With the sweltering summer days right around the corner, let’s take a walk to the harbourfront in the evening, to feel the sea breeze caressing your face and watch the tides come and go. Embroidering the breathtaking scenery at both sides of Victoria Harbour are visitors taking leisure strolls and children running around and laughing loud. This is our picturesque harbourfront in summertime.

To bring vibrancy to our harbourfront, we are providing a wealth of active and calming activities at the harbourfront areas.  With the support of the Central and Western District Council and the Harbourfront Commission, the Government let out a waterfront site at the Central harbourfront in 2013 to operators for organising events and activities under a three-year short-term tenancy. As stipulated in the tenancy agreement, a minimum of 120 days per year would have to be allocated for organising activities in which people from all walks of life could participate for free.

The free public event held at the Central Harbourfront Event Space this summer, “Summerfest@Central Harbourfront”, was kick started by the “Botero in Hong Kong” exhibition. The exhibition features nine monumental sculptures, including “Woman with Cigarette”, one of the most famous works by Fernando Botero, a world-renowned Colombian artist who is famous for his paintings and sculptures.  Members of the public can get into direct contact with the unique creation of this world-class artist.  As the two-month exhibition is closing at 9 pm tonight, those who are interested must grasp this last chance to see these masterpieces.

Apart from the sculpture exhibition, marquees, deck chairs and other amenity facilities are available for public use. You can come here to play table tennis, badminton or giant board games, and enjoy other recreational facilities for free. If you have time to take a walk around here, you will see different people having fun in their own ways, some posing for pictures like the sculptures, some playing table tennis, and youngsters singing and playing the guitar.  Many others chill and chat on the grass.  This is exactly what “place making” aims to achieve.

The Central Harbourfront Event Space has another characteristic of being highly versatile to accommodate the hosting of a variety of events: it can become a place for hundreds of primary school students to “fight” on chessboards; a war game battlefield for kids and adults shooting foam darts; or a yoga practice field for office workers. Handicraft bazaar, which has gained much popularity in town in recent years, is almost a regular event at the harbourfront, where emerging artists and designers showcase their work and pursue a career.

In the remaining two weeks of the summer vacation, the harbourfront still has a lot to offer.  For nine consecutive days starting from yesterday, RunOurCity Foundation Ltd is organising a series of activities at the Central Harbourfront Event Space to get everyone to go outside and exercise. In particular, for the “Tuesday Break” to be held the day after tomorrow, the organiser will introduce to runners the spots within the Central and Western District carrying myths of death culture in Hong Kong.  This is an attempt to get people to play sports, know their community, and learn about life and death all in one go. Registration is required for some of these free activities. More details are available at http://www.cvm.com.hk/.

Endless activities are also going on at the adjoining Wan Chai waterfront. The Ani-Com Park@Harbour“FUN” at the waterfront promenade near the Golden Bauhinia Square that was opened in April showcases works based on 30 Hong Kong classic local ani-com characters. Echoing with the Comix Home Base at Mallory Street, both venues serve to promote the development of local ani-com industry.

On the opposite bank of Victoria Harbour, you will also find venues, namely the West Kowloon Cultural District open space, former Kai Tak Airport runway, Kwun Tong Promenade and “Fly the Flyover01”, and the waterfront in different districts, that host an array of events, such as band and dance shows, bazaars, distance-running to dragon boat racing, from time to time. A large-scale outdoor local music festival was held at the West Kowloon Cultural District this weekend. In addition to performances by local bands and musicians, there were also an art exhibition, a handicraft bazaar, food stalls, as well as fun activities for parents and kids.

The Victoria harbourfront belongs to us all. Sharing a common vision with the people of Hong Kong, we aspire to make our harbourfront a place where we can all enjoy it in our own ways.  As it has always been, it will continue to grow with us and be part of our happy lives and fond memories. We are working hard to let people of different interests find their enjoyable activities at the waterfront; and let their love and passion for our harbourfront areas and Hong Kong continue to grow.