XN000022-1979-03-05 — Page 2

MONDAY, MARCH 5, 1979

ROUSING WELCOME FOR PRINCE CHARLES IN YUEN LONG

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YUEN LONG'S YOUNG PEOPLE TURNED OUT IN FORCE TO GIVE HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES A ROUSING RIGHT ROYAL WELCOME THIS (MONDAY) AFTERNOON.

MORE THAN 10,000 YOUNG PEOPLE OF YUEN LONG, MOST OF THEM SCHOOL CHILDREN WHO WERE GIVEN A SPECIAL HOLIDAY TODAY, TURNED ON AN EXUBERANT WELCOME FOR PRINCE CHARLES WHO WAS VISIBLY DELIGHTED BY THE SIGHT AND SOUND OF THE RECEPTION.

AS PRINCE CHARLES ARRIVED IN YUEN LONG ON AN OPEN ROLLS ROYCE FROM SEK KONG BY WAY OF CASTLE PEAK ROAD, HE DROVE THROUGH A FOREST OF UNION JACK, PAI LAUS, AND CHEERING CHILDREN. THE PRINCE IN HIS ROYAL AIR FORCE UNIFORM WAVED BACK WITH A BIG SMILE.

PRINCE CHARLES' MOTORCADE THEN TURNED SLOWLY AT THE ROUNDABOUT. THERE WERE MORE CHEERS FROM OTHER SPECTATORS AT VARIOUS VANTAGE POINTS.

THE CARNIVAL ATMOSPHERE IN YUEN LONG WAS MADE ALL THE MORE MERRIER WITH THE SPRING SUNSHINE WARMING THE AIR. THE YUEN LONG FESTIVAL WILL CONTINUE FOR A WEEK TO PROVIDE THE PEOPLE OF THE DISTRICT WITH ENTERTAINMENT TO CELEBRATE WHAT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS THE DISTRICT'S BIGGEST OCCASION+ SINCE THE VISIT OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCESS MARGARET 13 YEARS AGO.

THE MAGNIFICENT SCENE THROUGHOUT YUEN LONG FOR WHICH MANY WEEKS OF PREPARATION HAD GONE IN TO MAKE PRINCE CHARLES' VISIT A MEMORABLE ONE BY THE YUEN LONG COMMUNITY, WAS FURTHER ENHANCED IN THE YOUTH RALLY AT THE YUEN LONG STADIUM.

MORE THAN 5,000 STUDENTS WAVING THE UNION JACK PACKED THE STADIUM AND, AS SOON AS PRINCE CHARLES ENTERED IN HIS CAR, A MASS BAND OF ABOUT 450 FROM THE HONG KONG YOUTH SYMPHONIC BAND STRUCK UP A DRAMATIC FANFARE.

THE BAND WAS POSITIONED IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT PRODUCED

A QUADRAPHONIC EFFECT AT THE STADIUM,

THEN CAME THE CEREMONIAL EYE-DOTTING OF THE 145-FOOT-LONG SILVER DRAGON. SOON AFTERWARDS THE DRAGON POUNCED TO LIFE, TRIGGERING INTO ACTIVITY THE VARIOUS COLOURFUL EVENTS PREPARED FOR THE PRINCE.

THE YOUTH RALLY PROGRAMME, WHICH INCLUDED A FLAG PATTERN, FAN DANCE AND A GYMNASTIC DISPLAY, CONTINUED FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES.

THE PRINCE TOOK MORE THAN 10 MINUTES TO WALK FROM THE STADIUM TO THE ADJACENT TOWN HALL. HE STOPPED REPEATEDLY TO CHAT AND JOKE WITH YOUNGSTERS WHO FORMED A GUARD-OF-HONOUR ALONG THE WALK, THE YOUNGSTERS WERE FROM YOUTH GROUPS SUCH AS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD SCHEME, AUXILIARY MEDICAL SERVICES, CIVIL AID SERVICES, ST. JOHN'S AMBULANCE BRIGADE, AND ROAD SAFETY PATROL.

/THE PRINCE