CRITICS say the millennium celebration plans lack substance and fail to capture the spirit of the SAR.
They say the Government is missing a great opportunity to mark the new century by doing something meaningful and with long-lasting effect, such as improving air quality.
The celebrations unveiled include horse racing, a dragon dance and a light-and-sound extravaganza, mostly paid for by private donors.
Three long-term projects - a wetland park, a Chinese culinary academy and completion of the Hong Kong Heritage Museum in Sha Tin - were also unveiled.
Legislator Cheung Man-kwong of the Democratic Party said the festivities did not capture Hong Kong's uniqueness.
'Everybody has horse races,' Mr Cheung said. 'The whole world will be doing a lot at that time. We need to do something that shows Hong Kong's character and leaves people with a strong impression of Hong Kong.' Assistant director of Friends of the Earth Plato Yip Kwong-to was disappointed the Government had not adopted his group's proposal to promote a switch to solar or wind-powered energy.