Hong Kong is turned into a backdrop of all things Belgian between November 1 and 30, 2005. {{Best of Belgium -2005}}, organized by the {{Consulate General of Belgium}}, the {{Belgium-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce}} ({{BLCC}}) in Hong Kong, and the Trade & Investment Commissioners of the three Federal Regions : {{Flanders}}, {{Brussels}} and {{Wallonia}}, was the unprecedented and largest Belgian festival ever to be staged in Hong Kong.

Anniversaries Highlight:

Best of Belgium-2005 aims to bring the flavor of Belgium to Hong Kong through a festival of activities and displays. Organized in celebration of the Kingdom's 175th anniversary and the Federal State's 25th anniversary, the festival showcases for the Hong Kong public the traditions and culture of Belgium. It also aims to promote Belgian strengths in the design, diamonds, art, comics and food industries. %% During the Festival, Prime Minister of Belgium, {{Verhofstadt}}, The Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, {{Didier Reynders}} and a delegation of the Walloon Region of Belgium will visit Hong Kong.

More Cultural Exchange Desired:

According to Consul General of Belgium in Hong Kong, {{Patrick Nijs}}, "The Belgian expatriate community in Hong Kong has one wish, and that is to enable more cultural exchange between Hong Kong and Belgium. With Hong Kong being our home away from home, we want to showcase to the people here Belgium's own unique form of vibrancy and creativity. And of course, we want to prove that we are not only noted for quality chocolates and beer!" %% Various events and activities made up the program for the four-week festival, bringing full festive ambiance to the city, and enhancing Hong Kong's status as a genuine international and multi-cultural centre. All these activities served to showcase the wide range of Belgian culture.

Program highlights included:

{[ {{Local Identities, European Integration and Global Changes, Implication for East Asia" Seminar }} - jointly organized by the University of Hong Kong, the seminar will explore Belgium's unique experience in constitutional drafting and implementation. It will also take a look at the Asian experience from this highly sophisticated Belgian aptitude in skillful constitutional adjustments. Two Belgian speakers will participate ][ {{"Classical Music Concert"}} - The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and three famous conductors and musicians from Belgium, will perform a special music repertoire to celebrate the anniversary of the Kingdom of Belgium. Dirk Brossée, composer and conductor, Florian Heyerick and Marc Grauwels will represent Belgian Classical music on the occasion. ][ {{'Diamond is Art'}} - a spectacular exhibition of the Belgian diamond polishers' unparalleled craftsmanship and artistic sense and a first ever showcase of new and trendy stone cutting concepts that are currently revolutionizing the diamond industry. ][ {{'Une Fête Royale' }}- Gala Dinner hosted by the BLCC on November 11, 2005 at the Four Seasons Hotel. This magical evening of Belgian glitter, entertainment and gourmet cuisine is staged to show the Belgian commitment to the Hong Kong community. Profits raised during the evening will go to the {{Hong Kong Cancer Fund}}. ][{{Belgium Gastronomic Festival}} incorporating Belgian Cuisine Tasting, Belgian Food Festival and Belgian gastronomic menus, available across various hotels and restaurants was conducted by one of Belgium's best chefs, {{Benoît Gersdorff}}. ][{{Comics Exhibition}} illustrating that not only was {{Tintin}} born in Belgium, but also that Belgium has a genuine tradition of story telling and comic strips. Organized in the framework of the {{Hong Kong Youth Arts Festival}}, the exhibition will include workshops directed by {{Frank Pé}}, one of the rising stars in the Belgian comic industry and Hong Kong comic artists {{Chi Hoi}} and {{Yeung Hok-Tak}}. ][ {{"It's in Hong Kong, it's Belgian, but did you know?" Photography Exhibition }}aims to unveil the presence of Belgian brands that permeate in daily life in Hong Kong, as seen through the eyes of Belgian photographer, {{Kris Vervaeke}}. ][ {{Belgian Design Contest Exhibition}}, sponsored by {{Hutchison Whampoa Limited}}, will highlight Belgian architects and designers' creativity and talent in a contest for several large-scale projects for Hong Kong and Chinese companies. Award-winning works will be showcased at the Innovation and Design Exhibition (IDE) in the framework of the World SME Expo at Hong Kong Convention Centre and in a parallel exhibition at the Central Plaza. ][ {{Glass is Art}} highlighted the spectacular creations of {{Sem Schanzer}} from L'Anverre, world renowned artist in the field of glass design. ][{{Parallelisms}} - Intriguing, romantic, poetic or humorous, this art photos exhibition is an intimate exploration into architectural and conceptual objects from both China-Hong Kong and Belgium putting them in parallel with sometimes unexpected relationships. {{Christian Verhoeven}}, a Belgian Art Photographer, makes each photograph a unique Fine Art object through various artistic techniques. ]}