Celebrating our diversity! Nigeria & Hong Kong!




Celebrating our diversity! Nigeria & Hong Kong!
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National Days

Continuing our celebration of the diversity of our student body, we are commemorating not one, but two countries today as October 1st is both Nigerian Independence Day & Chinese National Day in Hong Kong! 

Nigerian Independence Day

Independence Day in Nigeria, marks the country's independence from British rule on 1st October 1960 and is recognised as a national holiday. Nigeria marked total independence from Britain when it became a federal republic when a new constitution was adopted on 1 October 1963 with Nnamdi Azikiwe as its first president.

Celebrations include a military parade at Eagle Square, attended by top members of the Nigerian Presidential Cabinet, and the President's address to the people on radio and television. Primary and secondary schools perform a ceremonial march past in various state capitals.

Fun Facts

  • Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, with a population of 200 million. In 2019, it was ranked the 7th most populated country in the world.

Nigeria mapNigerian celebrations

  • Nigeria has 500 indigenous languages including Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, yet English is the official language.
  • Nigeria has at least 250 different ethnic groups, each with their own distinct cultures and traditions.
  • The Nigerian movie industry is known as Nollywood and produces around 200 movies per week !!!!!
  • Football is the national sport
  • Nigeria derived its name from Niger, the longest river in West Africa

Had we been on campus, we would have been enjoying some delicious Nigerian food including Chicken Jollof Rice with Boiled Egg and Salad.

Chinese National Day in Hong Kong

Chinese National Day in Hong Kong marks the founding of the People’s Republic of China on 1st October 1949, as proclaimed by Chairman Mao Zedong from atop Beijing's Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tian’anmen Gate).

Forbidden Palace ChinaThe National Day has only been celebrated in Hong Kong since 1997, when Great Britain handed over the territory to China. National Day marks the beginning of Golden Week, a week-long holiday allowing families to travel long distances to see each other.

The day begins with a flag raising ceremony by the Hong Kong Police Force beside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, and ends with a spectacular firework display in Victoria Harbour.

Did you know?

  • Hong Kong literally means Fragrant Harbour in Chinese, and Kowloon means Nine Dragons
  • Hong Kong is home to the world’s longest covered escalator, which runs for ½ a mile !!
  • The infamous Star Ferry began operating in 1880. A journey from Victoria Harbour to Tsim Sha Tsui would have taken an hour, today it takes 10 minutes.

Hong Kong Star FerryHong Kong - Zhuhai - Macau bridge

  • Hong Kong - Zhuhai - Macau bridge opened on 23/10/2018. At 55Km in length across the Pearl River Delta, it is the world’s longest sea crossing.
  • Hong Kong is made up of 263 islands; some of which are totally uninhabited and virtually unreachable.
  • Omitting level 4 in tower blocks or omitting number 4 in addresses is common. This is because the word for “four” sounds very similar to the word for “death” in Chinese. (Perhaps you see this in your condo in Malaysia too?)
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