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HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT
or huts themselves rented annually as a result of a ballot. The provision of refreshments is also put out to tender at the large beaches, at some of which cafes or hotels of various standards are also available.
There is also a number of popular beaches in the New Territories which come under the administration of the District Commissioner, New Territories. Beach tents, changing rooms and other facilities on five of these beaches are provided by private contractors. There is a total of 138 beach huts on New Territories beaches which are balloted for annually. A cadre of twenty six fully trained life-guards was on duty at these beaches during the summer months.
The shortage of land in the built-up areas has meant that the development of parks and playgrounds can only take place in keen competition with other forms of development. Before the war playgrounds were few; after the war these were, at best, dusty and uneven pieces of land or, at worst, soon covered by the ubiquitous squatters. Despite these difficulties old playgrounds have been rehabilitated and new ones laid out, varying in size from Victoria Park, occupying fifty three acres on land reclaimed from a former typhoon shelter, to small children's playgrounds. Development continues, and apart from the large parks and formal playgrounds, a great deal has been done to improve the appearance of the city by the tidying up and laying out of small derelict road- side areas, and even of traffic islands, as rest gardens.
There are now 149 acres of parks, public playgrounds and rest gardens, (including the Botanic Gardens and Victoria Park) which provide 4 tennis-courts and 9 association football, 5 miniature football, 2 hockey, 1 rugby football, and 3 cricket grounds, all grass covered, together with 26 basketball, 3 volleyball and 16 miniature football grounds on hard surfacing. Of the 44 parks, public playgrounds and rest gardens, 19 have provision for ball games.
The Victoria Park Swimming Pool, built to Olympic standards from funds donated by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, was opened in 1957. The main purpose of the pool is to cater for the under- privileged members of the community, especially children, and this is reflected in the low admission fees (30 cents for children,