Santa Noel told Xinhua at the official launch of this year's Christmas decoration entitled Joy to the World at Pacific Place, an upmarket mall and popular tourist attraction located in Centralin the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

This year's decorations featured the story of a heart-warming and opulent Christmas, as was celebrated in England, particularly the carpeted home of Santa Clause that is furnished with a fireplace, the mantelpiece on which a golden candelabra was placed.The place is lit up by a grandiose electrical candelabra-shaped ceiling lamp. Outside the home were three eight-meter tall Christmas trees lit up with hanging Christmas decorations.

Santa Noel, who resides in Canada, has come to Hong Kong for the fourth time here. He told Xinhua that he has been to about 60 countries, visiting children from the East and West, North and South every Christmas.

At Pacific Place, tourists are invited at Santa's Observatory set up on the ground floor of Pacific Place, where, according to European folklore, Santa Clause used to observe children from all over the world through the giant snow globes to identify good children to whom he will secretly visit their homes during their sleep at night and leave gifts by their bedside.

Santa Noel joyously told Xinhua that so far all the children hehas met here have been good ones.

The nine giant snow globes at the mall will take tourists to experience the Christmas traditions and festivities at different corners of the world.

Visitors can make use of the occasion to take pictures with Santa Noel at the Garden Court of the mall and receive a pack of holiday candies.

The mall has also joined forces with King & Country to bring toshoppers a limited edition Christmas figurine set that will be offered to shoppers as a special redemption gift.

A variety of activities were also organized to usher the Christmas spirit right into the heart of shoppers at mall. They included chorus of Christmas carolers, instrumental and ballet performances that will liven up the environment and bring joy to shoppers at the mall.

(Xinhua News Agency December 3, 2002)