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MONDAY, JUNE 9, 1986
ACT OF FRIENDSHIP AT EXPO
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A CEREMONY TO NAME THE OPEN SQUARE OF A 1986 WORLD EXPOSITION PLAZA WHERE HONG KONG AND SIX OTHER PAVILIONS ARE LOCATED AS THE +PLAZA OF THREE CONTINENTS+ WAS HELD YESTERDAY (SUNDAY).
HONG KONG'S NEIGHBOURING PAVILIONS AT EXPO '86 IN VANCOUVER ARE NORWAY, HUNGARY, BARBADOS, COSTA RICA, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND AND NOVA SCOTIA. THE +PLAZA OF THREE CONTINENTS+ SYMBOLISES THEIR FRIENDSHIP AND UNITY.
OFFICIATING AT THE NAMING CEREMONY WAS THE COMMISSIONER GENERAL OF EXPO 86, MR PATRICK REID. ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMMES WERE PROVIDED BY VARIOUS PAVILIONS. THE PERFORMERS INCLUDED A STEEL BAND FROM BARBADOS AND GYPSY DANCERS AND MUSICIANS FROM HUNGARY, A CHINESE FOLK DANCE WAS PRESENTED BY HONG KONG.
ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY WAS A WARM-UP DRAGON BOAT RACE WITH THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONERS OF THE PAVILIONS, EXCEPT NOVA SCOTIA, AS DRUMMERS.
THE WINNER - NORWAY WAS AWARDED A BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE. HONG KONG CAME FOURTH IN THE RACE.
THE RACE WAS HELD AT FALSE CREEK WHICH IS ALSO THE VENUE OF THE FIRST VANCOUVER DRAGON BOAT RACES TO BE HELD ON JUNE 14 AND 15.
THIRTY TEAMS FROM VANCOUVER'S BUSINESS COMMUNITY, LOCAL SCHOOLS, ATHLETIC AND SERVICE ORGANISATIONS WILL PARTICIPATE
IN THE EVENT WHICH WILL BE A HIGHLIGHT OF HONG KONG'S PARTICIPATION IN EXPO '86.
THEY WILL COMPETE FOR CUPS IN SIX CATEGORIES: THE SING TAO CUP,
THE HONG KONG TOURIST ASSOCIATION CUP, THE MANDARIN HOTEL CUP, THE CANADIAN IMPERIAL BANK OF COMMERCE CUP, THE EMPIRE STEVEDORING CUP AND THE HONG KONG BANK OF CANADA CUP (CHALLENGER CUP). THERE WILL ALSO BE A GRAND CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY, THE HONG KONG CATHAY PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIP CUP.
THE GRAND CHAMPION WILL REPRESENT VANCOUVER IN THE 1986 HONG KONG DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL RACES.
TEAMS FROM 15 COUNTRIES ARE EXPECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE INTERNATIONAL RACES TO BE HELD IN HONG KONG ON JUNE 21 AND 22.
ANNOUNCING DETAILS OF THE VANCOUVER DRAGON BOAT RACES, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL COMMITTEE. DR S.W. LEUNG, SAID THAT THE COMMITTEE WAS EXTREMELY PLEASED WITH THE ENTHUSIASM AND OVERWHELMING RESPONSE TO THIS TRADITIONAL CHINESE FESTIVE EVENT.
/HE NOTED