HKETONY honoured by Mayor of Chicago

For more information, please contact:
Melissa Ng /David Hsieh at 212-752-3320
Daniel McAtee at 202-238-6360
Wing Yan Tong at 415-835-9315

May 29, 2009 - Hong Kong, represented by Mr. Donald Tong, Hong Kong Commissioner for Economic and Trade Affairs, USA, was honoured at a reception hosted by Richard M. Daley, Mayor of Chicago, for bringing the best of Hong Kong’s culture to Chicago.

The reception was held to celebrate the conclusion of the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month of Chicago.

Concurrent with the heritage month’s celebrations, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York staged a series of events under the umbrella of “Hong Kong Comes to Chicago 2009” festival and presented various programmes, including Hong Kong film appreciation, Chinese music concert, dine and wine pairing event, exhibitions, and gallery talks, whereby Chicagoans were afforded a look at Hong Kong at close range.

Mayor Daley expressed his gratitude to Commissioner Tong during the reception. He had earlier presented a proclamation to the New York Economic and Trade Office.

Mr. Tong said that he was grateful to the City Government of Chicago for the opportunity to join with ethnic groups in Chicago for the month’s celebrations. The Hong Kong programmes received a warm reception by the Chicago community. Some of the programme recorded a almost-full house attendance.

“We have brought in the best of the best from Hong Kong. Through these program, we have offered Chicagoans an alternative perspective to the richness of the Asian Pacific Region’s heritage.

“Hong Kong has always been an active player in our region, not only in the areas of business and finance. The legacy of our Chinese ancestry, coupled with our unique history of development, has afforded us a culture of our own, colorful as well as special in our own right,” said Mr. Tong.

Drawing on Hong Kong’s successful experience of hosting the Olympic Equestrian Events, Commissioner Tong took the opportunity to present a set of Olympic commemorative gold medallion to Mayor Daley and wished Chicago the best of luck in its bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games.

The Hong Kong Comes to Chicago 2009 is hosted by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York. The month-long festival celebrates Hong Kong’s creativity, entrepreneurship and cultural and economic vitality through an array of art and cultural events, ranging from film series, music concert to exhibitions and gallery talks.