The flagship event of The Hong Kong Jockey Club ICH+ Innovative Heritage Education Programme - “ICH+ Festival 2025/26” opened today (27 June) at the Jao Tsung-I Academy in Lai Chi Kok. Spanning over two weeks, the event adopts innovative approaches to blend traditional and contemporary elements, offering a wide range of activities including a series of exhibitions, interactive games, traditional craft workshops, and thematic sharing sessions fusing tradition with innovation.
Funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the programme is a collaboration between Lingnan University and Hong Kong Arts Centre. It aims to preserve, promote, redefine and revitalise Hong Kong’s rich and diverse ICH by offering a fresh perspective, while deepening public appreciation and understanding of its cultural value across the community.
Officiating at the festival’s opening ceremony were Choi Yuk-lin, Secretary for Education of the HKSAR Government; Ann Kung, Club Steward; Lau Chi-pang, Special Advisor to President on Publicity cum Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Lingnan University; and Peter Lau, Chairman of the Board of Governors at Hong Kong Arts Centre.
Club Steward Ann Kung remarked that the Club has supported the Jockey Club ICH+ Innovative Heritage Education Programme since 2018. She highlighted it provides a wide range of activities through cross-sector collaboration, enabling the public – especially younger generations – to learn about, experience and practise traditional craftsmanship, foster cultural identity and carry forward the spirit of artisanship, injecting new momentum into the sustainable development and transmission of intangible cultural heritage.
The programme has run activities at more than 600 secondary and primary schools, reached 30,000 students and 78 students of the professional ICH training programme to date, attracting public participation through exhibitions and community events, while the continued cultivation of a new generation of “ICH ambassadors” will further drive community engagement and awareness.
The Club has long promoted the development of arts, culture and heritage to enrich community life. In addition to supporting traditional festivals on the national ICH list – including the Tai O Dragon Boat Water Parade, Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance and the Cheung Chau Jiao Festival – the Club is also the sole sponsor of a series of programmes under ICH Month 2026. Among the highlight was The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: “Journey of the Horse: A Legacy of Arts and Culture” Light Show, held earlier as one of the signature events of the Club’s Year of the Horse initiatives. Since 2010, the Trust has donated more than HK$167 million to support ICH events and related educational programmes. These initiatives align with the HKSAR Government’s Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0 and the National 15th Five-Year Plan, contributing to the further development of Hong Kong as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.
The Club’s support for the Jockey Club ICH+ Innovative Heritage Education Programme, like all its charity and community donations, is made possible by its unique integrated business model through which racing and responsible sports wagering generate substantial tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities for Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class sports and entertainment organisation that acts continuously for the betterment of our society. The Club has a unique integrated business model, comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charities and community contribution. Through this model, the Club generates economic and social value for the community and supports the HKSAR Government in combatting illegal gambling. In 2024/25, the Club returned a total of HK$39.1 billion to the community. This included HK$30.1 billion to the HKSAR Government in duty, profits tax and Lotteries Fund contributions and HK$9.0 billion in approved charity donations. The Club is Hong Kong’s largest single taxpayer and one of the city’s major employers. Its Charities Trust is one of the world’s leading charity donors.
