64-492: Southorn Playground is a sports and recreational ground in Wan Chai , Hong Kong . It comprises a football pitch , four basketball courts , and a children's playground. Southorn Playground is bounded by Hennessy Road to the north, Luard Road to the west, Johnston Road to the south, and buildings to the east. It has been Wan Chai's main recreational area since the 1930s. It was named in 1934 after Sir Wilfrid Thomas Southorn ,
128-578: A direct link by road. Prior to the tunnel's opening in 1972, local drivers and pedestrians depended solely upon the Star Ferry services to cross the Victoria Harbour . Linking the main financial districts on both sides of Victoria Harbour, the tunnel carries 123,000 vehicles daily. On the other hand, the thoroughfare Queen's Road East , an extension from Queen's Road West at Kennedy Town, through Queen's Road Central at Central, Queensway at Admiralty, takes
192-655: A library. A new covered basketball court opened at the centre on 5 June 1951. This eastern portion of the playground also hosted the Family Planning Association and the Violet Peel Clinic. By the 1980s, the western outdoor part of the playground was managed by the Urban Council , while the Playground Association managed the covered stadium in the eastern part. To make way for the construction of
256-511: A lunar month. The Wan Chai Khalsa Diwan Sikh Temple is the biggest Sikh temple in Hong Kong. The Asia Area Office of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , along with chapels where multiple congregations meet throughout the week, is on Gloucester Road . Wan Chai offers historical conservation sites including Old Wan Chai Post Office , Hung Shing Temple and Pak Tai Temple . Many of
320-541: A residential building) were built. The Southorn Stadium is an indoor recreational complex, owned by the Hong Kong Playground Association , intended as a replacement for the War Memorial Centre. The Southorn Centre is a commercial building that houses many government offices. The Violet Peel Methadone Clinic is now located on the ground floor of Southorn Garden, while the Family Planning Association
384-531: A southerly route to provide an alternative east–west road link. Due to Wan Chai's early involvement in the British colonial administration, road names were often taken from previous Governors , such as Hennessy Road , and notable people (Gloucester Road, Jaffe Road, Lockhart Road, Johnston Road, Fleming Road, Luard Road, O'Brien Road, Marsh Road, Stewart Road, McGregor Street, etc.). Thoroughfares, Roads and Streets: The MTR Island line runs beneath Hennessy Road ,
448-495: A thoroughfare, in the locality. Due to the large size of Wan Chai, more than 50 entry/exit gates and 8 entrances/exits are set up. An extension project was carried out in the early 2000s; it created two additional entrances/exits, one of which connects to the footbridge network from the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre to the station. Then this footbridge is also interconnected with covered corridor of buildings along
512-505: Is a Hong Kong not for profit organisation. It was incorporated as a statutory corporation , under the Hong Kong Playground Association Ordinance . However, the association was classified as a subvented non-government organization. The Government of Hong Kong is one of the funding source of the association, but the association has its owns governing board. The association has a basketball team that participated in
576-462: Is a higher education institution that trains musicians, performers, actors and dancers, as well as a public venue for drama, concerts, dance, and musicals productions. Every year the academy produces a number of Broadway musicals , including Singin' in the Rain , Saturday Night Fever , and Annie . The Arts Centre, just opposite to the academy, houses a studio theatre, art galleries, rehearsal rooms,
640-494: Is a typically Taoist temple. Inside, there are Buddhist Kwun Yum chapels next to the main altar. People coming to worship Hung Shing Ye could also burn joss sticks to Kwun Yum as well. Villain hitting is another blended ceremony, combining in different proportions Confucianism , Taoism , and folk religion . Some old female "psychics" perform this ancient ceremony under the Canal Road Flyover in particular days of
704-571: Is held in the playground which attracts flocks of Hong Kong basketball fanatics and young spectators. It has also one of the most well-known basketball courts in Hong Kong, and street legends story often start in Southorn Playground. Southorn Stadium (the indoor arena building) was renovated in 2013. Under the Wan Chai Station Lee Tung Street Subway Scheme, a 100-metre pedestrian subway has been built to connect
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#1732848288542768-583: Is housed in the ground floor of the Southorn Centre. Wan Chai District Council and the British Council invited English designer Thomas Heatherwick and urban renewal specialist Fred Manson to improve the playground in 2005. The proposal aimed to redevelop the space through a public art intervention. It was hoped that the project would serve as a model of community participation in public art in Hong Kong. The project aimed to generally improve and update
832-561: Is less priority for a redevelopment proposal which aims at adding value to an existing well-used venue." Southorn Playground was originally one of the designated protest areas for the WTO Ministerial Conference of 2005 (MC6), which was held during 13–18 December 2005 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre . However, the government decided it would not be used for demonstration purposes after taking into account
896-743: Is located at the Wan Chai Police District Headquarters, 1 Arsenal Street. within the Hong Kong Police Headquarters Compound. Maggie Farley of the Los Angeles Times said in 1996, referring to the then Wan Chai Police Station , that the police headquarters was "a stolid, whitewashed building with square pillars and breezy verandas". Esquel Group has its head office in Harbour Centre [ zh ] (海港中心), Wan Chai. Jademan (now Culturecom )
960-474: Is now more diverse with bars, pubs, restaurants and discos . A number of the raunchier bars still remain, however, their doorways festooned with women from Thailand and the Philippines . The famous novel and film The World of Suzie Wong sets many scenes in this area. The bar district has been popular with visiting sailors and navies, when Fenwick Pier, west of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre ,
1024-706: Is the sole ferry operator in the area. Frequent services cross the Victoria Harbour from HKCEC , Wan Chai to the Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui . In light of more convenient and competitive cross-harbour public transportation, the Star Ferry continues to provide an inexpensive option to local commuters. Numerous shipping companies, such as the Anglo-Eastern Group , also have their headquarters in Wan Chai. Wan Chai's Gloucester Road , an east–west trunk route along
1088-637: The Guinness Book of World Records . The sticker pictures on 50 poles of the bridge have been colloquially called the "50 landscapes of Wan Chai" ( 灣仔五十景 ). Lovers' Rock reclines on the hillside of Bowen Road near Shiu Fai Terrace , mid-levels Wan Chai. The rock received its name since it resembles a small, thin column sticking out of the rock base. This special-looking rock is said to have granted happy marriages to its devoted worshippers. Many people are attracted by its reputation. Throughout Wan Chai's history, construction styles have changed according to
1152-514: The 1950s , the pro-Communist underground cell network Hailiushe (海流社) established their headquarters at the rooftop of a multi-story house on Spring Garden Lane . This group was successfully raided by the Hong Kong police . Prostitution had been one of the oldest occupations in Wan Chai. There are numerous historical accounts of women trading sexual services for western merchandise, especially with sailors from trading ships visiting this area. In
1216-653: The 1960s , Wan Chai became legendary for its exotic night life , especially for the US servicemen resting there during the War in Vietnam . Despite rapid changes of Wan Chai's demography due to reclamation and redevelopment, the presence of sex workers operating among ordinary residential areas has continued to be a distinctive feature. Some of the lifestyle was illustrated in past movies such as The World of Suzie Wong . Wan Chai's HKCEC has been home to major political and economic events. It
1280-537: The Colonial Secretary from 1925 to 1936. Though the site is not big, it is often used for district functions such as fun fairs and sports matches. It is also popular among local residents as a place for daily relaxation and socialisation. The land on which the Southorn Playground sits was reclaimed from Victoria Harbour as part of the Praya East Reclamation Scheme during the 1920s. In 1929,
1344-607: The Hong Kong A1 Division Championship . The association also provided many extra-curricular activities to the teens of Hong Kong. The association also known for its ownership of the Macpherson Stadium . The association partnered with the Urban Renewal Authority , made an open invitation to re-develop the site, which the real estate developer would owned part of the re-development, but also bored
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#17328482885421408-526: The Legislative Council of Hong Kong . The next reclamation project in Wan Chai was the Praya East Reclamation Scheme . The coastline was extended to today's Gloucester Road. The reclamation after World War II from 1965 to 1972 pushed the coastline further out to the areas around Convention Avenue and the Wan Chai Pier . The 1990s Wan Chai Development project added additional land, on which
1472-524: The Mass Transit Railway (MTR)'s first line on Hong Kong Island, the Island line , various Urban Council sites had to be borrowed or permanently alienated from the council's purview. The chairman of the council, A. de O. Sales , was adamant that the play areas of Southorn Playground not be encroached upon. In early 1981 the council agreed to hand over two sites at Southorn Playground: a refreshment kiosk in
1536-588: The Second World War , the hospital was revitalised as the Ruttonjee Hospital and became one of the main public hospitals in Hong Kong. The district was home to several well-known schools. One of these schools was established by the famous traditional teacher, Mo Dunmei ( 莫敦梅 ). Started as a shushu ( 書塾 ) in 1919, the school was renamed Dunmei School ( 敦梅學校 ) in 1934 after him. It taught classical Chinese writings and Confucian ethics. In 1936,
1600-760: The Urban Renewal Authority can compensate enough to put them in a new space of equal size. Other concerns involve the loss of building character that make up part of that Hong Kong cultural identity . After the completion of the Central and Wan Chai Reclamation Feasibility Study in 1989, the Land Development Policy Committee endorsed the idea of an ongoing series of reclamation. The reclamation comprises three discrete development areas to be aligned by public parks, namely, Central, Tamar and Exhibition. The urban development of each cell would be further divided into five subsequent phases. As of 2014, reclamation for
1664-537: The Wan Chai District Council 's view that the playground is too far from the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (0.4 km away) and protesters may end up cramming in Wan Chai. The playground therefore was only reserved for MC6-related public activities such as public forums, bazaars and cultural performances. Southorn Playground was a major landmark to senior residents of Wan Chai. Back in
1728-454: The 1950–1960s, it was a place of both work and entertainment. In the morning, labourers (commonly known as " coolies ") gathered in the playground to start their day. In the evening, visitors enjoyed Chinese magic and kung fu performances, as well as street food. Nowadays, senior citizens play Chinese chess there, while young people regard it as one of their favorite spots for football and basketball. The annual Adidas Streetball Challenge
1792-661: The Central area has been completed: the area is largely taken by the new government offices and the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (its old building in the heart of Central has been reverted to its original use as the Supreme Court). The Hong Kong Immigration Department has its headquarters at the Immigration Tower in Wan Chai. The Hong Kong Police Force operates from the Wan Chai District; their headquarters
1856-631: The Chinese Methodist Church ( 香港基督教循道衛理教會 ) moved its building from Caine Road, Mid-levels Central, to Hennessy Road ( 軒尼詩道 ), Wanchai, a thoroughfare of the district running from west to east. This church building became the landmark of the district. In 1998, this building was demolished and replaced by a 23-storey building. During the Japanese occupation in the early 1940s, many bombardments took place in Wan Chai. There were abundant incidences of cannibalism , starvation , torture and abuses of
1920-674: The Chinese Y.M.C.A. and the Rotary Club, respectively. On 1 July 1933, the new Children's Playground Association (today the Hong Kong Playground Association) took over responsibility of these grounds. A public toilet and bathhouse opened on 12 February 1934 at the junction of Hennessy Road and O’Brien Road. A formal opening ceremony was held for the then-Wanchai Children's Playground, officiated by Thomas Southorn and Rotary Club president Ts'o Seen Wan , on 11 July 1934. The playground
1984-480: The Goethe-Institut and a restaurant overlooking the Victoria Harbour . The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), a HK$ 4.8 billion convention centre with an extension completed in 1997, covers over 16 acres (65,000 m ) of newly reclaimed land that added an extra 38,000 m of functional space to the existing convention centre. It remains a venue for international trade fairs, some of which are among
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2048-534: The Metropark Hotel in Wan Chai were quarantined, suspected of being infected or in contact with the H1N1 virus during the global outbreak of swine flu . A 25-year-old Mexican man who had stayed at the hotel was later found to have caught the viral infection. He had traveled to Hong Kong from Mexico via Shanghai. Wan Chai's coastline has been extended outwards after a series of land reclamation schemes. Early in 1841,
2112-523: The Southorn Playground would be re-allocated to the Children's Playground Association – unlike other playgrounds, which remained in government hands in anticipation that the Urban Council would ultimately take over their management. The Children's Playground Association constructed the War Memorial Centre, a welfare and sports centre, in the eastern portion of Southorn Playground. It was completed in 1950 and offered children recreational opportunities as well as
2176-570: The Victoria Harbour, and ends up at Wan Chai Pier. The East Rail line was extended from Hung Hom to Admiralty in 2022 as part of the Shatin to Central Link project, with a newly built station near the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre. Its exits connect to the footbridge network in Wan Chai North which also leads back to Wan Chai station. Tram services run between Shau Kei Wan on
2240-431: The architectural movement at the time. In the 1950s and 1960s , an increasing number of girlie bars and nightclubs were opened in the red-light district by Jaffe and Lockhart Road . The establishments entertained visiting sailors landing at Fenwick Pier . Beyond Gloucester Road is the commercial area developed in the late 1970s and 1980s, a time at which Hong Kong underwent economic development at full speed. At
2304-645: The area is no longer a cove. Wan Chai was the first home to many Chinese villagers living along the undisturbed coastlines in proximity to Hung Shing Temple . Most of them were fishermen, who worked around the area near Hung Shing Temple overlooking the entire harbour. Hung Shing Ye , the God of the Sea, was one of the deities worshiped by the locals. With the growth of the British Hong Kong administration, centred in old Victoria (modern Central), Wan Chai attracted those on
2368-607: The basketball courts. The War Memorial Centre, Violet Peel Clinic, and Family Planning Association in the eastern part of the playground were all demolished to make way for the MTR station that opened on 31 May 1985 as part of the first phase of the Island line. They were temporarily relocated off-site during construction of the station. On top of the station the Southorn Stadium ( 修頓體育館 ), Southorn Centre ( 修頓中心 ), and Southorn Garden ( 修頓花園 ,
2432-527: The biggest in the world: the annual Hong Kong Book Fair in July, food fair and festival, technology exhibitions, and cosplay competitions. The area towards the western end of Lockhart Road , including a small part of the parallel Jaffe Road , is one of Hong Kong island's two main bar districts (the other being the more upmarket Lan Kwai Fong in Central). Once considered primarily as a red light district , this area
2496-526: The coastline was located at Queen's Road East (the area of Spring Gardens and Ship Street). The first reclamation took place and new land was sold to Minister of Foreign Affairs of the British Colony. The project was privately funded and the government did not take part. Soon after, in 1858, the Minister and his salesmen sold the land back to the Chinese after Sir Robert Brown Black was named President of
2560-582: The current HKCEC stands today. Wan Chai is a major hub of foreign and Chinese cultural institutions in Hong Kong. It is home to the French Alliance Francaise , German Goethe-Institut and the British Council (until 2001). Near the waterfront, there are the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and Hong Kong Arts Centre , two of the most popular venues for theatrical and cultural performances in Hong Kong. The Academy for Performing Arts
2624-504: The earliest developed areas in Hong Kong along the Victoria Harbour , Central ("centre ring" in Chinese), Sheung Wan ("upper ring"), Sai Wan ("western ring") and Wan Chai are collectively known as the four rings ( 四環 ) by the locals. Wan Chai literally means "a cove" in Cantonese from the shape of its coastal line, however, due to drastic city development and continual land reclamation ,
Southorn Playground - Misplaced Pages Continue
2688-400: The entire playground is used for carnival fairs, three-player drill basketball contests and hip hop dance competitions. Wan Chai's places of worship represent Buddhism , Taoism , Catholicism , Protestantism , Christianity, Mormonism , Sikhism , and Islam . Despite the wide variety, many religious structures are located in close proximity to each other. Hung Shing Temple , for example,
2752-538: The first areas developed in Hong Kong, the locale is densely populated yet with noticeable residential zones facing urban decay . Arousing considerable public concern, the government has undertaken several urban renewal projects in recent years. There are various landmarks and skyscrapers within the area, most notably the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), Central Plaza and Hopewell Centre . Wan Chai originally began as Ha Wan ( 下環 ), literally meaning "a bottom ring" or "lower circuit". As one of
2816-401: The fringes of society, such as "coolie" workers, who came to live on Queen's Road East . A focal point of development at that time was Spring Gardens , a red-light zone . By the 1850s, the area was already becoming a Chinese residential area. There were dockyards on Ship Street and McGregor Street for building and repairing ships. The edge of Sun Street , Moon Street and Star Street
2880-664: The front of their minibus windshields. Wan Chai is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 12. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money) and the following government schools: Hennessy Road Government Primary School ( Chinese : 軒尼詩道官立小學 ) and Sir Ellis Kadoorie ( Sookunpo ) Primary School ( Chinese : 官立嘉道理爵士小學 ). 22°16′47″N 114°10′18″E / 22.27972°N 114.17167°E / 22.27972; 114.17167 Hong Kong Playground Association The Hong Kong Playground Association (HKPA)
2944-581: The government set up the Playing Fields Committee to study the provision of children's playgrounds. The committee recommended setting aside areas for children, and Thomas Southorn suggested preserving the land between Johnston Road and Hennessy Road as a playground. Two designated playgrounds, the Blake Gardens and the Wanchai grounds (today's Southorn Playground), were allotted by the government to
3008-528: The local population by the Japanese soldiers, including the illegal use of child labour. Senior residents could recall vividly how they survived the hardships: this oral history became an important, first-hand source of the harsh living conditions in Hong Kong under the Japanese period. The Dunmei school was closed during the Japanese occupation period. After the war, the school continued to provide Chinese education for children from families of higher income. During
3072-423: The medium-sized shopping centres are named in numerals, such as Oriental 188, 328, and 298 Computer Centre. These numbers might have come from the earlier days when all prostitution houses were numbered, as they were referred to as "big numbers" ( 大冧巴 , dai lum bah ). There are many commercial complexes and office skyscrapers in Wan Chai. The HK$ 4.4 billion 78-storey skyscraper Central Plaza currently stands as
3136-483: The network's extreme south. More recent tourist attractions include the Golden Bauhinia Square , the site of a daily flag-rising ceremony. This ceremony is enhanced on 1 July ( Handover of Hong Kong ) and 1 October ( National Day of China ). A 3-storey pergola exhibition is built opposite to Li Chit Garden . Tai Fat Hau footbridge also holds an art display of the fingerprints of 30,000 citizens slated for
3200-554: The northeastern part of the island and Kennedy Town on the west, with a circular branch serving Happy Valley and the Happy Valley Racecourse. The tram route runs across Johnston Road and Hennessy Road . Most buses travel in Wan Chai from Admiralty to Causeway Bay via Hennessy Road or, in the opposite direction, Johnston Road and Gloucester Road. Red taxi (urban) services are available to hire in Wan Chai. These can be pre-booked by telephone; however, hailing on
3264-575: The northern coast, is connected to Cross-Harbour Tunnel , the first undersea tunnel in Hong Kong. This tunnel is connected to the south by a direct viaduct from its landing point on Hong Kong Island to the Aberdeen Tunnel towards the southern coast. Connecting Hong Kong Island at Kellett Island (the site of the Royal Navy Club) to a reclaimed site at Hung Hom Bay in Kowloon , this tunnel provides
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#17328482885423328-542: The northwestern portion of the park (now home to a railway tunnel ventilation shaft), and the site of the O'Brien Road Public Toilet, which had been demolished earlier. In 1982, the Southorn Playground Temporary Market was constructed by the Urban Council to accommodate market stall lessees displaced during the redevelopment of the nearby Lockhart Road Market. It was located on the present-day site of
3392-426: The open spaces to be investigated for underground space development potential. 22°16′37″N 114°10′20″E / 22.2769°N 114.1722°E / 22.2769; 114.1722 Wan Chai Wan Chai is located in the western part of Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island , Hong Kong . It is bounded by Canal Road to the east, Arsenal Street to the west, and Bowen Road to
3456-611: The playground, and make it an artwork in its own right. An unnamed developer offered to pay for half the redevelopment while the District Council sought about HK$ 100 million from the government to make up the difference. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department was uninterested, stating, "In view of the keen competition for public resources for the development of much needed leisure facilities in other areas with greater urgency, e.g. new towns like Tung Chung and Tin Shui Wai , there
3520-569: The redeveloped Lee Tung Street with the MTR station. The children's playground and one of the four basketball courts at Southorn Playground have been periodically closed to facilitate construction. Additionally, the Civil Engineering and Development Department has commissioned a study into increasing the use of underground space in densely built-up areas. The study focuses on Tsim Sha Tsui , Causeway Bay , Happy Valley , and Admiralty /Wan Chai. Southorn Playground has been identified as one of
3584-448: The same time, buildings like the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts , HKCEC , and Central Plaza were constructed on the newly reclaimed land. Skyscrapers in Wan Chai include: Many of Wan Chai's older buildings now face a serious problem of urban decay . To tackle the problem, the government has launched a series of urban renewal projects to bring new life into the area. Many local residents have relocation worries such as whether
3648-403: The south. The area north of Gloucester Road is often called Wan Chai North. Wan Chai is one of the busiest commercial areas in Hong Kong with offices of many small and medium-sized companies. Wan Chai North features office towers, parks, hotels and an international conference and exhibition centre. Wan Chai is also well known for its famous night life which has evolved over decades. As one of
3712-700: The street is a more common way of getting a taxicab. Vehicles that carry a green plate at the front of their cars are able to carry passengers across the Victoria Harbour to Kowloon. There are, however, areas with restricted kerbs and designated pick-up and drop-off points in the area. There are two types of minibuses in Wan Chai, the green minibus and the red minibus. In general, green minibuses operate on scheduled service with fixed routes and published fares. Red minibuses run with government licence but on non-scheduled services, casually connecting regular travellers and commuters to specific urban areas across Hong Kong Island . Drivers of red minibuses will display fares in
3776-437: The third tallest building in Hong Kong. Small but free art exhibitions used to be held on the second floor all year round, whereas the first floor connects Wan Chai's footbridge network: the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre at the network's extreme north, Wan Chai Pier , China Building, Harbour Centre, Central Plaza, Immigration Department Tower, Wan Chai Court, Wan Chai MTR station and Johnston Road (the tram line) at
3840-403: Was actually open in some capacity prior to the commemorative opening ceremony – an April 1934 news article stated that the facility already had an average daily attendance of some 275 children. Following the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong (1941–1945), the government endeavoured to rehabilitate the derelict playgrounds of the territory. The Government Gazette announced on 11 October 1947 that
3904-541: Was formerly headquartered in Harbour Centre. Geographically, Wan Chai is the crossing point between the Central and Western District ( West Point / Central ), and the Eastern ( Causeway Bay / North Point ) district. Its thoroughfares connect the main developed areas along the northern coast of Hong Kong Island . The transport infrastructure is efficient, convenient and highly accessible. The Star Ferry at Wan Chai Pier
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#17328482885423968-710: Was in use as a military pier. Southorn Playground on Johnston Road (the tram line) is a meeting place for the locals in Wan Chai, particularly the senior residents. During the prime years of the British colonial administration, coolie workers would convene at the playground in the morning to await employment opportunities. In the evening, the playground became an open-air pitch where people sold food, performed magic and kung fu . Some of those trademark activities still exist through today: senior citizens socialise and play Chinese chess , young people at school play football and basketball , ad-hoc street basketball games that attract flocks of spectators and players. Occasionally,
4032-645: Was the original site of the first power station in Hong Kong, operated by the Hongkong Electric Company , which began supplying power in 1890. One of the first waterfront hospitals was the Seaman's Hospital , built in 1843, which was funded by the British merchant group Jardine's. It was then sold to the British Royal Navy in 1873 and subsequently redeveloped into the Royal Naval Hospital . After
4096-399: Was the site of the Hong Kong handover ceremony in 1997, in which the last governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten , formally concluded the British chapter and transferred Hong Kong to China . The WTO Ministerial Conference in 2005 was also one of the largest international events hosted in Hong Kong, with delegates from 148 countries participating. In May 2009, 300 guests and staff members at
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