View as Webpage

Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York

celebrates 35 years of sporting spirit and cultural vibrancy

The annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York (HKDBF-NY) marked its 35th anniversary with a vibrant celebration of sport, culture, and community at Meadow Lake, in Flushing Meadows Corona Park over the weekend (Aug 9 and 10). Started by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York (New York ETO), the festival has grown into one of the largest dragon boat events in the US, and a major fixture on New York City’s cultural and sporting calendar. At the festival’s opening ceremony, Director of New York ETO Maisie Ho highlighted the festival’s unique role in fostering tradition, athleticism, and cross-cultural exchange. She said the festival celebrates cultural heritage, community spirit, and the enduring legacy of dragon boat racing and at the same time, strengthens the ties between Hong Kong and the East Coast of the United States, deepening mutual understanding and friendship. 

Festivities for this year’s HKDBF-NY began on Jul 30 with a traditional “awakening ceremony” in Central Park, where Ms Ho, New York City Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa, and representatives of the festival’s major sponsors participated in the symbolic eye-dotting ritual, to awaken the dragons and bring good fortune to the racers. On Aug 8, the festival's organising committee rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange, further cementing the festival's significance in the city’s cultural and business life. More than 180 teams from across the US competed in thrilling dragon boat races during the two-day event, which also featured cultural performances, music and food.

Hong Kong Ballet’s The Butterfly Lovers set for US premiere at Lincoln Center

A timeless tale of love and eternal hope takes centre stage as Hong Kong Ballet’s acclaimed production The Butterfly Lovers makes its highly anticipated US premiere at the David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center, from Aug 22 to 24. Get ready to be swept away by this breathtaking dance spectacle, reimagined by an international creative team led by Artistic Director Septime Webre, Choreographer-in-Residence Hu Song Wei Ricky, and Mai Jingwen. This visually stunning production follows Zhu Yingtai, an heiress who disguises herself as a boy to pursue her education, and her deep connection with the scholar Liang Shanbo. This award-winning production also features dazzling sets and costumes by Academy Award winner Tim Yip, and an original score, performed live under the direction of renowned conductor Lio Kuokman. Don’t miss this unforgettable celebration of love, courage and cultural legacy, where Chinese tradition meets contemporary ballet aesthetics! Tickets start at $39 and are available online or at the theater box office.

Hong Kong regulators warn against stablecoin speculation

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) issued a joint statement (Aug 14), cautioning against speculative market activities related to stablecoins. The HKMA reiterates its strict licensing standards, in considering applications for stablecoin issuer licence. Expressions of interest, applications, or communications with interested parties represent only part of the licensing process. The public is urged to stay vigilant, exercise caution, conduct thorough research, and refrain from making irrational investment decisions based solely on market hype or price momentum. Companies are also reminded to avoid making misleading statements. The SFC will closely monitor trading and act decisively against market manipulation. Investor protection and market integrity remain top priorities for both regulators.

10th Belt and Road Summit to be held Sep 10-11

The 10th Belt and Road Summit returns on Sep 10 to 11 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Co-organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the summit serves as a premier international platform for promoting business collaboration along the Belt and Road regions. The event will bring together senior government officials, industry leaders and business leaders from across the globe to engage in high-level dialogue on multilateral co-operation and explore business opportunities that shape the future of connectivity and growth.

Hong Kong rises in global Smart City Index

Hong Kong ranks number 8 out of 73 cities, and No. 2 in Asia, in the ISUI Smart City Index 2025 jointly released (Aug 6) by the International Society for Urban Informatics (ISUI) and the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Smart Cities Research Institute of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Recognised for its economy, strong governance and digital services as well as environmental commitment, Hong Kong’s smart city initiatives are gaining ground. Stockholm, Sweden topped the index, which is based on 97 indicators across six dimensions: citizen, environment, social landscape, economy, infrastructure and governance. Hong Kong ranked 9th out of 50 cities in the previous index published in 2023.

Visitor arrivals rose 12% in first seven months of 2025

Hong Kong recorded a provisional 4.39 million visitor arrivals in July, equivalent to a 12% year-on-year increase. From Jan to Jul, total visitor arrivals reached approximately 28 million, also up 12% compared with the same period last year. Of these, 21.3 million were from the Mainland and 6.72 million came from other markets, increasing by 10% and 16% year-on-year respectively. Notably, arrivals from long-haul markets increased by more than 20% year-on-year, driven by strong growth from the UK, the US, Australia, France and Germany. 

Panda twins celebrate first birthday

Hong Kong’s beloved first locally born giant panda twins, Jia and De, celebrated their first birthday in style at Ocean Park on Aug 15. The adorable pair had a “pandastic” time, filled with birthday treats, including a scrumptious cake and plenty of birthday love from their adoring fans. The city was also buzzing with excitement over the birthday celebration, with panda-themed decorations adorning popular landmarks, from MTR stations and the Star Ferry to The Peak.

Hong Kong wins 3 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze at the World Games

Hong Kong achieved its best-ever results at The 12th World Games in Chengdu (Aug 7-17), finishing 29th in the medals table, with 3 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze medal. China topped the table with a total of 64 medals of which 36 were gold. Hong Kong’s gold medalists included Grace Lau (Karate - Women's Kata Individual), Yeung Chung-hei (Wushu - Men's Taijiquan - Taijijian Combined ) and Lydia Sham (Wushu - Women's Changquan - Jianshu - Qiangshu Combined). Cheung Yat-lam (Wushu - Men's Sanda 70kg ) and Kwan Chun-yan (Air Sports - Drone Racing) won silver with Cheng Chun-hin (Waterski - Men's Wake Surf Skim) getting the bronze medal.

Photo credit: Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong’s mid-year population at 7.52 million

Hong Kong’s population was 7,527,500 in the middle of the year, remaining virtually unchanged from a year earlier. A net inflow of 18,200 Hong Kong residents was recorded during the period from mid-2024 to mid-2025. Over the same period, there were 35,200 births and 50,000 deaths. Hong Kong continues to benefit from various measures on talent attraction and labour importation. Over the past few years, many people have moved to Hong Kong from the Mainland and other places around the world. This has offset the impact of natural population decrease, stabilising the overall population in mid-2025, which increased by over 0.18 million compared to mid-2022.

Government rejects US human rights report

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government strongly rejected (Aug 14) the unfounded and biased content related to Hong Kong contained in the US Department of State’s 2024 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. In a statement, the HKSARG pointed out that the US is once again overriding the rule of law with politics and politicising human rights issues. Since Hong Kong’s return to the motherland, the human rights of Hong Kong residents have been firmly protected by the Constitution and the Basic Law. It also noted that laws safeguarding national security have restored normalcy to business, livelihood and the economy and pointed out that every sovereign state, including the US, enacts laws safeguarding national security. In a separate statement (Aug 16), the HKSAR Government strongly opposed any country harbouring of criminals in any form by any country and rejected immunity for illegal acts, stressing that any arrest and prosecution is based on evidence and law, not political stance, and that all individuals receive fair trials.

On Aug 15, the HKSAR Government strongly condemned misleading reports by foreign media including the US-based Cable News Network, on the court hearing of the case of Lai Chee-ying. It emphasised that Lai has been receiving appropriate treatment during his detention, including daily checkups and specialist assessments, as confirmed by his legal counsel. In an earlier statement (Aug 13), the HKSAR Government strongly rejected remarks made regarding Lai’s case, stressing that is inappropriate to comment while legal proceedings are ongoing. It reaffirmed that the custodial environment all persons-in-custody is secure, safe, humane, appropriate and healthy and Lai’s separation from other detainees was made at his own request and in accordance with the law. The Government also reiterated that freedom of speech and press is protected under the law but not absolute, and must align with responsible journalism and legal obligations. 

The Basic Law (BL) is the constitutional document of the HKSAR. It provides the guarantees to maintain our existing way of life, including socio-economic development, the rights and duties of Hong Kong people, the rule of law and other areas. The Basic Law was put into effect on July 1, 1997.

Q: Is Hong Kong an easy place to visit for tourists or international business people? 

A: Yes, very much so. Hong Kong has autonomy in immigration control. It maintains its own immigration laws and procedures and has a very liberal visa policy. As of July 2025, 173 countries or territories have granted visa-free access or visa-on-arrival to HKSAR passport holders. (BL Articles 154; 155)