Latest news with #CulturalFestivities
South China Morning Post
01-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
From free rides and museum visits to cheap meals, Hong Kong laps up July 1 deals
From free museum visits and tram rides to discounted meals and fun runs, residents and tourists took full advantage of offers by thousands of businesses, braving the frequent showers to revel in the celebrations to mark the 28th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to Chinese sovereignty. Advertisement Rows of bright red national and Hong Kong flags adorned the streets and tourist attractions on Tuesday, as around 3,800 restaurants offered special discounts, hoping to attract diners and boost spending. A parade of about 30 fishing boats along Victoria Harbour drew crowds despite the gloomy weather, while the Star Ferry offered free one-day rides between Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui, an opportunity that many tourists seized to visit Golden Bauhinia Square. The spot, near the Wan Chai ferry pier, features the famous Golden Bauhinia statue, a prominent symbol of the city's 1997 handover. Sinopec, which sponsored the free ferry rides, also set up booths to hand out complimentary panda plush toys and Chinese flags to passengers. Advertisement Among those celebrating was Lili Zhong, 25, a recent master's graduate visiting Hong Kong and Macau with her mother from Shandong province.
CTV News
01-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
Thousands attend Khalsa Day festivities in Regina, marking new year for Sikh community
In celebration of the new year for the Sikh community, different practices and performances took place at this year's Khalsa Day in Regina. (Sierra D'Souza Butts / CTV News) Thousands of people across the province came out to celebrate the annual Khalsa Day festival at Regina's Wascana Park on Saturday. Starting off with a parade, the all-day event marks the new year for the Sikh community through different cultural performances, practices, and activities. 'The official word of the parade is Nagar Kirtan. Nagar means 'city,' and Kirtan means to 'sing the hands of God,'' explained Manmeet Singh, general secretary and spokesperson for Sikh Society of Regina. 'What we are doing here is we are telling people that we are here. We are your neighbours, we belong here, and we all belong to the same human race.' With the event being open to the public and continuing to grow in size every year, Singh said educating others about Sikh traditions is a significant part of the festivities. 'A lot of people don't know about Sikhism. We are fairly new in terms of how old the religion is. Our religion is only 500 years old,' he explained. 'People [may] think we are from a religion or a place that [goes back a long time] which is not the case. We are actually the religion that prophecies the quality of both men and women and equality of all. Nagar Kirtan is saying no matter where you come from, who you are, we are all children of the God.' Aside from small businesses and local vendors, officials from the Government of Saskatchewan, the NDP, the City of Regina, along with members of the Regina Police Service and Regina Fire & Protective Services were in attendance. 'We hope that people take this opportunity to learn more about the Sikh faith, and we are able to portray we are good neighbors and outstanding members of the community,' he said. 'We participate together and bring oneness.' Organizers estimated over 15,000 people attended Saturday's event.
