XN000022-1992-09-27 — Page 3

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1992

HONG KONG DRAGON DAZZLES TORONTO CROWDS

TORONTO'S CITY CENTRE AFTERNOON WHILE THOUSANDS OF DRAGON PRANCE ITS WAY THROUGH HONG KONG 192.

STOPPED FOR 90 MINUTES ON SATURDAY CITIZENS WATCHED A 500-FOOT CHINESE THE DOWNTOWN AREA ΤΟ OPEN FESTIVAL

EARLIER, THE PREMIER OF ONTARIO, MR BOB RAE, HAD PERFORMED THE TRADITIONAL EYE-DOTTING CEREMONY, ACCOMPANIED BY A NUMBER OF HONG KONG AND CANADIAN OFFICIALS, INCLUDING THE SECRETARY FOR RECREATION AND CULTURE, MR JAMES SO.

THE NOISY, COLOURFUL PARADE THAT' FOLLOWED THE DRAGON'S AWAKENING CLEARLY DELIGHTED BOTH ONLOOKERS AND HUNDREDS OF ORGANISERS WITH ITS VITALITY AND FESTIVE SPIRIT.

BY THE TIME THE DRAGON REACHED NATHAN PHILIPS SQUARE FOR THE OPENING CEREMONY IN FRONT OF THE CITY HALL, THE EXCITED CROWD HAD SWELLED TO ABOUT 10,000.

IN DECLARING OPEN THE MONTH-LONG FESTIVAL, ENCOMPASSING SOME 150 EVENTS IN FIVE MAJOR CANADIAN CITIES AND EIGHT FRINGE CITIES, THE CHAIRMAN OF METROPOLITAL TORONTO, MR ALAN TONKS, DREW LOUD APPLAUSE IN FURTHER PROCLAIMING SEPTEMBER 26 TO OCTOBER 25 то BE "HONG KONG DAYS" THROUGHOUT TORONTO,

"IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SAVOUR ASPECTS OF HONG KONG CULTURE SELDOM SEEN AND EXPERIENCED OUTSIDE HONG KONG, THE SECRETARY FOR RECREATION AND CULTURE, MR JAMES SO, TOLD AN ATTENTIVE CROWD THRONGING THE SQUARE.

HE SAID IT WAS SIGNIFICANT THAT HONG KONG WAS LAUNCHING THE FESTIVAL IN TORONTO. HONG KONG HAD ALWAYS ENJOYED A CLOSE AND FRIENDLY RELATIONSHIP WITH CANADA, BUT THAT RELATIONSHIP WAS MOST APPARENT IN TORONTO "WHERE THE LARGEST NUMBER OF HONG KONG EMIGRANTS HAD CHOSEN TO SETTLE, WHERE THE TRADE AND ECONOMIC TIES WERE STRONGEST, AND WHERE MOST HONG KONG STUDENTS CHOSE TO STUDY.

*

IN HER OPENING REMARKS, THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF TORONTO, MRS JUNE ROWLANDS, PAID WARM TRIBUTE TO THE CHINESE COMMUNITY OF METRO TORONTO, WHICH NOW NUMBER SOME 350,000.

"OUR TIES WITH HONG KONG HAVE ALWAYS BEEN VERY CLOSE AND VERY STRONG, AND THIS FESTIVAL WILL STRENGTHEN THESE TIES, SHE SAID.

+T

FESTIVAL HONG KONG '92 WILL OFFER CANADIANS A WIDE AND VARIED GLIMPSE OF HONG KONG'S LIFESTYLE, RANGING FROM CULTURAL, BUSINESS, TRADE, SPORTING AND EDUCATIONAL EVENTS TO EXHIBITIONS OF HONG KONG FASHIONS, FILMS AND FOOD.

ARE

THE YING

AMONG THE CULTURAL GROUPS IN CANADA FOR THE FESTIVAL HONG KONG CHINESE ORCHESTRA, HONG KONG DANCE COMPANY, CHUNG THEATRE AND THE FESTIVAL HONG KONG CHILDREN'S CHORUS.

/IN ADDITION