RECREATION, SPORTS AND THE ARTS
During the year, a reptile house was completed, providing a home for Chinese alligators and pythons, with a small water feature. Construction commenced on a new jaguar enclosure and for the provision of additional park lighting.
The gardens feature more than 750 species of trees, shrubs, ornamental shrubs and flowering plants. The medicinal plant collection, established in 1987, and a new greenhouse built in 1993 have generated much interest. They feature some 500 species of herbs, orchids, ferns, cacti, succulents and other indoor plants.
Regional Council Parks
Over 554 parks and gardens of various sizes, including four town parks, are managed by the Regional Council.
Tuen Mun Town Park is the largest park in the New Territories. Occupying an area of 12.5 hectares, the park has an ornamental lake for rowing and a 160-metre water cascade, the largest of its kind in Hong Kong. Other features include an open-air performance arena, a children's playground and a skating rink. North District Central Park covers 9.6 hectares and is provided with a sports hall, amphitheatre, artificial lake and children's playground. The 8.5-hectare Sha Tin Central Park, with its Chinese garden and adventure playground, is the most popular with New Territories residents. Special features of the 7.5-hectare Yuen Long Town Park include a seven-level pagoda with a built-in aviary, which houses more than 210 birds of 50 species. The park also has the first gateball pitch in the Regional Council area.
Country Parks
Despite Hong Kong's largely urban environment, opportunities for outdoor recreation are not lacking. No place is far from green countryside and there are 21 country parks covering some 40
per cent of the territory's total land area. Over 10 million visits were made to these parks during 1994. They are most popular during the cool, dry months from October to April.
The Director of Agriculture and Fisheries is the Country Parks Authority. With the advice of the Country Parks Board and its various committees, he is responsible for the protection of the vegetation and wildlife, and provision of recreational facilities including picnic and barbecue areas, walking trails, rain shelters, 'toilets, information posts and visitor
centres.
Horticulture and Landscape Services Urban Council
The Urban Council is committed to improving the urban environment with landscaping. Its services include design and planning, plant production, horticultural research, planting, maintenance and conservation.
With the support of government departments, the district boards and voluntary organisa- tions, all the goals of the council's Green Hong Kong initiatives in 1993 were met. These included promoting green consciousness, encouraging community participation and planting more trees on the street.
In 1994, the council organised a series of programmes such as visits to schools, the distribution of posters showing flowering plants and handbooks on plant care, 'green' award
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