ConsulGenerals message on SG50 Celebrations in Hong Kong

Dear Fellow Singaporeans & Friends of Singapore in Hong Kong

Singapore celebrates a very special year in 2015 as it marks the 50th anniversary of Singapore’s independence (SG50). To join all Singaporeans back home and overseas in celebrating SG50, the Consulate-General in Hong Kong, together with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), the Singapore Association in Hong Kong, and Singapore Chamber of Commerce (Hong Kong) are planning a year of celebrations.  

The major events the Consulate-General is organising are the Singapore Weekend at Olympian City from 26 to 28 June 2015, a Singapore Photograph Exhibition of our first 50 years, a Singapore Film Festival at The Metroplex from 28 to 31 August 2015,a youth initiative, My Singapore My SG50 Adventure!, this youth initiative is for HK youths to learn more about Singapore and celebrate with Singapore young adults and a Musical Concert by the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music at the Hong Kong City Hall on 30 September 2015. The Singapore Association Charity Ball earlier in April was a big success. On 9 August National Day itself, Singaporeans in Hong Kong will have a chance to come together at the National Day lunch organised by the Singapore Association as well as the National Day dinner organised by the Singapore Chamber of Commerce that evening.

The first-ever Singapore Weekend at Olympian City 2 will take place from 26 to 28 June 2015 and will be one of the highlights of the SG50 celebrations in Hong Kong. The 3-day Festival features a variety of fun and enriching experiences relating to Singapore enjoyable for families.  Olympian City will be transformed into a “mini Singapore” as we showcase authentic Singapore cuisine, Singapore’s tourism experience and Singapore companies in Hong Kong. There will be hands-on activities and trivia quizzes. We will set up photo-booths featuring popular Singapore landmark attractions, organize interactive games to experience driving in the Singapore Grand Prix as well as play tennis at the WTA Finals in Singapore.  Special travel packages to Singapore will be on offer.  Singer Vincy Chan will perform Singapore songs at the official opening in the evening of 26th June and the afternoon of 28th June.

Over that weekend, the Consulate has worked on a retrospective photo exhibition entitled “SG50: Singapore’s 50 Years”. The Photo Exhibition takes you on a journey from the founding years to modern Singapore from 1965 to 2015.  These photographs represent shared memories of Singaporeans and showcase key milestones in the story of Singapore.  We are planning for the photograph exhibition which will debut over the Singapore Weekend to travel all around Hong Kong throughout the year.

For those who enjoy the arts, there will be a 4-day Singapore Film Festival from 28 to 31 August at The Metroplex Hong Kong. The Singapore Film Festival will showcase 12 selected award-winning productions from Singaporean directors which cover different genres, from art house documentaries to comedy drama, to suit the taste of diverse film enthusiasts. Featured films include “Ah Boys to Men3 – Frogmen”, “Unlucky Plaza”, “Singapore Dreaming”, “Invisible City”, “Ilo Ilo” to “It’s a Great Great World”.  I am also delighted to share with you that the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YSTCM) will be performing at the Hong Kong City Hall on 30 September 2015.

I hope you can find the time to join some if not all of these programmes and  festivities. Please approach the Singapore Association and Singapore Chamber of Commerce to purchase the 9^th August National Day Lunch and Dinner respectively. Come join the celebrations.

JACKY FOO

Consul-General of Singapore