XN000022-1995-09-13 — Page 11

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Billed as a day out for the family with something for everyone, the festival will project Hong Kong's vibrant social, cultural and business life. Among the attractions will be the much acclaimed Hong Kong: City of Vision exhibition, highlighting some of the territory's architectural masterpieces and development projects.

After viewing the exhibition in a specially constructed marquee, visitors will be taken on a tour of Hong Kong through a series of promotional videos on tourism, Hong Kong's economic success and business opportunities, and the lifestyles of her people on a bank of television monitors. Staff from the Hong Kong Tourist Association, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and the Industrial Promotions Unit of the Industry Department will also be on hand to distribute literature and answer questions from the public.

Capturing the sporting and cultural aspects of life in the territory will be a series of Dragon Boat races on the Serpentine. Teams from around the world, including Holland, Sweden, Canada, a Filipina all women's crew and the United Kingdom will compete over the two days for prizes and championship medals.

Entertaining the crowds throughout the two days will be the Pipe Band of the Royal Hong Kong Police who, along with a brass quintet from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, are being specially flown in from Hong Kong for the festival. A feature of the Pipe Band's participation in the festival will be when they join forces for the very first time with Britain's Metropolitan Police Band to give a performance on Sunday (September 17).

To add to the cultural extravaganza will be artists and performers drawn from the Hong Kong Chinese community in the UK. Included among them are traditional Chinese dance and theatre groups, Tai Chi and martial arts experts, story-tellers, and for the first time in Britain, performances by eight "lions" and one "dragon".

Games and competitions, and specially designated play areas for children to try their skills at mask making and Chinese calligraphy and paintings will add to the carnival atmosphere of the festival.

Giving that special Hong Kong touch to the event will be food stalls selling Chinese delicacies. Arts and crafts stalls too will be spread around the 14-acre site selling Chinese trinkets and other items.