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A new name for the famous Thai water-splashing festival, cat murals and a time tunnel are among the latest proposals by the government's district offices to attract visitors so as to boost the districts' economic development.
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The proposals were tabled by the district offices to their relevant district councils, who had the first meeting of their new term yesterday.
The Kowloon City District Office proposed only one event, which is the annual Thai Songkran festival in April.
But instead of calling it the "water-splashing festival," the Kowloon City District Office proposed what roughly translates to "Thai Vibes Kowloon City with food and water-splashing" -- apparently adapted from the government's earlier "Night Vibes Hong Kong."
The office said: "The event will feature singing and dancing performances, Muay Thai competitions and Thai food. Merchants within the district will also provide discounts for electronic consumptions."
But the office stopped short when it came to the budget of the activities.
Apart from the event, the office also proposed setting up three photo hotspots within the district -- including a 3D painting of a plane taking off from a runway of the old Kai Tak Airport, which will be placed outside Kai Tak Station.
Another photo hotspot would be a 3D painting at the Cattle Depot Artist Village in To Kwa Wan, showing the Cattle Depot and the then-Vehicular Ferry Pier which stopped operation in 1998.
The office also proposed to decorate the Kai Tak MTR station or the Kowloon Walled City Park with neon light decorations -- which is similar to the idea proposed by the Yau Tsim Mong District Office two days ago.
Meanwhile, Sai Kung District Council has suggested painting cat murals within the district, and paving a "starry road" along Wan Poon Path in Tseung Kwan O South to create more photo hotspots for tourists and citizens. Also having the first meeting of their term was the Central and Western District Council, where councillors said they want to set up a huge landmark at Peak Road Garden, but stopped short of any details.
"The Peak is a popular tourist hotspot but there were no big changes throughout the years," Liberal Party's Central and Western District Councillor Jeremy Young Chit-on said.
"If we put up large signs saying 'Hello Hong Kong' or 'I Love HK' for tourists to take photos in front of, this can tell the world that Hong Kong has returned to normalcy," he added.
For house matters, the Central and Western District Council imposed a time limit for councillors' speeches to increase efficiency.
Councillors also called for flexibility after the government required them to pay a certain number of home visits by the District Council chairmen -- who are also the government's district officers -- as councillors foresee challenges when visiting mid- to high-income families in the district
