A flag-raising ceremony is held at Golden Bauhinia Square, Wan Chai, on Saturday. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region erupted into a festive mood over the weekend as residents from all walks of life joined celebrations on Saturday to commemorate the 26th anniversary of the city’s return to the motherland.

Streets, sidewalks and footbridges across the metropolis were immersed in red, with the national and regional flags fluttering side by side. Flag-raising ceremonies were held citywide, while Hong Kong’s iconic trams were decorated with colorful banners, with commuters enjoying free tram rides for five days beginning Saturday. In a long-standing tradition to mark the big day, fishing boats, also decked with the flags, were paraded in Victoria Harbour.

Some residents also marked the anniversary in their own ways. Sprinters clad in matching outfits featuring both the national and HKSAR flags took part in a 7.1-kilometer run in the New Territories.

Residents enjoy free tram rides on Hong Kong Island and on ferries crossing Victoria Harbour on Saturday under the sponsorship of local and mainland enterprises. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

Residents enjoy free tram rides on Hong Kong Island and on ferries crossing Victoria Harbour on Saturday under the sponsorship of local and mainland enterprises. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

The SAR government and enterprises rolled out a host of freebies for the public, including free transportation rides, free access to public sports and entertainment facilities and museums, and discounts at more than 1,400 restaurants.  

Christine Han Dan, a lecturer at the City University of Hong Kong, praised the promotional offers for the special day. “The past year has been good overall, with the pandemic having ended, while local residents can gain wider access to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, giving full play to Hong Kong’s strengths in its geographical location, the economy, technology, healthcare and education,” she said.

Han said she’s also glad to see more graduates of CityU building their respective careers on the Chinese mainland, while mainland students can study at CityU, helping ease the city’s shortage of professionals. She said she hopes the SAR government can offer more initiatives to remove the lifestyle barriers between the people of Hong Kong and the mainland.

The People’s Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison military band performs during its open house on Saturday, with a banner reading “Wishing Hong Kong a better future” set against the Hong Kong Island skyline. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Joy Chen Ying-chang, who founded an agency for overseas education, took his son to a show in Sha Tin, where Chen’s son went on stage to perform martial arts, to the audience’s delight. 

“Hong Kong’s return to the motherland is a big day that’s of great significance to the Chinese nation. It has greatly boosted the economic development of the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, benefiting the city’s stability and prosperity, and improving people’s living standards,” Chen said.

Chen said he was thrilled that his son had the opportunity to participate in the show. The event was highly beneficial to children’s development, offering them a valuable educational experience, he added.

Visitors line up at the entrance of the M+ museum in the West Kowloon Cultural District. The museum offered free public admission on Saturday. (ANDY CHONG / CHINA DAILY)

The People’s Liberation Army’s Ngong Shuen Chau naval base gives a performance during its open house, demonstrating the close ties between the garrison’s officers and soldiers and Hong Kong residents. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Residents pose with sculptures and murals with a Tang Dynasty (618-907) theme during a three-day carnival at Victoria Park. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)

Jacky Ko Chung-kit, who works in the information technology and media sectors, said he could feel Hong Kong being more united, and residents are happier with more preferential policies being implemented for development.

A mainland tourist surnamed Zhang who came to Hong Kong to join in the festivities said the city has gone all-out to attract visitors with so many promotional policies. She said she had enjoyed touring local attractions, including parks, museums and art galleries, in the past three days.

Indoor and outdoor public swimming pools were open for free on Saturday. Apart from free admission to Hong Kong Wetland Park, the Hong Kong Science Museum and the Hong Kong Space Museum, residents could visit seven thematic exhibitions at the Hong Kong Palace Museum and all other exhibitions at the M+ museum for free.

Students of Hon Wah College hold a national flag-raising ceremony ahead of the Hong Kong Outstanding Volunteers Award presentation ceremony on Saturday. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

Residents of Sheung Shui in the northern New Territories take part in a 7.1-kilometer run to celebrate the 26th anniversary of the HKSAR’s establishment. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)

Hong Kong residents board a warship at one of the barracks of the People’s Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison during its open house. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Trams began offering unlimited free rides for five days beginning Saturday, while free rides on MTR trains, its buses and light rail trains were offered for one day. The corporation will also give out 26 annual passes and 71,000 free ride tickets in a lucky draw. Also providing free rides were ferries, including those of the Star Ferry between Tsim Sha Tsui and Wan Chai.

From July to August, 6,000 shops across the city are jointly offering 1.3 million gifts, such as free burgers, cups of coffee and supermarket cash coupons, at the Happy Hong Kong Shopping Festival hosted by the Hong Kong Retail Management Association.

Contact the writers at stushadow@chinadialyhk.com