Speech by CE at opening ceremony of Lumieres Hong Kong
23.11.2017

Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at the opening ceremony of Lumieres Hong Kong today (November 23): Mr Galliano (Vice President of Lyon Metropole, Mr Alain Galliano), Andrew (Chairman of the Board of Lumieres Hong Kong, Dr Andrew Yuen), Simon (Chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Dr Simon Ip), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, Good evening. It gives me great pleasure to join you at the opening ceremony of Lumieres Hong Kong. I still recall that in my previous capacity as the Chief Secretary for Administration, I officiated at the launching ceremony of Lumieres Hong Kong in July last year at Victoria House, the official residence of the Chief Secretary for Administration. Since then, I, and many others, have been eagerly looking forward to this debut in Hong Kong of Lyon's spectacular festival of lights. So I am sure we are all delighted that the long wait is over, and Lumieres Hong Kong starts today, in time to help us celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. And for that, there is a great constellation of individuals and organisations to thank. But let me begin with France, a long-time cultural exchange partner of Hong Kong. Thanks to the dedication of the people from both places, the ties between Hong Kong and France are strengthening over the years in all aspects, including trade and investment, engineering and aviation, design and wine, etc. But let me focus on arts and culture on this particular occasion. Le French May, which was inaugurated back in 1993, has become one of the most successful cultural festivals in Hong Kong. Under the auspices of the festival, we have watched, listened to and tasted the best of the French culture. Today, the team behind this festival, led by Andrew, is bringing us Lumieres Hong Kong. Lumieres Hong Kong is inspired by the world-renowned Fête des Lumières in the French city of Lyon, which began in the 19th century and takes place every December. I am delighted that the Lyon festival not only provides us with the inspiration, but is also partnering with Lumieres Hong Kong. With Lumieres Hong Kong, the organisers including our own Leisure and Cultural Services Department have selected local and international artists to shed their creative light - their video projections, installations and street art - on 16 Hong Kong landmarks: the Cultural Centre's Clock Tower, City Hall, Statue Square, PMQ, Man Mo Temple, the Lan Kwai Fong Amphitheatre and more. While our very own Symphony of Lights spectacular showcases Victoria Harbour, Lumieres Hong Kong embraces Central, SoHo and Tsim Sha Tsui, lighting the way for locals and visitors into the heart of Hong Kong, and into the heart of Hong Kong culture and entertainment as well. It highlights our heritage buildings and the light installations give an extra perspective for us to appreciate their beauty. In addition, music, dance, circus shows, family fun and a world of dining all fall under the spell of the festival's enchanting light. With the objectives to benefit the widest audience possible, and to involve the different communities of Hong Kong, I am glad to learn that Lumieres Hong Kong will host education and outreach programmes dedicated to the young, students and special needs groups. In particular, there will be docent tours for the disadvantaged, in order to promote community engagement and make art accessible to all. Just as important, Lumieres Hong Kong brings overseas and local artists to light. We always seek to raise the profile of our artists through increasing the exposure of their works, as well as their exposure to other people's works. Lumieres Hong Kong expands the frontier of public arts; having urban landmarks as the backdrop of artworks is surely a special experience for our artists. Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, especially to the Chairman, Simon, the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the many others who have contributed their expertise and enthusiasm and money to bring Lumieres Hong Kong to fruition. Thank you for lighting up our city, and providing a wonderful prelude to a joyful Christmas. May I wish the festival a great success and all of you a pleasant evening. Thank you very much. Ends/Thursday, November 23, 2017 Issued at HKT 18:45 NNNN