ENG-1976 — Page 11

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Year of the Dragon

Every year has its highlights and its trage- dies and 1976-the Year of the Dragon- was no exception. There were many events which reflected not only the fullness and variety of life in Hong Kong but also the territory's growing importance internation- ally. For the first time ever, the Hong Kong Government hosted the annual Common- wealth Finance Ministers' Meeting, held at the end of September and attended by ministers and senior financial officials from 34 Commonwealth countries. Another 'first' took place in July when 72 of the world's most beautiful girls converged on Hong Kong for the 1976 Miss Universe Pageant. And in the fourth annual Hong Kong Arts Festival, more than 200 over- seas musicians, actors, dancers and other artistes joined with local performers to present a month of first class entertainment. In September, in a different vein, many people attended the mourning services in Hong Kong to pay their last respects to the late leader of the People's Republic of China, Mao Tse-tung. A month earlier, in August, a tropical storm was followed by a landslide which killed 18 people at the Sau Mau Ping housing estate in Kowloon. The worst multi-storey blaze in recent years occurred in Central District in February, when fire gutted the China Building while it was under demolition, but no-one was injured.

Previous page: At the Commonwealth Fi- nance Ministers' Meeting, the opening ad- dress was given by the Governor, Sir Murray MacLehose. Seated are the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Mr Shridath Ramphal (left) and Hong Kong's Financial Secretary, Mr Philip Haddon-Cave. Pictured left are traditional dances by the Hong Kong Schools' Chinese Dance Team, which took part in the 1976 International Festival of Youth Orchestras and Performing Arts, held in Aberdeen, Scotland.

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