2
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1979
YUEN LONG AT A GLIMPSE FOR PRINCE CHARLES
******
THE HISTORY OF YUEN LONG DATING BACK MORE THAN 1,000 YEARS -- AND ITS RAPID TRANSFORMATION FROM A TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURAL MARKETING CENTRE TO A NEW TOWN OF THE 80'S WILL BE THE FOCUS OF A PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION TO BE STAGED AT YUEN LONG TOWN HALL NEXT MONDAY (MARCH 5) FOR THE VISIT OF HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES TO THE DISTRICT.
ENTITLED +YUEN LONG THE SPIRIT OF PROGRESS+, THE WEEK-LONG EXHIBITION HAS BEEN PRODUCED BY THE NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION AND DESIGNED BY THE GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES.
THE YUEN LONG DISTRICT OFFICER, MR. MICHAEL CARTLAND SAID TODAY (TUESDAY) THE EXHIBITION — A PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAY - WOULD GIVE PRINCE CHARLES A QUICK, BUT COMPREHENSIVE GLIMPSE OF THE DISTRICT'S PAST, ITS GROWTH AND ITS PLANS FOR THE NEXT DECADE.
THE PRINCE WILL BE ESCORTED AROUND THE EXHIBITION BY THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. DAVID AKERS-JONES, MR. CHARLES YEUNG AND MR. STEPHEN CHIU, THE CHAIRMAN AND VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE TOWN HALL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE.
THERE WILL BE 20 LARGE PHOTOGRAPHIC MURALS MOUNTED ON A SPECIALLY-DES IGNED PAGODA-LIKE STRUCTURE — SYMBOL IS ING YUEN LONG WITH ITS RESEMBLANCE TO THE FAMOUS PING SHAN PAGODA.
THE STRUCTURE, DESIGNED ON A MODULAR OF FOUR FEET BY EIGHT FEET, WILL RISE TO A HEIGHT OF 18 FEET. IT WILL BE PAINTED IN RED AND GOLD COLOURS AND LIT BY SPOTLIGHTS.
THE MURALS EACH REPRESENT AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF YUEN LONG. THEY DEPICT THE DISTRICT'S HISTORY, VIRTUELY THOSE OF THE TANG AND MAN FAMILIES WHO WERE THE FIRST SETTLERS IN YUEN LONG= THE COMMUNITY SPIRIT AND AMENITIES BUILT UP BY THE LOCAL PEOPLE WITH GOVERNMENT ENCOURAGEMENT LOCAL FARMING WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR HALF OF HONG KONG'S ANNUAL AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION- AND COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY WHICH CONTRIBUTE MUCH TO THE PROGRESS AND PROSPERITY OF THE TOWN.
IN ADDITION, IT WILL FEATURE A SCALE MODEL OF THE FUTURE NEW TOWN → AN AMBITIOUS $726 MILLION PROGRAMME UNDERTAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT TO DEVELOP THE TOWN INTO ONE OF THE SIX NEW TOWNS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES WITH A POPULATION OF NEARLY 100,000 PEOPLE BY THE MID-80'S.
+YUEN LONG IS VERY UNIQUE IN ITSELF IN THAT ITS CLOSELY-KNIT COMMUNITY HAS FOSTERED A STRONG SENSE OF IDENTITY AND BELONGING, ✦ MR. CARTLAND SAID.
+THEY HAVE DONE MUCH TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR COMMUNITY SPIRIT BY BUILDING THEIR DISTRICT HOSPITAL, SUPPORTING THEIR OWN FIRST DIVISION SOCCER TEAM AND FOUND ING THE FIRST DISTRICT CHINESE ORCHESTRA AND CHILDREN'S CHOIR IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.
THE EXHIBITION.