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RECREATION. SPORTS AND THE ARTS
LEISURE activities make an important contribution to the quality of life and Hong Kong residents now have access to a very wide range of recreational, sporting and cultural facilities. Many of these are provided by the Urban and Regional Councils, which build and operate games halls and pitches, swimming pools and parks, museums, libraries and other recreational facilities, as well as organising and supporting a host of cultural, sporting and recreational activities. The government's policies on recreation, sport, culture and heritage matters are co-ordinated by the Recreation and Culture Branch, headed by the Secretary for Recreation and Culture. He is assisted by several expert advisory bodies, including the Sports Development Board, Council for the Performing Arts and Antiquities Advisory Board. Many other individuals and associations play an essential role in creating and improving opportunities for fulfilling leisure activities in Hong Kong.
Highlights of the year included the opening of the Hong Kong Science Museum in April, with many exhibits on a wide range of science and technology topics. Both the Urban Council and the Regional Council extended mobile library services to remoter areas, and the Regional Council opened two new libraries in Tai Po and Cheung Chau. Among the recreational facilities completed in 1991 were the Urban Council's Hong Kong Park and the Regional Council's Yuen Long Town Park. Both councils mounted numerous cultural and entertainment events during the year. Major events included the 15th International Film Festival, presented by the Urban Council in March and April, and the Chinese Ethnic Arts Festival organised by the Regional Council during September and October.
The Arts
In world terms, Hong Kong's arts community is still in its youth, with all the characteristics of dynamism, new ideas and rapid growth which that implies. While talent and creativity have always been present, it is only in recent years that, with financial support from both the public and private sectors, the arts community has been able to capitalise on its creativity and increase the number and range of its activities. As a result there are now two professional orchestras, three full-time dance companies, three professional drama groups and hundreds of amateur groups, including orchestras, bands, choirs, dance groups and drama clubs. The Urban and Regional Councils run arts venues throughout Hong Kong, so that access to culture is no longer confined to people living in the main urban areas. The two councils have also become patrons of the arts in their own right, either by funding performing groups directly, or assisting them with presentations.
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