RECREATION AND THE ARTS
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kite flying is a new activity. In 1982, about 8.5 million people visited the country parks. Although the parks are used more in the drier and cooler months from October to April, which accounted for 70 per cent of the total visitors, there are signs that more people are visiting the countryside in the summer.
The country parks system, which consists of 21 parks covering 40 per cent of Hong Kong's total land area, is now well established with a wide range of facilities to cater for the needs of visitors. Management and protection services are also provided for this valuable recreational resource. The Director of Agriculture and Fisheries is the Country Parks Authority and is responsible for their management. There are specially designed visitor centres at Aberdeen and Plover Cove Country Parks, another is being built at Pak Tak Chung in Sai Kung Country Park, and more centres are planned for other country parks. The main function of the centres is to provide information to enable visitors to derive greater enjoyment from the countryside.
A full Park Ranger Scheme was established in 1982 to cover the entire country parks system. The rangers and wardens advise and guide visitors in the use and care of countryside recreational facilities, protect the plants and wildlife, and carry out the countryside educational programme.
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Recreation and Sport Service
In its eight years of existence, the Recreation and Sport Service of the Recreation and Culture Department has played an increasingly important part in providing leisure activities for all walks of life. Through the concerted efforts of its headquarters and 19 district offices, the service continued to aim at encouraging people - particularly those who lack the means, or even the motivation - to make full use of their leisure hours.
During 1982, 574 150 people took part in 7 145 projects covering a wide range of activities offered by the service, ranging from swimming classes for babies to excursions for the elderly. This represented a 3.5 per cent increase over the previous year in the number of projects organised, made possible through funds provided by the Urban Council, the district boards and commercial firms. Joint projects with the Urban Council and district boards numbered 267 and 985 respectively, and 288 activities were funded by commercial sponsors. The service also gave technical assistance to 191 organisations throughout Hong Kong enabling some 528 projects to take place for the benefit of 84 051 participants.
The service's district offices worked closely with the district boards, the Urban Council and government departments to develop district identity, particularly through recreation and league matches. The sports section continued to keep in close contact with the territory's sports bodies, exploring new areas in sports development and in training instructors and officials to support expanding activities.
One of the sporting highlights of 1982 was the Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled, hosted this year by Hong Kong. The games, held at the Jubilee Sports Centre in October, were opened by His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent and some 800 handicapped athletes and officials participated representing 20 countries and territories. Another important event was the visit by the president and vice-president of the Inter- national Olympic Committee to the Amateur Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong (ASF and OC).
Close co-operation continued between the ASF and OC, the sports governing bodies, the Recreation and Culture Department's Sports Administration Section, the Urban Services Sports Promotion Section and the private sector. On the advice of the Council for Recreation and Sport, $4.8 million from government funds was allocated to sports