SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1980
HONG KONG FESTIVAL A SMASH HIT WITH BRITISH
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MORE THAN 115 000 PEOPLE YESTERDAY (SATURDAY) FLOCKED TO LONDON'S BATTERSEA PARK TO SEE THE SPECTACULAR OPENING DAY OF THE +HONG KONG IN LONDON+ FESTIVAL.
THE FESTIVAL TURNED UP TO BE A SMASH HIT WITH THE BRITISH PUBLIC WHO CAME SO THICK AND FAST THAT THE PARK GATE HAD TO CLOSE AT 2 PM FOR A SHORT WHILE TO ALLOW MORE SPACE FOR CARPARKING.
THE PARK BECAME VERY HONG KONG. IT WAS FESTOONED WITH CHINESE LANTERNS, FLAGS AND BUNTING AND IT WAS A DAY FULL OF COLOUR, EXCITEMENT AND GLAMOUR.
THE COLOUR WAS PROVIDED BY THREE HONG KONG DANCE TROUPES WHO ENCHANTED THEIR AUDIENCES AND BETWEEN PERFORMANCES, LION AND UNICORN DANCES AMUSED CHILDREN AND ADULTS ALIKE.
AND, AS ALWAYS WITH CHINESE FESTIVALS, ONE OF THE BIGGEST AND MOST POPULAR ATTRACTIONS WAS THE 24 METRES LONG RED DRAGON DANCE WHICH SNAKED ITS WAY AMONG THE CROWD ALONG THE MAIN CONCOURSE OF THE PARK.
THERE WAS MUCH EXCITEMENT ON THE THAMES WITH DRAGON BOAT RACING SEEN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE UK. THE RACES WERE KEENLY CONTESTED AND THE WINNER, THE RICHMOND CANOE CLUB, WON A HANDSOME TROPHY PRESENTED BY THE C. Y. TUNG SHIPPING GROUP.
THE CROWD ALSO FLOCKED TO KEYING II WHICH MADE A CEREMONIAL 'SAIL PAST' IN FULL SAIL UP AND DOWN THE THAMES.
MORE EXCITEMENT CAME FROM MARTIAL ARTS DISPLAYS IN THE PARK AND AMPHITHEATRE WHERE THERE WAS STANDING ROOM ONLY. SOME SPECTATORS EVEN CLIMBED UP CHAINS AND LIGHT POLES TO GET A LOOK.
RESTAURANT OWNERS OF GERARD STREET, SOHO, WHO SET UP ABOUT 50 FOOD STALLS IN THE PARK, WERE OVERWHELMED BY THE DEMAND FOR THE IR SNACKS.
OTHER STALLS IN THE MARKET PLACE ALSO THRIVED SELLING ALL KINDS OF HONG KONG CRAFT PRODUCTS. THE CRAFTSMEN FLOWN IN FOR THE OCCASION WERE ALMOST EXHAUSTED AT THE END OF THE DAY AS THE CROWDS KEPT UP THEIR CONTINUAL DEMANDS.
TOUR OPERATORS IN THE HONG KONG TOURIST ASSOCIATION TENT ALSO RECORDED MORE ENQUIRIES THAN THEY COULD HANDLE.
THE GLAMOUR EVENT OF THE DAY WAS THE CROWNING OF THE MISS FESTIVAL QUEEN CONTEST, JUDGED BY HONG KONG DIGNITARIES, INCLUDING MR AND MRS S.K. LI, MISS LYDIA DUNN, MR LAU WONG-FAT AND MR DAVID FORD.
FROM THE 17 UNITED KINGDOM-BASED HONG KONG GIRLS, THEY CHOSE THE TALL AND SLIM MISS MABLE LIU, A 22-YEAR-OLD STUDENT FROM WOOLWICH IN SOUTHEAST LONDON.
/SHE WAS