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RECREATION, SPORTS AND THE ARTS
The council manages four nurseries in Sha Tin, Tai Po, Tsuen Wan and Tuen Mun. The Tung Tze Nursery in Tai Po, which covers four hectares, is the biggest. In 1996, the four nurseries produced 10 000 trees, 144 000 shrubs, 105 000 ground covers, 3 000 creepers and 200 000 seasonal flowers.
Hong Kong Flower Show
Since 1987, the two municipal councils have jointly organised the annual Hong Kong Flower Show. The show has grown in size and popularity by the year, and has also provided many other interesting activities such as floral arrangement demonstrations and talks on Chinese medicinal plants for the enlightenment and enjoyment of all. More than 70 local and overseas horticultural organisations took part in the 1996 Show held at Victoria Park in March. It drew a record number of more than 480 000 visitors during the 10-day show period.
Green Hong Kong Campaign
The Urban Council's Green Hong Kong Campaign is in its third year and continues to focus on three elements: community involvement, education and tree-planting. Under the newly introduced Green Hong Kong Ambassador Scheme 'green' ambassadors were recruited to carry out horticultural maintenance tasks in Urban Council venues on a voluntary basis. Such services started at the Kowloon Park and extended to all other major venues. Other community involvement programmes such as the Lotus Show, Green Hong Kong Carnival and Green Urban Project Awards attracted a good level of public support.
The school visit programme continued to expand, and over 100 schools participated in the green school subsidy scheme, an increase of 30 per cent over last year's figure. To complement the major annual planting programme in parks and highways, some 1 500 standard trees and 20 000 saplings were planted along streets and on hill slopes respectively in order to make our city greener.
Summer Youth Programme
The territory-wide Summer Youth Programme, bearing the central theme 'Share the Fun, Serve the Community', is organised each year for children and youth aged from six to 25. Social, recreational and community activities are held for participants to widen their knowledge, develop their skills, appreciate human relationships, understand the community in which they live and enhance their sense of responsibility to the community.
In 1996, the programme was officially launched on July 6. About 14 900 activities were organised involving 1.05 million young people. The total expenditure was around $51 million. The Hong Kong Jockey Club donated $17.6 million and the balance was met by the government, district boards, private donations and participants' fees. Summer Youth Programme Scholarships were awarded to 44 outstanding volunteers and they attended local or overseas courses organised either by the Summer Youth Programme Committee or other institutions.