Hong Kong to host carnival at former Tiananmen vigil site for third straight year

Patriotic groups in Hong Kong will hold a government-backed carnival for the third consecutive year during the period running through the 36th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown, with the event set to return to the site where the annual candlelight vigils commemorating the tragedy used to be held.

The five-day “Hometown Market”, featuring some 300 booths from 30 clansmen associations, will be held from June 1 to 5 at Victoria Park, where vigils were held annually on June 4 for three decades until 2019 to remember those killed in the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989.

Publicity materials showed that this year’s carnival expanded to cover themes such as “innovation and technology experience” and “sports competition”, beyond just offering hometown delicacies and cultural performances from various Chinese provinces.

Rock Chen Chung-nin, permanent honorary chairman of event co-organiser United Zhejiang Residents Associations, said the timing and location were consistent with previous years and there was no intention to overshadow the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown.

He also said that this year’s focus on technology was an effort to attract younger attendees.

“Buzzwords like ‘low altitude economy’ and ‘Six Little Dragons’ in Hangzhou resonate with the young people. We proposed to include drone performances to boost engagement,” said Chen, who is also a lawmaker. The ‘Six Little Dragons’ refers to a group of mainland China’s leading start-ups.

As shown in promotional videos posted online by the organisers, a booth from a Jiangsu group would feature a smart piano keyboard, smart ukulele and interactive sport games.