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Chief executive John Lee Ka-chiu launched the   “Hello Hong Kong” campaign today in an effort to boost the city’s economy after the pandemic. The HK$2 billion scheme offers at least 700,000 free airline tickets to overseas visitors as well as local people. Speaking in a press conference, Airport Authority CEO, Fred Lam Tin-fuk said the “World of Winners” airline tickets giveaway will begin in March. It will first target Southeast Asia, followed by Mainland China in April and then other parts of the world afterwards.  Most of the tickets will be given away in phases by the three Hong Kong based airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, Hong Kong Express and Hong Kong Airlines through promotions such as “Buy one, get one” and lucky draws. Lam said he expects each visitor to bring two to three companions,  attracting up to 1.5 million visitors to the city between March and September.  Visitors staying in Hong Kong for less than 90 days will be offered a “Hong Kong Goodies” bag which will include complimentary drinks coupons worth, cash vouchers and exclusive gifts at local attractions and museums. The “Hello Hong Kong” campaign will also include cultural and sports activities.  “It takes time to recover. It’s impossible to say that Hong Kong will resume the capacity of holding those events to the level of 2018 and 2019 in one day,” said Kevin Yeung, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism. Zhao Yihan, 20, a university student in mainland China wishes to visit Hong Kong through “Hello Hong Kong”. “The flight ticket is a big cost for me, but the campaign may give me the chance to visit Hong Kong for free,” Zhao said. Sarah Emiliana, 22, a Singaporean university student, said a free plane ticket would "really help to reduce the cost of travelling". Even …

Nearly six years ago in Hong Kong, Wan Yee Man, then 17, put on a black dress with rose embroidery detail paired with trending fishnet tights that flaunted her curvy figure. Feeling confident and comfortable, she uploaded a picture on Instagram to promote body positivity, reminding her followers that despite not being “skinny”, she will wear what she wants and that they should too.   Instead of receiving the expected affirming comments, she was met with hate, with a particular classmate commenting, “If she cares, why not just take some time to lose weight? It’s more practical anyway.”    Ping! Her phone notified her of another comment. “I wanted to report as soon as I saw it,” it read. “Agree,” said another, followed by laughing emojis from one more.   East Asian beauty standards have admired fair skin and a petite build for centuries. However, in Hong Kong, which prides itself on an “East-meets-West” philosophy, some women, like Wan, are finding the preference for typically Eurocentric features detrimental to their self-esteem.    Western media, historically with blond, thin and tall women, has shaped local beauty standards. “When a Hong Kong girl is of mixed race, especially if she's Asian and white, Hong Kongers will consider her features very pretty,” Wan said.  This desire to conform to the traditional “ideal” woman has impacted Wan’s self-esteem, causing her to constantly question her appearance and even stop posting online for a while. However, her advocacy for self-acceptance is far from over. “Now, I say fuck it. I don't have to care what people think, I love myself,” she said.   She hopes that Hong Kong will become more accepting toward different body types. “I really want girls to love themselves. Stop saying, ‘I want to lose weight’. If you want to, do it for yourself, not for the …

Students at Fung Kai No.1 Primary School in Sheung Shui joined a ceremony this morning to welcome the return of cross-border classmates. It’s the first time in three years that students from Shenzhen are back in school. COVID-19 travel restrictions between Hong Kong and mainland China meant the children have been learning online. Today’s event began with the raising of the national flag, followed by Chinese Culture Day festivities as part of the Lunar New Year celebrations. Principal Chu Wai-Lam said in his speech that he was excited to greet the students again after three years. “Although it was impossible, I really wanted to give them a hug when I saw them back,” he said. Cross-border students must provide a negative PCR test every 48 hours and book a quota to depart every day. Wang Tiancheng, 11, lives in Shenzhen. “I feel very excited and a little bit nervous to see my classmates,” he said. Rigid quarantine policies meant he was not able to visit his friends during the pandemic. Bu Jingna, who sent her two children to Fung Kai No.1 Primary School, said they are happy to return to Hong Kong. “My children studied online for three years in Shenzhen, so once we had the opportunity to return to Hong Kong, we came back immediately,” she said. Principal Chu hopes that the optimism shared amongst parents and school children today will encourage more students to return in the near future. “We hope our support could give them a normal school life as soon as possible,” he said.