The 3rd Hometown Market Carnival, organized by fellow townsmen associations, will kick off this Sunday (June 1) and run for five consecutive days at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay. This year's event has expanded to include participation from 30 provincial-level fellow townsmen associations, offering nearly 300 specialty stalls that will showcase over 1.1 million distinctive products from various provinces, cities, and autonomous regions, along with nearly 200 cultural performances.
New additions this year include technology experience zones and a National Games-themed area, where visitors can not only watch androids and robotic dog performances but also try out National Games sports activities. This carnival also welcomes new participation from fellow townsmen associations of Liaoning and Jilin provinces, jointly creating a bazaar event that integrates cuisine, culture, sports, and innovative technology.
300 specialty stalls 'compete in charm'
The venue will feature nearly 300 specialty stalls displaying products from different regions, such as Liaoning sea cucumbers, Xinjiang morel mushrooms, and Inner Mongolian roasted lamb legs. The much-loved "Chinese Cuisine Street" will continue, with 30 food stalls this year offering more local delicacies, including Qingdao draft beer, Xinjiang lamb skewers, Sichuan "bobo chicken", Shanghai crab roe buns, Shaanxi roujiamo, Hunan steamed rice noodles, and Yunnan papaya jelly.
Beyond food, the Hometown Bazaar will present nearly 200 cultural performances, gathering artists from across the nation to showcase their hometown specialties - including Inner Mongolian pastoral songs, Xinjiang song and dance, Wudang tai chi, Sichuan face-changing opera, northeast yangko dance, Guangxi Zhuang folk songs, as well as joint performances by masters of Peking opera, Yue opera, Huangmei opera and Huai opera.
First AI sports experience zone
To attract more young participants, this year's Hometown Market Carnival introduces technology exhibition areas featuring AI-powered health experience zones and VR visual experience zones, along with live demonstrations by robots and robotic dogs interacting with visitors.
Additionally, to support the upcoming National Games, organizers have specially created a sports interactive experience zone on the lawn area, comprising 35 sports experience stalls and 5 interactive zones. Activities include football, baseball, handball, pickleball, bowling, badminton, tai chi lessons, electronic dragon boat racing, and VR table curling experiences, allowing citizens to better understand various sports.
Free admission for children and seniors!
Tang Ching-ho, executive chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Guangdong Community Organizations and overall event commander, stated that this year's event will have two entrances. Adults must use Octopus cards for entry at HK$5 per person, while children under 1.2m, seniors aged 60+ (upon presenting JoyYou Card), and persons with disabilities can enter for free.
Sze Ching-lau, deputy director of the organizing committee and chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of Fujian Associations, noted that compared to previous editions, this year's Carnival features a stronger lineup, more diverse products, richer content, and more prominent technological innovations. The Carnival has become a signature event for fellow townsmen associations to strengthen hometown ties.
He also hopes the event can provide Hong Kong citizens a platform to better understand hometown cultures and the nation's development.
Admission Arrangements
Event Dates:
June 1-4: 11:00-21:00
June 5: 11:00-18:00
Entrances: Victoria Park Entrance 1 (Gloucester Road) and Entrance 6 (Hing Fat Street) soccer pitch entrances
Admission: Adults must use Octopus cards at HK$5 per ticket
Note: Children under 1.2m and seniors aged 60+ (upon presenting JoyYou Card) and persons with disabilities enter free.
(Source: Ta Kung Pao, Wen Wei Po; Journalists: Lawrence, Kang Jing; English Editor: Darius)
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