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Brilliance: Ming Dynasty Ceramic Treasures from the Palace Museum, 1368–1644 The Hong Kong Palace Museum is currently holding the exhibition ‘Brilliance: Ming Dynasty Ceramic Treasures from the Palace Museum, 1368–1644’ in Gallery 3. The exhibition features 106 newly loaned masterpieces from the Palace Museum, alongside 7 pieces from the HKPM collection. Most of these treasures of the Palace Museum are on display in Hong Kong for the first time. Among them are 21 grade-one national treasures, including a pear-shaped vase with a “Three Friends of Winter” decoration from the Hongwu period, a dish with dragons among waves from the Zhengtong period, a cup with garden scenes in autumn from the Chenghua period, and a garlic-mouth bottle with birds and flowers among lotus ponds from the Wanli period. Visitors can access this exhibition with a General Admission ticket (admission to Galleries 1 to 7) or a Special Exhibition ticket (admission to Galleries 1 to 7 and to Gallery 8 and/or Gallery 9). Tickets are now available for sale or reservation through the West Kowloon Cultural District’s online ticketing platforms and ticketing partners. |
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Fragrance of Time — In Search of Chinese Art of Scent Date: Now to 16 October 2024 Venue The Special Gallery, 2/F, Hong Kong Museum of Art Fee: $30 (Standard)│$21 (Group)│$15 (Concessionary)│Free (Museum Pass) Details: https://hk.art.museum/en/web/ma/exhibitions-and-events/fragrance-of-time.html |
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Non-Chinese citizens’ travel card set Starting from 10 July, the country’s Exit & Entry Administration will start issuing Mainland Travel Permits for Hong Kong & Macao Residents (non-Chinese Citizens) for non-Chinese Hong Kong permanent residents. The card-type document will enhance convenience of clearance at control points of the Mainland, facilitating non-Chinese Hong Kong permanent residents’ visit to the Mainland for business, travelling, and visiting relatives. All non-Chinese Hong Kong permanent residents will be able to make applications to China Travel Service (HK) entrusted by the Exit & Entry Administration for travelling to the Mainland multiple times within a five-year validity period, with a stay not exceeding 90 days for each visit, without the need to apply for a separate visa for entry. The card’s application, approval, and issuance fall within the remit of the Mainland authorities. |
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Elderly Health Care Voucher Pilot Reward Scheme Starting from 13 November, the Government will launch the three-year Elderly Health Care Voucher Pilot Reward Scheme (Scheme). Under the Scheme, elderly persons only need to accumulate the use of vouchers of $1,000 or more on designated primary healthcare purposes (see below) within the year (from January to December), and they will be automatically allotted a $500 reward into their voucher account without the need for registration. The designated primary healthcare services under the Pilot Reward Scheme include:
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Shared use of health care vouchers between spouses Starting from 28 July (Friday), eligible Hong Kong elderly persons can share-use health care vouchers (Vouchers) with their spouse. In addition, the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme will implement the use of electronic consent and introduce real-time short messaging service (SMS) to give convenience to elderly persons using the Vouchers. For further details, please click here. |
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Use JoyYou Card “Easy Transfer” service to receive the latest round of consumption voucher JoyYou Card “Easy Transfer” service allows you to transfer the services or offers in your existing Octopus, including consumption vouchers. Watch this video to learn more about it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seTdMTfPN8M. |
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Government Subsidised Chinese Medicine Services All eligible Hong Kong residents can now enjoy these Government-subsidised out-patient Chinese Medicine services provided by the 18 Chinese Medicine Clinics cum Training and Research Centres at district level: • General Consultation (including consultation fee and a maximum of 5 doses of CM products based on clinical needs) • Acupuncture • Bone-setting/Tui-na (at designated clinics) The fee is $120 per attendance for eligible persons. By providing valid original identity documents and notification documents of relevant social security, fees will be waived for: • Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients • Higher Old Age Living Allowance recipients (aged 75 or above). Health Care Voucher and discount are NOT applicable for government subsidised Chinese medicine service. For details about making appointments, please click here. |
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Extension of $2 Scheme to persons aged 60 to 64 and three public transport modes The government has announced that the eligible age of the Government Public Transport Fare Concession Scheme for the Elderly and Eligible Persons with Disabilities ($2 Scheme) would be lowered to 60 from 27 February 2022 (Sunday). It will also be extended to cover red minibuses, kaitos and the tramways. To enjoy the $2 concessionary fare, people aged 60 to 64 must apply the JoyYou Card, a Personalised Octopus Card tailor-made for the $2 Scheme, according to their year of birth from 2 August 2021 in phases. Please click here for details. |
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Online broadcast of fitness exercise demonstration videos A series of demonstrations of simple and easy-to-learn fitness exercises has been uploaded onto https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/sfad/2020/freeonline.html. These exercises are suitable for practice by people of all ages and abilities. The public are welcome to view and practise them at home. |
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List of general out-patient clinics with telephone appointment service Should you need to do COVID-19 tests, you can call a general out-patient clinic of the Hospital Authority to make an appointment. The list is as follows: https://www.ha.org.hk/visitor/ha_visitor_index.asp?Content_ID=200263&Lang=ENG&Dimension=100&Parent_ID=10052&Ver=HTML |
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Acrylamide in fried and baked food According to the Centre for Food Safety, acrylamide, a potentially cancer causing chemical, was found in fried and baked food such as biscuits and crisps. A study on these food items revealed that the acrylamide level varies greatly from <10 to 2600 μg/kg. This indicated that there is room for reducing acrylamide level in some of these products. Some wheat based, rice based, soy based food items and nuts, including traditional Chinese snacks, and coffee were generally found to contain lower amount of acrylamide. To minimise the risk of acrylamide, food should not be cooked for too long or at too high temperature. The public are recommended to eat more fruit and vegetables and to moderate the consumption of fried and fatty food. |
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Harvard University offers free online courses Harvard University is offering over 60 free online courses for distant learning. The courses, ranging from mobile app development to public speaking, suit people of all walks of life. Click here link to check the courses currently available. |
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80% of Lip Balm Models Found with Potential Harmful Mineral Oil The Consumer Council tested 45 models of lip balms and found that 80% of them contained potential harmful mineral oil hydrocarbons. The Mineral Oil Saturated Hydrocarbon (MOSH) mixtures content of some models failed to meet the industrial recommendation limit (5%) cited by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment. Twenty-three models contained Mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbon (MOAH) mixtures which may contain carcinogenic compounds. Moreover, 41 models contained fragrance allergens. The Consumer Council advised frequent lip balm users to read the product ingredients carefully and avoid using mineral oil-based lip balm. Before eating and drinking, it is best to remove lip balm first to reduce the chance of possible mineral oil intake. For people who have skin allergic reactions, they are advised to avoid using products with high amounts of fragrance allergens. |
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Prevention of respiratory tract infections Are you worried about respiratory tract infections? If yes, do follow these tips from Centre for Health Protection:
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Health care voucher balance enquiry You can now find out about the balance of your health care voucher via https://apps.hcv.gov.hk/hcvr/EN. Just enter your Hong Kong identity card number, date of birth and a few characters for verification and the system will show your voucher balance. Check it out now. |
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Smart Use of Online Banking The Hong Kong Association of Banks (HKAB) has launched a campaign called ‘Smart Use of Online Banking’ to promote understanding and adoption of online banking among middle-aged and young old people (aged 40-65) in partnership with local social service organisations. The campaign consists of a series of community workshops and educational videos (click here to watch). Interest parties can follow the Facebook page of the HKAB (click here) for event updates. |
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Flat for Flat Pilot Scheme for Elderly Owners The Flat for Flat Pilot Scheme for Elderly Owners, launched by Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS), will open for application starting from 14 October 2019. Under this scheme, owners aged 60 or above who have owned a subsidised sale unit under HKHS for at least ten years with premium unpaid can sell their flat in the Secondary Market of HKHS and then buy a smaller one among the 390,000 flats with premium unpaid in the same market or the Secondary Market under the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA). The scheme is currently applicable to 11 developments under HKHS’s Flat-for-Sale Scheme only, namely Healthy Village (Phase 1), Healthy Village (Phase 2), Ka Wai Chuen, Clague Garden Estate, Broadview Garden, Cronin Garden, Verbena Heights, Bo Shek Mansion, Lakeside Garden, Kai Tak Garden and Kingston Terrace. Apart from owning a subsidised sale unit with premium unpaid, eligible owners must fulfil the following criteria: (1) The owner(s) and listed family members must age 60 or above; (2) The owner must have owned the title of the flat for ten years or above; and (3) During the period from 24 months preceding the date of application submission and up to the time of signing the provisional agreement for sale and purchase of the new flat, neither the owner nor any listed family member has owned, or at any time had owned and sold any domestic property in Hong Kong (excluding the original subsidised sale unit). Application must be submitted to HKHS Flat-for-Sale Scheme Secondary Market Support Unit by post or by hand. Enquiry can be made at the Scheme Hotline 8102-0889. |
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Broadband Service Concession Scheme for Elderly from Low-income Families WebOrganic, a social service provider owned by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, has launched the Broadband Service Concession Scheme for Elderly from Low-income Families in cooperation with Netvigator and the Hong Kong Broadband Network. Eligible elderly people can apply easily for this scheme at 66 District Elderly Community Centres and Neighbourhood Elderly Centres. Applicants can sign up one of the service providers. During the three-year commitment period, they will receive broadband service at a concession price. Each household is also entitled to a free wireless router and any moving charges will be waived once. The following are criteria for applying the scheme: (1) Applicants must be Hong Kong residents; (2) they must be 65 or over; (3) they are receiving CSSA or old age living allowance; and (4) they are living alone or with an elderly person who meets the above three criteria. For details, please call 2922 9250 or visit www.weborganic.hk. |
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The Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation Limited introduces new product for retirees The Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation Limited has launched the Policy Reverse Mortgage Programme (PRMP). The PRMP enables the borrowers to use life insurance policy as collateral to draw down loans. The borrowers can choose to receive monthly payouts either over a fixed period of time or throughout their lifetime. They may also borrow lump-sum payouts for specific purposes. It is hoped that the PRMP can provide retirees with immediate, stable and lifelong stream of income. For eligibility criteria and key features of the PRMP, please click here. |
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New mobile app saves patients’ waiting time Union Hospital has launched its Mobile Clinical Solution. Patients who want to use the services provided at its Emergency Medical Centre can queue up virtually using its mobile app. The electronic prescription and drug interaction alert can also shorten patients’ waiting time. The mobile app is now available on App Store. |
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Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme rolled out The Government has rolled out the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS). At present, there are 38 certified plans under the scheme. The aim of this scheme is to enhance the protection offered to individuals under hospital insurance. There are two types of policy: Standard Plan Policy and Flexi Plan Policy. Premiums paid by a person for himself/herself and their dependants will be allowed for deduction. The deduction ceiling is $8,000 per insured person per year. For more details, please refer to the official website of VHIS. |
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Bank of China (Hong Kong) provides attestation service for account opening From now on, you can open accounts at Bank of China (Hong Kong) (BOCHK) without visiting their branches in Hong Kong in person. You can simply complete the account opening forms for BOCHK accounts at designated attesting banks in the mainland our outside Hong Kong. For details, please visit the website of BOCHK. |
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Free multi-cancer screening service The Chinese University of Hong Kong Jockey Club Multi-Cancer Prevention Programme is now offering a free one-stop multi-cancer screening service to people aged between 40 and 75. The service includes colorectal, breast and prostate cancer screening. The programme is also providing body check-up to participants. Obese subjects will be invited to attend healthy exercise and dietetic classes. Interested parties please complete the online registration form (Chinese version only). |
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CTS replaces quota tags with online booking system Starting from 15 March 2019, CTS (China Travel Service (Hong Kong) Limited) will stop giving out quota tags at their branch offices. People who want to apply for China visas have to book online in advance. To meet the needs of different people, there will be some special arrangements:
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Simplified arrangement of medical fee waiving Persons who are receiving Higher Old Age Living Allowance recipients aged 75 or above are currently required to bring along the Medical Waiver Certificate when visiting a doctor at public clinics or hospitals. The Government announced that from now on, these persons only need to:
Following the implementation of this arrangement, the Social Welfare Department will no longer issue any Medical Waiver Certificate. |
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Government will raise social security payments by 2.8% in February Starting from 1st February 2019, the standard payment rates under the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Scheme and the rates of Old Age Allowance (OAA) (including those payable under the Guangdong Scheme and the Fujian Scheme), Old Age Living Allowance (OALA) and Disability Allowance (DA) under the Social Security Allowance (SSA) Scheme will be increased by 2.8% (Details). The maximum rent allowance under the CSSA Scheme will also be adjusted upwards by 2.7% (Details). On the same date, the eligible age for elderly CSSA will be adjusted from 60 to 65. Persons aged between 60 and 64 who have received elderly CSSA before 1st February 2019, and persons with disabilities or in ill health will not be affected. They will continue to receive CSSA payments. |
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Convenient arrangements for seniors to change new Smart ID The Hong Kong SAR Government has announced on 18 October that the replacement of new Smart ID will commence on 27 December 2018. The Immigration Department will provide the following arrangements for seniors to change their Smart ID conveniently. Nine Smart ID Replacement Centres will also be set up in Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and New Territories for providing services from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm.
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Eldertreks Hong Kong inviting seniors as tour guides ElderTrek is a community guided tour platform founded by 4 undergraduates. They were the winner of the Social Innovation CEO Competition held by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund and youth.gov.hk in 2016, and won a reward of one hundred and seventy thousand dollars. They used the reward as a startup fund and founded ElderTrek in 2017 to organize localized cultural guided tour for local people and tourists while providing job opportunities for seniors. ElderTrek’s tours are led by a senior and assisted by a youngster. During the one-hour tour, they will introduce the history and their own stories in places like Tze Wan Shan, Mong Kok, Jordan and Yau Ma Tei. The younger generation can understand more about both Hong Kong and the older generation through the tours. ElderTrek is now inviting seniors to be tour guides. People who are interested can contact them through their website. |
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Young olds encouraged to go back to career (Chinese version only) The Government has made changes continuously to the following policies to encourage healthy seniors aged 50 to 64 and young old aged 65 to 74 to go back to work.
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Plain breakfast no good to senior’s health The Hong Kong Health Care Alliance and The Hong Kong Association of Gerontology interviewed 268 seniors last December about their attitude towards breakfast. Only 16% of them would consider the nutrition of breakfast, and 70% thought white bread and plain porridge were healthy diet. Some preferred to take less protein for breakfast on account of slow metabolism, while those who were under diet control for chronic diseases preferred plain food for breakfast. Dr Leung Man Fuk, Geriatric Medicine and Director of the Hong Kong Association of Gerontology, said that one’s physique gets smaller when one grows old, and the symptoms of malnutrition may not be obvious. He suggests that seniors should check their BMI index regularly. The standard should be around 18.5 to 23, and there may be problems if it drops 5% in 3 to 6 months. Joanne Chan, registered dietitian, said seniors should take in more protein as their muscle loss is faster than young people. Learn more from our website at “Dining”- Healthy Eating. |
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Finding Missing Elderly with Dementia Mobile App developed by Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing help searching for lost dementia relative The Finding Missing Elderly with Dementia Mobile Apps is developed by the Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing. It is specially designed for looking for missing elderly with dementia. The Centre was founded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club in June 2008 and is operated by The Chinese University of Hong Kong. It provides one-stop integrative training services for patients with dementia to delay their decline so as to maintain a normal social life. The Centre also offers supportive services to relieve the pressure of carers. The Finding Missing Elderly with Dementia Mobile Apps is one of their services. Family members can register the dementia patient’s information and his/her photo in the apps beforehand. They can then report the loss of the dementia elderly through the apps in the future. Members of the public can also download the apps and register as “Dementia Angel” to help find the missing elderly. The downloading is free! |
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Know more about Chinese and Western medical treatments through “Integrative Medicine Clinical Evidence Portal” The Integrative Medicine Clinical Evidence Portal is a Chinese and Western Medical treatment website created by The Chinese University of Hong Kong. It collects the clinical peer randomized trials reviews and systematic reviews about common treatments in the market such as the effectiveness of Echinacea in treating common flu, the effect of acupuncture on cancer treatment, and whether Taichi exercise can improve senior’s sleeping quality? Readers can understand more about Western, Chinese or other treatments in curing diseases from the science perspective. This website also contains online training materials on evidence-based healthcare principles and clinical research methodology. The consultation team is formed by medical professionals including Prof Lin Zhixiu, Director of Hong Kong Institute of Integrative Medicine; Prof. Justin CY Wu, Associate Dean (Development) of Faculty of Medicine; Prof. Leung Ting Hung, Director of School of Chinese Medicine. Readers can search for information through the two categories of “Intervention” or “Physical condition” under “Synopsis Database” according to their personal conditions. |
 Source of Photo: Apple Daily |
Smart Living Experience Tour in Science Park Smart Living@Science Park has been established in the Hong Kong Science Part in Sha Tin. It is a 500-feet show flat with living room, bedroom, kitchen and toilet. Visitors can try the thoughtful products designed by local designers and technology companies including the Sit and Shower chair, 360 degree rotating electric wheelchair, pressure measuring watch, ring for pre-screening of potential obstructive sleep apnea, etc. Applications for guided tours from individuals and groups are welcome. |
 Source of the photo: Wen Wei Po |
Get tickets by swiping Home-visit permits at 215 Express Rail stations in China Holders of home-visit permits may now get their online railway tickets or buy tickets at designated self-help ticketing machines at 215 Express Rail Link stations in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Shandong, Hunan and Guangdong, etc. |
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Call and Care Service connects to Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital The Senior Citizen Home Safety Association has signed a partnership with the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital for medical services to be provided to Call and Care Service users living or travelling in Shenzhen. The patient’s medical information will also be sent to the Hospital to facilitate timely response with immediate notification to the emergency contact of elderly users. The first phase of this service will be launched in July 2017. Elderly users who need medical help can press the “Safety Button” on their e-Care Link remote to connect to the Association’s 24-hours Call and Care Centre in Hong Kong through roaming services provided by the mobile network service operators. |
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The fourth CancerLink Support Centre Open for Service CancerLink is one of the supportive services of Cancer Fund. The fourth centre is now open in Wong Tai Sin to help cancer patients. Cancer patients, recovered patients, and their families and friends are welcome to learn more about coping with cancer. |
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Beware of Phone Scam Beware and don’t believe in phone messages from people claiming to be from the Immigration Department, transferring calls to law enforcement agencies outside Hong Kong, and requesting information such as bank account numbers and passwords. |
