The 15th National Games, the first to be jointly hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, along with the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympics Games, will officially open on Nov. 9 and Dec. 8, respectively. Chief Executive John Lee said yesterday (Oct. 14) that he went to Nansha, Guangzhou, last Thursday to attend the flame collection ceremony and brought the flame back to Hong Kong. In early November, the torch relay for the National Games will be held in Hong Kong, Macao, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.
Lee revealed that the SAR government is preparing and planning the torch relay event in Hong Kong. The route will focus on showcasing Hong Kong's cultural and sports characteristics, and the torchbearers will include individuals from the sports sector as well as from different fields. Details will be announced later. He will also preside over the flag presentation ceremony for the delegation today (Oct. 15) and cheer for Hong Kong athletes together with all Hong Kong citizens.
Venues ready with over 16,000 volunteers
According to Lee, after more than two years of efforts by various departments of the SAR government, the Hong Kong competition venues are ready and set to go, with all test events having been successfully and satisfactorily completed.
"The government has developed detailed plans and made full deployments for all aspects of the events."
It is expected that over 4,000 athletes, delegation members, event personnel, media representatives, and others will participate in and cover the events in Hong Kong. The number of domestic and international spectators watching the events on-site is expected to reach hundreds of thousands.
He further stated that the government has formulated detailed venue security plans, including security, crowd and traffic management, and contingency plans. It has also reviewed various competition venues and hotels and developed transportation and traffic plans. Simultaneously, the government has formed the largest volunteer team in Hong Kong's history to support the events. There will be over 16,000 volunteers, aged from 15 to over 80, from all walks of life, serving in different roles during the events.
Lee said that for this National Games, the Hong Kong team will send 600 athletes to participate in 28 events, making it the largest delegation in history. He hopes all sectors of society and all Hong Kong citizens will actively participate and show their support, demonstrating Hong Kong's hospitality and the style of an international city of mega events, and jointly present a simple, safe, and spectacular national sporting event.
Echo from Guangzhou
To welcome this major event, Guangzhou has launched a series of cultural and tourism initiatives, covering urban landmarks, theme parks, integrated cultural, commercial, and tourism complexes, parks, zoos, and rural boutique tourism projects. These will benefit athletes, staff, spectators, registered journalists, and even citizens and tourists.
Among them, the Guangzhou Zoo's new "Giant Panda Pavilion" is ready. Spectators can purchase four types of National Games theme combo tickets for the Canton Tower at a discount starting from 60% by presenting their ticket stubs and their valid ID cards. Nearly 1,000 types of officially licensed retail products for the National Games are available online and offline, and 10,000 sets of creative product vouchers, each worth 300 yuan (RMB), are being distributed.
At a press conference on cultural and tourism measures held in Guangzhou yesterday, it was announced that preferential activities covering "food, accommodation, transportation, tourism, shopping, and entertainment," and integrating culture, commerce, tourism, and sports, will start on Oct. 20 and last until Dec. 20, inviting event participants and tourists from all over the country to share the benefits of the Games and experience the charm of Guangzhou.
Athletes and coaches can visit scenic spots for free!
Liu Yumei, head of the Guangzhou Municipal Culture, Radio, Film and Tourism Bureau, stated that registered athletes, team leaders, coaches, referees, assistant referees, technical officials, and registered journalists for the Games can enjoy free admission to the first ticket at 59 key cultural and tourism venues in Guangzhou, including Chimelong Safari Park and the Canton Tower, by presenting their event credentials and valid ID cards.
Guangzhou has also prepared nearly one million free and discounted tickets, will issue "Dining in Guangzhou" catering consumption vouchers offering different discounts like 50 yuan off for every 200 yuan spent, and has created 50 special routes. At the same time, it is conducting a special market rectification campaign to combat practices such as cheating customers, price violations, and false advertising, allowing tourists to explore Guangzhou at a lower cost.
"The Guangzhou Zoo's new 'Giant Panda Pavilion' is ready and will officially open to the public on October 20," said Chen Xun, Deputy Director of the Guangzhou Bureau of Forestry and Landscaping. The twin giant pandas "Jiu Jiu" and "You You" from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding arrived in Guangzhou on September 16 and have now adapted to their new environment and are in good condition. By then, the Guangzhou Zoo will have four giant pandas - "Xing Yi", "Ya Yi", "Jiu Jiu", and "You You" - on display simultaneously, forming a "national treasure team" to welcome the National Games. Guangzhou will also issue free park tickets to all citizens and tourists, providing about 3,000 tickets daily. Citizens can participate in online draws at specified times through the official websites of the respective parks and scenic spots, with one code per person, first-come, first-served.
Since its launch in January this year, "Guangzhou Gifts" has released over 200 products in 12 series. Recently, "Guangzhou Gifts" has been updated again, mainly featuring two categories: intangible cultural heritage and food. These include the highly anticipated "Yingge Dance" figurine blind boxes, as well as specialty products like the Cantonese flavor gift box and lychee ice wine. Concurrently, National Games ticket stub discount activities and a "special purchase" channel have been launched.
Furthermore, Guangzhou will host events such as the shopping festival and food festival. Major scenic spots are also comprehensively refreshing their scenarios and activities. For example, the Canton Tower will host the "2025 International Urban Cruise Carnival" in mid-November. Guangzhou Sunac Land will create a magical encounter night theme event and launch two major themed play scenarios, among other activities. It invites domestic and international guests and friends to head to the venues, visit the scenic spots, savor the food, and explore Guangzhou, all to keep the "National Games appointment."
(Source: Wen Wei Po; Journalist: Zero Wong, Huang Baoyi; English Editor: Darius)
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