Vancouver Mayor Proclaims “Hong Kong Cultural & Heritage Day” 

February 4, 2006, took on special significance in Vancouver when the city’s mayor, Sam Sullivan, proclaimed it “Hong Kong Cultural and Heritage Day.” 

Speaking in fluent Cantonese, Mayor Sullivan said, “Hong Kong and Vancouver have long established close economic and cultural relationships, and Vancouver is home to over 200,000 Hong Kong immigrants. The impact of Hong Kong on Vancouver’s culture is far reaching.” 

Mayor Sullivan made the announcement in the presence of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government representatives Ms Lolly Chiu, Deputy Secretary (Culture) of the Home Affairs Bureau, and Mr Bassanio So, Director of the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office (HKETO) in Canada. Also present were the representatives of a 70-member Hong Kong Cantonese Opera and Wushu Delegation led by Ms Shelley Lee.

The five-day “Hong Kong Cultural and Heritage Celebrations” held in early February showcased Hong Kong as a land of diversity and rich heritage, and a business city of vibrant culture. 



Presented by the HKETO in association with the Home Affairs Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, organized by the Canadian Cancer Society of British Columbia and Yukon, with the support of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the celebrations were highlighted by performances of Cantonese opera and wushu, and a Hong Kong heritage exhibition.

The opening ceremony of the photo exhibition, “The Heritage of Hong Kong” was officiated by many dignitaries, including the Hon. Ujjal Dosanjh, Federal Minister of Health; the Hon. Wally Oppal, Attorney General and Minister responsible for Multiculturalism of British Columbia; the Hon. Olga Illich, Minister of Tourism, Sports and the Arts of British Columbia; Chinese Consul General, Chunyan Tian; Director of Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office, Mr Bassanio So; and the Chair of the Chinese Cultural Centre, Ms Kitty Mar.

The exhibition, held at the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver from February 2-17 presented a vivid depiction of 6,000 years of heritage, from archaeological sites of the Neolithic Period to splendid traditional buildings of more recent times. 

The Hong Kong delegation – the largest of its kind to visit Vancouver – also held cultural exchange programs with the University of British Columbia and Vancouver’s Cantonese opera and martial arts groups. In addition, the HKETO and the Hong Kong Tourism Board hosted a dinner for the Vancouver media celebrating “The Hong Kong Connection – Canada and the New China,” a five-part video documentary produced by Rogers OMNI Television, and the participation of the RCMP in Hong Kong’s Chinese New Year parade. 


HKETO (Canada) Director, Bassanio So, expressed his sincere pride in Hong Kong Cultural and Heritage Day. “Hong Kong has 250,000 Canadian passport holders,” he said. “Based on that close relationship, we’ll see more cultural and business exchanges to come.” He pointed out that, along with promoting traditional Cantonese opera and Wushu in Vancouver’s Chinese community, the delegation’s visit also strengthened ties between Hong Kong and Canada, coming after the fruitful visit of Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Mr. Donald Tsang to Vancouver late last year.

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