Hong Kong and Macao Yachts Get Temporary Registration Exemption for Greater Bay Area Travel.

HKSAR Government welcomes State Council’s approval of exemption of requirement for guarantee and implementation of temporarily ship nationality registration policies for Hong Kong and Macao Yachts temporarily entering and exiting Chinese Mainland

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today (May 30) welcomes the State Council’s announcement of its approval of exemption of the requirement of a guarantee and implementation of temporary ship nationality registration for Hong Kong and Macao yachts when temporarily entering and exiting the Chinese Mainland through designated ports in the nine cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (the GBA), and only navigating within these cities.

A spokesman for the Transport and Logistics Bureau said, “Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao have been committed to promoting individual yacht travel. To this end, the Marine Department, the Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration, and the Macao Marine and Water Bureau have established the tripartite Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao individual yacht travel working group, which has been actively discussing facilitation measures to advance the development of the individual yacht travel system. Under the new policy, the exemption for the requirement for a guarantee will significantly reduce the financial burden on owners of Hong Kong and Macao yacht when handling cross-border procedures. Meanwhile, the temporarily ship nationality registration allows Hong Kong and Macao yachts to obtain temporarily ship nationality certificates issued by Chinese Mainland without affecting their original ship registration, enabling individual yacht travel within the waters of the nine Chinese Mainland cities in the GBA.”

Meanwhile, the Marine Department is actively co-ordinating with the Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration on facilitation measures for the southbound travel for yachts from the Chinese Mainland. Details will be announced in due course once finalised.

The spokesman added that the Marine Department will continue to maintain close communication with the relevant authorities of Guangdong Province and the Macao Maritime and Water Bureau, and continuously review and refine the facilitation measures for the northbound travel of yachts from Hong Kong and southbound travel for yachts from the Chinese Mainland to foster a healthy, sustainable and competitive environment for the development of the local yacht economy.

Hong Kong ICH Month 2026 kicks off with a Carnival of exciting performances and interactive experiential booths

Organised by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Office (ICHO) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), the second edition of the Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Month opens today (May 30). From today to June 30, a series of activities will be held across Hong Kong giving the public and tourists a greater insight intoHong Kong’s ICH, and enabling them to experience the cultural richness of ICH and the pleasure it brings. With the theme “ICH Around Town”, the Hong Kong ICH Month aims to attain “shaping tourism with cultural activities and promoting culture through tourism”.

Addressing The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: “Hong Kong ICH Month 2026” opening ceremony, the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, said the Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan approved in March this year clearly sets out the need to foster a sound cultural ecosystem, enhance the safeguarding and passing-on of ICH, extend the reach and appeal of Chinese civilisation, and help Chinese culture reach a wider global audience. The ICHO has been making active efforts in safeguarding and passing on ICH. Since last year, it has organised the “Hong Kong ICH Month” every June, in response to the national designation of the second Saturday of June as “Cultural and Natural Heritage Day”. The inaugural Hong Kong ICH Month last year attracted over 160 000 participants. This year’s Hong Kong ICH Month will bring even more exciting and engaging events.

Other officiating guests included the Head of Charities (Culture & Sports Cluster; Community Engagement) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Ms Winnie Yip; member of the Working Group on Patriotic Education under the Constitution and Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee Ms Melissa Pang; the Chairperson of the ICH June and Legislative Council Member Professor Lau Chi-pang; the Chairperson of the ICH Advisory Committee, Professor Ricardo Mak; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Manda Chan;and the Head of the ICHO, Ms Judith Ng.

Kicking off the Hong Kong ICH Month 2026, the ICH Carnival will be held at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza today and tomorrow (May 30 to 31) with thetheme “Unlock ICH · Boundless Inheritance”. The Carnival offers diverse activities including the Tai Hang LED little fire dragon parade, traditional Hoi Luk Fung unicorn dance parade and Pok Fu Lam Village Mid-Autumn Festival fire dragon dance, as well as performances including the Pixiu dance, female lion dance, Nanyin, Cantonese opera, Hakka unicorn dance of Hang Hau in Sai Kung, puppetry, and more.

There are also activity booths where ICH organisations and practitioners will make demonstrative performances. Members of the public and tourists are welcome to participate in the activities for free to personally experience ICH of Hong Kong, including the patterned band weaving technique, lion dance, handmade birdcage, and traditional architecture preservation technique – mortise and tenon. They may also make galvanised iron keychains and try on Cantonese opera costumes. The ICH Mobile Centre “Mobile ICH”is ready to provide participants with more details about Hong Kong’s ICH items. Photo-worthy spots are available at the Wing Chun Fist and fire dragon dance booths. For the first time, the carnival will present a creative market of ICH-related products. For details of the programmes, please visit the website:www.icho.hk/en/web/icho/2026_hkich_month_opening_ceremony_cum_ich_carnival.html.

The Hong Kong ICH Month 2026 is presented by the LCSD and organised by the ICHO, with The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust as the sole sponsor of “Hong Kong ICH Month 2026 The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series” and the ICH June as a strategic partner.