RECREATION, SPORTS AND THE ARTS
Provisional Regional Council
The Provisional Regional Council maintains 703 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 1997, more than 400 000 plants were planted in parks, playgrounds and roadside amenities.
Hong Kong Flower Show
Since 1987, the two municipal councils have jointly organised the annual Hong Kong Flower Show, which has grown in size and popularity each year. It provides many interesting activities such as horticultural talks and children's maze. More than 70 local and overseas horticultural organisations took part in the 1997 show held at Sha Tin Park and Sha Tin Town Hall. It attracted more than 450 000 visitors over its 10 days.
Green Hong Kong Campaign
The Provisional Urban Council's Green Hong Kong Campaign is in its fourth year and continues to focus on three elements: community involvement, education and tree-planting. For the first time, a 'King of Hong Kong' Urban Trees Competition was organised to enhance 'green consciousness' where citizens were encouraged to nominate trees in their neighbourhood.
The activity was well received by tree experts, green groups and the public. The Green Hong Kong Ambassador Scheme continued to expand and was extended to cover simple maintenance of street trees. Other community involvement programmes such as the District Community Planting Days and the Scented Flower Exhibition also attracted a good level of public support. The biennial Green School Award Competition was held in December and attracted over 160 entries, double the 1995 figure. To complement the major annual planting programme in parks and highways, some 1 400 standard trees and 20 000 saplings were planted along streets and on hill slopes respectively in order to make the city greener.
Summer Youth Programme
A Hong Kong-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 1997, the programme was officially launched on July 5. About 15 400 activities were organised involving 1.17 million young people at a total cost of about $60 million. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust donated $18 million and the balance was met by the government, district boards, private donations and participants' fees. A total of 46 outstanding volunteers were awarded Summer Youth Programme Scholarships and attended local/overseas courses organised either by the Summer Youth Programme Committee or other institutions.
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