RECREATION, SPORTS AND THE ARTS
was completed. Construction of the new jaguar enclosure was making good progress towards its 1996 completion.
Regional Council Parks
The Regional Council manages more than 575 parks and gardens of various sizes, including five major parks. Tuen Mun Park is the largest park in the New Territories, covering 12.5 hectares. It has an ornamental lake for rowing and a 160-metre water cascade, the largest of its kind in Hong Kong. North District 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 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 Park include a seven-level pagoda with a built-in aviary which houses more than 210 birds of 50 species. The newest park, Tin Shui Wai, covers 7.5 hectares and includes an amphitheatre and children's play area.
Country Parks and Marine 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. More than 10 million visits were made to these parks during 1995. They are most popular during the cool, dry months from October to April.
The Marine Parks Ordinance was enacted during the year. The Administration is in the process of establishing the first batch of marine parks and a marine reserve. The Director of Agriculture and Fisheries is the Country and Marine Parks Authority. With the advice of the Country and Marine Parks Board and its various committees, he is responsible for the protection of the vegetation and wildlife, and provision of recreational facilities and their management in these areas.
Horticulture and Landscape Services
Urban Council
The Urban Council is committed to improving the urban environment with land- scaping and tree preservation. The services include landscape design and planting, plant production, horticultural research, maintenance and conservation.
During the year, the council completed 53 landscape projects and planted approximately 31 000 trees and 850 000 flowering shrubs. About 90 per cent of these plants were supplied from the council's 11 nurseries, with the balance coming from commercial nurseries.
Regional Council
The Regional Council maintains 797 hectares of greenery in parks, gardens, sports grounds, soccer pitches, games areas and children's playgrounds in the New Territories. It also manages amenity plots and soft landscape along highways and roads. In 1995, more than 487 159 plants were planted in parks, playgrounds and roadside amenities.
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