vincent Chung; the Assistant Director of Health (Chinese Medicine), Dr Edmund Fong; and the Chief Executive of the HA, Dr Tony Ko; as well as a number of officials of the HHB, the DH and the HA. The Hospital Chief Executive of the CMHHK, Professor Bian Zhaoxiang, also joined the delegation for the conference.

Secretary for Health attends Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Conference on Inheritance, Innovation and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Dongguan Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health attends Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Conference on Inheritance, Innovation and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Dongguan Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health attends Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Conference on Inheritance, Innovation and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Dongguan Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health attends Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Conference on Inheritance, Innovation and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Dongguan Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health attends Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Conference on Inheritance, Innovation and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Dongguan Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Lunar New Year fair stalls for rent at upset prices starting November 21

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) announced today (November 14) that 87 Lunar New Year (LNY) fair stalls which were not taken at auctions held earlier would be available to the public for renting at their upset prices from November 21 to 27, on a first-come, first-served basis.

​The LNY fairs will be held from January 23 to 29, 2025. The above mentioned stalls are seven fast food stalls, 18 wet goods stalls, seven large size dry goods stalls and 55 regular size dry goods stalls. Locations and prices are as follows:

Fair venues

Nature of stalls

Number of stalls

Let out price per one stall

Victoria Park (Causeway Bay)

Dry goods (regular size)

Dry goods (large size)

8

4

$8,540

$12,810

Tat Tung Road Garden

(Tung Chung)

Dry goods (regular size)

Dry goods (large size)

3

1

$450

$680

Cheung Sha Wan Playground

(Sham Shui Po)

Fast food

1

$2,290

Fa Hui Park

(Sham Shui Po)

Wet goods

Dry goods (regular size)

7

19

$3,540

$7,800

Tsz Wan Shan Estate Central Playground (Wong Tai Sin)

Dry goods (regular size)

Wet goods

Dry goods (large size)

Fast food

16

11

2

2

$1,370

$1,500

$2,060

$5,000

Kwun Tong Recreation Ground (Kwun Tong)

Fast food

1

$3,030

Tin Hau Temple Fung Shui Square (Tai Po)

Fast food

1

$5,480

Po Hong Park (Tseung Kwan O)

Dry goods (regular size)

Fast food

8

2

$1,540

$4,570

Yuen Wo Playground (Sha Tin)

Dry goods (regular size)

1

$4,570

​The number of remaining stalls may be subject to change and the actual number of stalls available for renting will be released on November 21.

​People who are interested in renting a stall should approach the following FEHD offices, as appropriate, to apply in person from 9.30am to 12.30pm or 2.30pm to 4.30pm during the abovementioned renting period:

Fair venues

Address of handling office

Telephone number

Victoria Park

(Causeway Bay)

8/F, Lockhart Road Municipal Services Building, 225 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

2879 5706

Tat Tung Road Garden (Tung Chung)

Room 626, 6/F, Harbour Building, 38 Pier Road, Central, Hong Kong

2852 4549

Cheung Sha Wan Playground

(Sham Shui Po)

Fa Hui Park

(Sham Shui Po)

Tsz Wan Shan Estate Central Playground (Wong Tai Sin)

Kwun Tong Recreation Ground (Kwun Tong)

Room 301-302, 3/F, FEHD Nam Cheong Offices and Vehicle Depot, 87 Yen Chow Street West, Kowloon

2309 2086

Tin Hau Temple Fung Shui Square (Tai Po)

3/F, Tai Po Complex, 8 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po, New Territories

3183 9119

Po Hong Park

(Tseung Kwan O)

7/F, Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex, 38 Pui Shing Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories

3740 5100

Yuen Wo Playground (Sha Tin)

Units 1201-1207 and 1220-1221, Level 12, Tower 1, Grand Central Plaza, 138 Sha Tin Rural Committee Road, Sha Tin, New Territories

2634 0136

Applicants must be at least 18 years old and ordinarily reside in Hong Kong. Each applicant may select only one stall at a time. Successful applicants shall comply with all the stipulations and provisions as set out in the licence agreement. An FEHD spokesman stressed that the public should not assign, sublet, transfer or otherwise part with any of the benefits or obligations of the licence agreement of the LNY fair stalls. Otherwise, the department is entitled to terminate the agreement and the licensee shall immediately vacate the stall.

All fair sites will be made available to the licensees three days in advance of the fairs (from January 20 to 22, 2025) for the setting up of stalls. In the event of any unforeseeable incident that will cause a shortening of the whole licence period (including the duration for setting up stalls and the business period of the fair), the Government has the right to postpone the commencement date and shorten the duration of the period. The let out price (licence fee) paid will be refunded to the licensee on a pro-rata basis without interest.

Stall licensees must completely remove the stall structure and all paraphernalia, together with all refuse, debris and unsold commodities (whether damaged or otherwise), from the licensed area before 7am on January 29, 2025 (9am for the Victoria Park LNY Fair).

The FEHD reminded licensees that the stalls are solely for the purpose of selling and promoting the sale of the permitted commodities, and no other activities are allowed in the licensed area. If the FEHD considers that any activity conducted by the licensee to publicise, promote, display, show or sell any permitted commodities in the venue is unlawful, contrary to the interest of national security, immoral or incompatible with the object of the LNY fair, the FEHD is entitled to direct the licensee to stop conducting such activities and the licensee must immediately comply with the direction.

Stall licensees should not destroy, damage or abandon any unsold commodities at or in the vicinity of the stall.They may surrender unsold flowers and plants left behind at the stall to the FEHD at no charge, cost or compensation whatsoever, before 7am on January 29, 2025 (9am for the Victoria Park LNY Fair).

According to the licence agreement, except inside designated stalls, licensees must not keep, store or use any compressed helium cylinder in the licensed area. Whereas licensees of the designated stalls may keep, store or use helium cylinders in the licensed area, the quantity of helium should be such that a licence is not required pursuant to the Dangerous Goods (Application and Exemption) Regulation 2012 (Cap. 295E), i.e. equivalent to 150 litres of helium. Sales of floatable LED glowing balloons and aquarium fish by stall licensees are prohibited at the LNY fairs.

In addition, as stated in the licence agreement, the height of dry goods stalls must not exceed 3 metres from ground level. The height of wet goods stalls and fast food stalls must not exceed 4.5m from ground level. For wet goods stalls and fast food stalls with a height of more than 3m from ground level, the licensee must, at his own costs, provide the FEHD with the original certificate issued by an authorised person, a registered structural engineer, or a competent person under the Construction Sites (Safety) Regulations (Cap. 59I) to certify the structural safety of the structure in the licensed area before the fair is opened to the public. The licensee must also affix a copy of the aforesaid certificate on the structure of the stall.

Public notices and details of the renting of 2025 LNY fair remaining stalls on a first-come, first-served basis are available atthe FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk) or call the FEHD hotline at 2868 0000.