SUNDAY, APRIL 11, 1982
1982
**HEN THE ROADS ARE COMPLETED, TRAFFIC ALONG THE SECTION OF TAI PO ROAD NEAR YUEN CHAU TSAI SHOULD BE CONSIDERABLY IMPROVED. HE SAID.
MEANWHILE, WORK ON THE SHA TIN-TAI PO COASTAL TRUNK ROAD IS PROGRESSING SMOOTHLY.
THE COASTAL TRUNK ROAD WILL BE A SEVEN-KILOMETRE LONG HIGHWAY WITH THREE LANES IN EACH DIRECTION FROM THE NORTHERN END OF SHA TIN NEW TOWN TO TAI PO NEW TOWN.
IT IS SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION IN 1984.
YUEN LONG TO CELEBRATE TIN HAU FESTIVAL
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A TRADITIONAL EYE-DOTTING CEREMONY WAS HELD TODAY (SUNDAY) FOR A GOLDEN DRAGON OF WAH YAN TONG AT TAI SHUE HA, SHAP PAT HEUNG, HERALDING THE YUEN LONG TIN HAU FESTIVAL WHICH, THIS YEAR, WILL BE HELD ON FRIDAY (APRIL 16).
THE FESTIVAL WHICH CELEBRATES THE BIRTHDAY OF TIN HAU, THE GODDESS OF HEAVEN, HAS SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE TO BOAT PEOPLE WHO PRAY TO HER FÖR FAIR WEATHER AND GOOD FISHING ALL YEAR ROUND.
PERFORMING THE EYE-DOTTING TODAY WAS THE YUEN LONG DISTRICT OFFICER, MR FUNG KWOK-KEUNG, WHO SAID: TIN HAU FESTIVAL IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS FOR YUEN LONG PEOPLE.
+THE CELEBRATIONS DATE BACK TO THE 17TH CENTURY WHEN YUEN LONG WAS A COASTAL FISHING VILLAGE AND THE RESIDENTS WERE MAINLY FISHERMEN.
+ALTHOUGH YUEN LONG IS NOW DEVELOPING INTO A NEW TOWN AND FEWER LOCAL PEOPLE EARN THEIR LIVING FROM THE SEA, THE TRADITION IS STILL MAINTAINED, HE SAID.
BEING ORGANISED BY THE SHAP PAT HEUNG RURAL COMMITTEE, THIS YEAR'S CELEBRATIONS WILL FEATURE A TWO-HOUR PROCESSION AND +FA PAU+ DRAW.
MORE THAN 7 000 PEOPLE FROM 34 LOCAL ORGANISATIONS WILL TAKE PART IN THE PROCESSION WHICH WILL INCLUDE LION, DRAGON AND UNICORN DANCES, CHIU CHAU GONGS AND DRUMS, FLOATS, TRADITIONAL CHINESE FOLK DANCES, AND FLORAL VEHICLE PARADE.
THE PROCESSION WILL SET OFF FROM THE EASTERN BUS TERMINUS OF YUEN LONG TOWN AT 10.30 AM, ARRIVING AT THE STADIUM VIA FUNG CHEUNG, CASTLE PEAK AND TAI YUK ROADS. THE +FA PAU+ DRAW WILL TAKE PLACE AT TAI SHUE HA AT 4 PM.
IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE CELEBRATION WILL ATTRACT MORE THAN 50 000 PEOPLE THIS YEAR.
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