While the shuttering of the iconic 45-year-old Jumbo Floating Restaurant signals the closing of a chapter, Hong Kong continues to write new ones as it keeps itself ready for the eventual reopening of its borders.
Sha Tau Kok Pier within the Frontier Closed Area was already opened up to registered local tour groups in early June under a six-month trial scheme by the government.
Having been sealed away from non-residents over the past 60 years, a visit to this border town previously required a closed area permit and a guarantee from a local resident.
This positive move ties in with the direction of the Northern Metropolis Development Strategy and to facilitate the tourism development, as well as promote the local culture of Sha Tau Kok and the North East New Territories.
Under this scheme, each holiday will have two sessions to accommodate three local tours per session, allowing travellers to visit neighbouring scenic spots such as Lai Chi Wo and Kat O by water vessels on each holiday during the period.
Between June 3 and August 28, 26 licensed agents will be picked to organise these tours with each comprising no more than 30 persons.
Upon completion of the scheme, the government will then assess and review before further opening up Sha Tau Kok town (except Chung Ying Street) by considering the requisite ancillary facilities and formulating suitable measures.
The city’s newest arts and cultural landmark, the seven-storey Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) held its opening ceremony on June 22 and will welcome visitors from July 2.
Situated in the western tip of West Kowloon Cultural District, it features nine galleries with opening exhibitions jointly curated by the HKPM and the Palace Museum.
For hotels, the MGallery Hotel Collection debuted its first property, The Silveri Hong Kong – MGallery, on Lantau Island. The soft opening of the first Fullerton resort worldwide is scheduled for mid-July this year, and is located next to Ocean Park’s Water World.
