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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1978
RECREATION AND SPORT DEVELOPMENTS
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THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, SAID TODAY THE CHANGE IN THE LEISURE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG SYMBOLISES, JUST AS DRAMATICALLY AS THE CHANGED SILHOUETTES OF THE SKYSCRAPERS, THE STRIDES THAT ARE BEING TAKEN IN THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC LIFE OF THIS COMMUNITY.
OUTLINING THE VARIOUS DEVELOPMENTS TO CATER FOR THESE INTERESTS IN HIS OPENING ADDRESS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, SIR MURRAY SAID THE ADMINISTRATION OF CULTURAL AND LEISURE ACTIVITIES IS A WHOLE NEW AND IMPORTANT FIELD OF GOVERNMENT ACTIVITY AND THE SCALE AND SPEED OF DEVELOPMENT IS EXTRAORDINARY.
HE SAID: +SOME OF THESE DIVERSE ACTIVITIES SUPPORTED BY PUBLIC FUNDS HAVE EXISTED FOR SOME TIME, BUT MOST HAVE NOT AND IN ANY CASE THE SCALE OF ACTIVITY IS OUT OF ALL RECOGNITION,+
THESE CULTURAL AND LEISURE ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN DELIBERATELY STIMULATED BY THE GOVERNMENT, URBAN COUNCIL AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES, HE SAID.
+WE HAVE EACH YEAR AN INTERNATIONAL HONG KONG ARTS FESTIVAL, A FESTIVAL OF ASIAN ARTS, AND USUALLY A FILM FESTIVAL. A WEEK SELDOM PASSES WITHOUT AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE OR HEAR SOMETHING OF HIGH ARTISTIC MERIT.+
HE SAID THE HONG KONG PHILHARMONIC HAS NOW TAKEN ITS RIGHTFUL PLACE AS HONG KONG'S ORCHESTRA. THERE IS AN EXCELLENT AND POPULAR CHINESE ORCHESTRA, DANCE AND BALLET GROUPS ARE OF A HIGH STANDARD, AND WE ARE DEVELOPING A FINE YOUTH ORCHESTRA.
THE ARTS CENTRE HAD ALSO PROVED AN IMMEDIATE SUCCESS, HE SAID, + INDEED ALL AVAILABLE AUDITORIA ARE SO HEAVILY BOOKĖD THAT IT IS JUST AS WELL THAT BEFORE THE MID 80'S UNDER REVIEW THE NEW CULTURAL COMPLEX AT TSIM SHA TSUI WILL BE COMPLETED AND THREE NEW LARGE CITY HALLS AND TWO SMALL ONES WILL BE COMPLETED IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.+
SIR MURRAY NOTED THAT A WIDE VARIETY OF SPORTS ARE SUPPORTED THROUGH THE COUNCIL FOR RECREATION AND SPORT, AND THE GOVERNMENT HAS GONE INTO PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB OVER ESTABLISHING A VERY LARGE JUBILEE SPORTS CENTRE.
IN ADDITION, THE RECREATION AND SPORTS SERVICE ORGANISED DIVERSE FORMS OF RECREATION FOR AT LEAST 30,000 PEOPLE OF ALL AGES A MONTH AND SUPPLEMENTS AND ASSISTS THE WORK OF VOLUNTARY AGENCIES AND LOCAL GROUPS IN CATERING FOR MUCH LARGER NUMBERS.
+THERE ARE A LARGE NUMBER OF RECREATIONAL FACILITIES UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND IN THIS THE URBAN COUNCIL IS DOING PARTICULARLY GOOD WORK, + HE SAID.
+THEN THERE IS THE NEW COUNTRY PARKS AUTHORITY WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR CARE AND DEVELOPMENT FOR RECREATION OF ABOUT 200 SQUARE MILES OF MOUNTAIN, VALLEY AND BEACH, WHICH IT IS EXPECTED WILL BE VISITED BY ANYTHING UP TO 100,000 PEOPLE ON ANY WEEKEND OF GOOD WEATHER,+ SIR MURRAY SAID.
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