204
RECREATION AND THE ARTS
Complex - a joint venture between the Urban Council and the Housing Authority to incorporate a multi-purpose complex within a home ownership scheme. and the Yue Kwong Road Market and Indoor Games Hall in Aberdeen. Another 10 indoor games halls are planned to supplement the existing five at Aberdeen, Kai Tak East, Cheung Sha Wan, Morse Park and Boundary Street.
The Urban Council works closely with various sports organisations, the Council for Recreation and Sport, the Recreation and Culture Department and others, in implemen- ting its annual sports and recreation programme. With a provision of $4.5 million in 1981, the council organised and sponsored over 1 200 sports and recreational events in which about 1.9 million people participated.
The council also organised throughout the urban areas some 972 free outdoor entertain- ment programmes, which included variety shows, Cantonese and Peking operas, puppet and film shows, ballet, youth dances, carnivals, folk singing and folk dances. About two million people were entertained at these events which were presented in parks, playgrounds, gardens, recreational and community halls.
An intensive 43-day programme - the 1981 Summer Fun Festival was also launched during the summer holidays. More than 64 000 young people and children took part in various outdoor events such as launch picnics, swim-ins, family harbour cruises, carnivals, camping activities, youth dances, film shows and children's parties.
The Urban Council and the Hong Kong Tourist Association organised the 1981 International Dragon Boat Races, which were attended by five overseas teams in celebra- tion of the annual Dragon Boat Festival.
For the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, the Urban Council organised two lantern carnivals one at Victoria Park on Hong Kong Island and the other at Morse Park in Kowloon - which attracted more than 380 000 people.
Other special large-scale programmes, such as the Christmas Special, New Year Fiesta, Chinese New Year Programme, April Fiesta and May Fair were also organised to mark festive seasons and special occasions throughout the year.
In addition to local artiste groups, the Urban Council also presented a number of over- seas groups, including the Seventh Fleet Band, the Chiang Ching Dance Company and the Royal Australian Navy's Band, the San Francisco Boys' Choir, and the San Diego Youth Symphony at outdoor venues.
In the New Territories, the Cultural Services Department organised some 169 entertain- ing events which were attended by 122 180 people.
Swimming
Swimming is Hong Kong's most popular summer recreation and there are 41 gazetted beaches. These comprise 12 beaches on Hong Kong Island, under the Urban Council's control, and 29 in the New Territories, managed by the New Territories Services Department. The beaches have life-guards, first-aid posts, changing rooms, showers and other facilities. The Urban Services Department also manages 10 swimming pool com- plexes in the urban areas, while the New Territories Services Department manages three in the New Territories. The latest swimming pool complex, the Sha Tin Jockey Club Public Swimming Pool and Squash Courts, was officially opened on April.
During the swimming season an estimated 22 million people visited the beaches and 4.9 million used the swimming pools. Fifteen new swimming pool complexes are being planned - one on Hong Kong Island, seven in Kowloon, and seven in the New Territories.