From free museum visits and tram rides to discounted meals and fun runs, residents and tourists took full advantage of offers by thousands of businesses, braving the frequent showers to revel in the celebrations of the city’s 28th anniversary of its handover to Beijing.
Rows of bright red national and Hong Kong flags adorned the streets and tourist attractions on Tuesday, as around 3,800 restaurants offered special discounts, hoping to attract diners and boost spending.
A parade of about 30 fishing boats along Victoria Harbour drew crowds despite the gloomy weather, while the Star Ferry offered free one-day rides between Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui, an opportunity that many tourists seized to visit Golden Bauhinia Square.
Near the Wan Chai ferry terminal, the spot features the famous Bauhinia statue, a prominent symbol of the city’s 1997 handover. Sinopec, which sponsored the free ferry rides, also set up booths to hand out complimentary panda plush toys and Chinese flags to passengers.
Among those celebrating was Lili Zhong, 25, a recent master’s graduate visiting Hong Kong and Macau with her mother from Shandong province.
“I was given a national flag and a Hong Kong flag at Tsim Sha Tsui by the staff there. I feel they are very meaningful souvenirs available only on Tuesday,” Zhong said.
