Hong Kong will be immersed in a festive mood as it will mark the 29th anniversary of its return to the motherland on July 1 with a variety of celebratory events and concession campaigns for public transport, arts and leisure, as well as dining and consumption.

Announcing the details at a press conference ahead of the Executive Council meeting on Tuesday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said celebratory activities will take place across all 18 districts, including flag-raising ceremonies, marching performances, carnivals and variety shows.

MTR Corp – the city’s sole rail operator – will give away 71,000 domestic single-journey tickets through a lucky draw and provide Airport Express offers to holders of Child Octopus, Personalised Octopus with "Student Status" and JoyYou Cards. Passengers can ride the tram for free for three consecutive days from July 1 to 3, and also several ferry routes for free on July 1, with vouchers for certain ferry routes to be distributed in advance.

Indoor and outdoor facilities managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department will be open to the public free of charge, including sports fields, public swimming pools, crafts at water sports centers, permanent exhibitions at the Hong Kong Science Museum and Hong Kong Space Museum, as well as the Wetland Park. Designated exhibitions at the M+ Museum and all thematic exhibitions at the Hong Kong Palace Museum will remain open for free. 

From June 14 to 20, members of the public can make ballot applications on the department's booking system SmartPLAY. Each successful applicant will only be allocated one free session, whether through balloting or first-come, first-served booking.

Additional free guided tours, dining, consumption and accommodation offers will be provided from mid-June to early July by the 14 projects under the Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme.

More than 1,000 restaurants and merchants are expected to provide dining offers on July 1, while several markets run by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will roll out various concessions. Members of the public can also enjoy a 29 percent discount on selected products via the "Local Fresh" online store, mobile app or physical store from July 1 to 7.

The Peak Tram, Ngong Ping 360, Ocean Park Hong Kong and Tai Kwun will provide ticket offers, while the Hong Kong International Airport, the Hong Kong Science Park, the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park, various shopping malls and department stores will roll out dining, consumption or parking offers. 

The government launched a dedicated website to provide the updated information about the offers and activities.

Wang Fuk Court owners’ meeting

On Tuesday, the Land Tribunal rejected a request from the government-appointed administrator of Wang Fuk Court, Hop On Management, to postpone an owners’ meeting.

At the press briefing, Lee urged Hop On to act in accordance with the law after studying the tribunal’s judgment and do its best to support the affected families to resume their new lives as soon as possible.

READ MORE: CE stresses cautious use of public funds for Wang Fuk Court flat buyback

The government will continue to provide support, but these matters must be handled by law, the CE added.