Celebrating Lunar New Year with tasty food

What better way to celebrate the Lunar New Year than with a lively party? At my invitation, about 30 representatives of foreign chambers of commerce in Hong Kong including those from Europe, Asia, the United States and Australia, as well as 12 representatives from community organisations of Fujian, Guangxi, Chiu Chow and Hainan, the Henan Association of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Beijing Overseas Friendship Association, joined us at Government House this afternoon for an early celebration of the Lunar New Year.

Hong Kong is a gastronomic city as well as a multicultural society. As such, I specially invited members of a Hong Kong team of chefs to come to Government House today to make festive snacks combining Chinese and Western styles. Guided by the team, our guests, my wife and I tried our hand at making deep-fried dumplings. The team, which has represented Hong Kong at many world culinary competitions, won unanimous praise from our guests – Chinese and foreigners alike – for the tasty food they prepared.

At the party, representatives of various community organisations introduced and shared with us some Lunar New Year food from their hometowns, which was enjoyed by the representatives of the foreign chambers of commerce. Apart from food, there was also a performance by the lion dancing team of S.K.H. Tin Wan Chi Nam Primary School with both traditional and modern elements. Although they were young, they were already able to manoeuvre the heavy lion head and perform stunning movements nimbly, winning loud applause from the audience.

While enjoying themselves, the guests of different origins also took the opportunity to talk to each other about how best to use Hong Kong as a super-connector to enhance the economic development of Hong Kong, the Mainland and the rest of the world.

I would like to thank all the guests and organisations for their participation and support. I wish Hong Kong great prosperity and everyone in Hong Kong good health and happiness in the Year of the Sheep.

Representatives of community organisations introduce some Lunar New Year food from their hometowns.		The guests sampling some traditional Lunar New Year food.
Trying our hand at making deep-fried dumplings.		Members of a Hong Kong team of chefs showing the guests how to make local snacks.
The guests enjoy a group photo.

February 7, 2015