Opening of New Hong Kong Society for the Deaf Center

The Hong Kong Society for the Deaf has various centers throughout Hong Kong, and 18 December 1998 saw the dedication of a new multipurpose center on Hong Kong Island.
	The guests of honor gathered on the stage to begin the opening ceremony of the new center for the deaf in North Point on Hong Kong Island. The Lions Club was the major donor for the center.
	Mrs. Betty Tung, the wife of HK's Chief Executive, was the officiating guest at the grand opening. Here she "dots the eye" of the dragon, an important ritual at every opening ceremony.
	The dragon dance is a traditional part of all major Chinese ceremonies. Specially trained troupes of performers are called upon to dance the dragon through the crowd. This troupe is composed of all deaf men.
	Another group of deaf performers, this time deaf young women, performed a Chinese dance to the music of "Beautiful Fairies." (The second woman from the left is one of my former students.)
	As part of the opening, inside the center there were various demonstrations of activities to be held in the new facility. Here small deaf children play with various creative toys.