Lam Tsuen festival wish rides on higher turnout

Organisers of the Lam Tsuen Well-Wishing Festival said on Wednesday they expected more locals and tourists to join in the traditional event in Tai Po and that villagers in the area would also be sending a float to participate in the Chinese New Year Night Parade in a first. The float will feature a luminous wishing tree, standout steeds to mark the Year of the Horse, as well as city landmarks. It will be powered by batteries, which organisers said symbolises Hong Kong's hopes for continuous prosperity and forward movement. "Around 300,000 people participated in last year's event... This year we added a lot of different elements, especially the float, so we hope through our promotion, more tourists will not only come to Lam Tsuen but also the rest of Hong Kong," said Gilvig Cheng, who chairs Lam Tsuen Wishing Square Development. To mark the Year of the Horse, the festival will feature two life-sized stallions and a winners' enclosure installation for visitors to get the experience of leading a winning horse, along with various photogenic spots with elements of the animal. The Lunar New Year market this year near the wishing trees will feature more than 70 stalls offering dried goods, delicacies and booth games, as well as musical performances. Prices of placards, on which people set down their wishes for the coming year, are set at HK$50, unchanged from last year. The event will run from February 17 to March 3.