NEWS

Pierside Precinct comes to life

A newly-extended harbourfront attraction called The Pierside Precinct officially opened on March 19. Located between the Wan Chai Pier and the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, the promenade is lined with wooden and concrete structures that also double as seating. At 2,750 square metres, the tourism attraction will be the longest promenade alongside Victoria Harbour.

Quarantine reduced for lowrisk countries

With new daily Covid-19 cases slowing significantly, the Hong Kong Government is making some long-awaited adjustments to quarantine arrangements for overseas arrivals. As of April 14, quarantine for fully vaccinated visitors from low-risk countries was shortened to seven days. The three countries; Australia, New Zealand and Singapore will all be exempt from the current 21-day arrangement. The mandatory quarantine period for visitors from those countries was previously shortened from 21 to 14 days.

Rebuild reefs with discarded oyster shells

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has announced the launch of Save Our Shells, an initiative to collect discarded shellfish shells from partner restaurants and oyster farmers to build new, native oyster reefs in Hong Kong. So far nine restaurants including The Verandah, Oyster Station and Alibi – Wine Dine Be Social at Cordis Hotel have joined the project. “Shells of oysters and other shellfish consist of calcium carbonate and have traditionally been used as a house building material. Today, we are using the shells to build a new place for baby oysters to settle and for fish and other marine life to call home,” said Lulu Zhou, director of strategic partnerships for TNC in Asia Pacific. 10 | SOUTHSIDE

Le Méridien gets a makeover

The urban resort in Cyberport has suspended all services, shutting its doors on April 20 to make way for renovations. The hotel plans to redesign all guest rooms, public spaces and restaurants, to elevate all elements of the guest experience. With art at the forefront of Le Méridien’s brand, an array of installations ranging from video art to virtual reality art will be in place. The hotel aims to reopen in November later this year.

in your backyard

Electric taxis come to town

To encourage the use of battery-powered vehicles in Hong Kong, the government introduced electric taxis across Hong Kong in 2013. The trial wasn’t as successful as they’d hoped, with many drivers complaining about a shortage of charging points and long charging times. This year a second trial will take place in Sai Kung and Lantau Island. With smaller districts and more chargers available.