Hong Kong to ‘innovate, reform and seek development’ in Year of Snake: John Lee

Hong Kong will “innovate, reform and seek further development” in the Year of the Snake to build a bright future, the city leader has said in a Lunar New Year message to residents.

In the one-minute video featuring him and his wife on Tuesday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the snake was “a symbol of prosperity and wealth” in Chinese culture, calling it “nimble and agile”.

“This year, Hong Kong will once again show its agility and resilience with flexible thinking to innovate, reform and seek further development as we strive to build a bright future,” Lee said.

He also said Hong Kong had been “full of cheerful events”, pointing to the arrival of a pair of giant pandas gifted by Beijing and two locally-born panda cubs which would meet the public in mid-February.

In the video message, the Government House was decorated with snake- and panda-themed snacks and ornaments.

Lee and his wife Janet Lee Lam Lai-sim also wished Hongkongers good health, joy, prosperity and fortune in the new year.