RECREATION, SPORTS AND THE ARTS
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chlorine gas dosing system in 10 of the Regional Council swimming pools. Work on the first four pools was completed in May 1995.
Landscape improvements at Repulse Bay Beach will be completed this year. More children's play areas and arbours with seating will be provided. Planning is also in hand for a new beach administration building, with additional changing and showering facilities. Extra facilities have also been planned for Shek O Beach. New- style lifeguard lookout towers have replaced the old ones in most of the public beaches in Southern District.
The councils regularly organise learn-to-swim classes. During the year, more than 1 995 swimming classes and training programmes were held for more than 129 396 people. The councils encourage the formation of lifeguard clubs at their swimming venues to help maintain a steady supply of voluntary lifeguards to augment the regular lifeguard services. At the end of the year, the Urban Council and Regional Council areas operated 13 and eight lifeguard clubs respectively.
Shark attacks in Sai Kung in June led the Regional Council to extend the shark prevention net pilot scheme being tested at the Clear Water Bay Second Beach and Silverstrand Beach in Sai Kung, and at Kadoorie Beach in Tuen Mun, to four more beaches in Sai Kung (Clear Water Bay First Beach, Hap Mun Bay Beach, Trio Beach and Kiu Tsui Beach), to a second beach in Tuen Mun (Butterfly Beach), and to Tsuen Wan (Lido Beach adjoining Casam Beach) and Cheung Chau (Tung Wan Beach). The Urban Council decided to install shark nets at 11 of its gazetted beaches. It is hoped that installation work will be completed by the 1996 swimming season.
Ocean Park
Ocean Park, on the southern side of Hong Kong Island, is Southeast Asia's largest oceanarium and Hong Kong's premier theme park. Ocean Park's 87-hectare site includes Water World and Middle Kingdom, a Chinese cultural village that recreates 5 000 years of Chinese history.
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The park has an array of popular attractions including world-class natural exhibits such as the Wave Cove, Shark Aquarium and Butterfly House. The cable car and Ocean Theatre, which can hold 3 500 people, are also big hits. Ocean Park has welcomed more than 37 million guests since it opened in 1977. In 1991, the park unveiled an ambitious $700 million long-term development plan to add new attractions, upgrade facilities and improve guest services. This is expected to boost the park's annual attendance from the current 3.2 million to four million by 1997.
Ocean Park Tower, Kids' World, Dinosaur Discovery Trail, Ferries Wheel and the Eagle Ride were completed consecutively from mid-1992 onwards. The Atoll Reef, which has undergone a $60 million renovation, re-opened in April 1995 with a new look and theme based on an Indo-Pacific Coral Island. Planned projects include a Mine Train, a simulation theatre and a second breeding pool for dolphins complete with underwater viewing and exhibits.
Hong Kong Outward Bound School
The Outward Bound Trust of Hong Kong Limited is a registered charity and part of a world-wide network of 41 schools, providing adventure-based training programmes for personal and professional development in an outdoor adventure environment on land and sea. Outward Bound aims to help people develop skills they need in