A group of women dressed in Tang Dynasty costumes attend a carnival at Victoria Park to celebrate the 26th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, in Hong Kong on July 1, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)

HONG KONG - On Saturday, in the Tang culture experience zone at Hong Kong's Victoria Park, women dressed beautifully in Tang Dynasty (618-907) costumes were dancing happily.

Dressing as a young girl in Tang Dynasty costume, Miss Lee, a Hong Kong resident, took a selfie with her mobile phone against the backdrop of red lanterns under the sun.

Saturday marked the 26th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. Lee and her friends went to Victoria Park to celebrate this special day.

"The decorations here match the Tang clothes so well," Lee said.

67-year-old Hong Kong resident Wan Miu-ling waited two and a half hours in the scorching heat and was finally seated in the makeup section.

"I like the costumes of various Chinese dynasties, and the Tang costumes were the most gorgeous," Wan said she was satisfied with the makeup and hairstyle designed by the makeup artist.

A group of women dressed in Tang Dynasty costumes are to attend a carnival at Victoria Park to celebrate the 26th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, in Hong Kong on July 1, 2023. (PHOTO / CHINA DAILY)

Wan said she loves traditional Chinese culture. "After I retired, I began to study Yi Jing, or Book of Changes, and the Analects of Confucius. I keep studying because I am Chinese," she said.

Such an immersive cultural experience was greatly loved by Hong Kong residents. Many local people flocked to the park to try on Han-style clothing, the traditional dress of the Han Chinese people.

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A woman dressed in Tang Dynasty costume do a makeup to attend a carnival at Victoria Park to celebrate the 26th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, in Hong Kong on July 1, 2023. (PHOTO / CHINA DAILY)

Wang Ning, a representative of the Han-style clothing experience zone in the park, told Xinhua that there were 120 sets of different styles of costumes for people to choose from.

"It seems that Chinese traditional costumes are very popular among Hong Kong people," Wang said.

In another corner, children of different ages sat quietly at the table to do handicrafts.

A sixth-grade primary school student surnamed Lee was making a moon-shaped fan, which was popular in the Tang Dynasty. Lee decorated the fan carefully and wrote the word "peace" in the blank space.

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People attend a carnival at Victoria Park to celebrate the 26th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, in Hong Kong on July 1, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)

"I heard there was a traditional culture experience zone here, so I dressed in my Han-style outfit to join the party," said Chui Wai-sze, a local college student.

"I have been to many places in the mainland and the traditional Chinese culture is really beautiful. Young people in Hong Kong should go to the mainland and experience the charm of different Chinese dynasties," Chui said.