Commissioner Lu and Legislator Sophie Leung invited members of the Consular Corps in Hong Kong on a visit to the Nan Lian Garden on March 30th. Here is Commissioner Lu's small speech at the dinner after the tour:

Mr. Doyen,

The Honorable Mr. and Mrs. Leung,

Representatives from the Nan Lian Garden,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good evening!

It gives my wife and me great pleasure to be here with you this evening.

I am sure that you've had an enjoyable afternoon.

This is my second visit to this beautiful place. My last visit impressed me so much that I decided to invite my friends from the Consular Corps to join me for a second visit. With its Tang dynasty architecture, the Garden offers a tranquil and antique ambience. Seeing is believing. You must have found this place a welcome escape from your daily routines, and emerged refreshed with the peace and harmony felt here.

As Sophie really knows this Garden inside out, I had better not embarrass myself by talking too much about the Garden here. Sophie is very dedicated to the management of the Garden. And Special thanks must go to Sophie and Brian, without whose support and assistance this event could not have happened so soon. I also want to thank all those who take care of this wonderful garden, the Nan Lian people and Chi Lin Nunnery in particular. And credit must go to the SAR Government, for their protection of Hong Kong's cultural heritage. Otherwise, this place might have been left forlorn.

Last but not least, I would like to thank you all for making this evening possible.

As a token of my gratitude, I have a gift for the Management Committee of the Nan Lian Garden. May I present the gift now.

Thank you very much and now I will give the floor to Sophie.