XN000022-1985-06-11 — Page 24

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TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 1985

IT

+ALTHOUGH THE MAN IN THE STREET SEEMS NOT TO REALISE HONG KONG IS TO A CONSIDERABLE EXTENT A CITY OF

FESTIVALS, + HE SAID.

+HARDLY A MONTH GOES BY WITHOUT A FESTIVAL TAKING PLACE IN HONG KONG, AND MORE OFTEN THAN NOT IT HAS BEEN ORGANISED, SPONSORED OR SUPPORTED BY THE COUNCIL.+

IN HIS SPEECH, MR CHEONG-LEEN REVIEWED THE URBAN COUNCIL'S VERY SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN PROMOTING FESTIVALS AND OTHER ENTERTAINMENT AS PART OF ITS EFFORT TO BRING A BETTER, HAPPIER AND HEALTHIER LIFE TO THE LOCAL POPULATION,

IN PROMOTING THE ARTS AND CULTURE THROUGH FESTIVALS, THE URBAN COUNCIL IS PARTICULARLY MINDFUL OF THE NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF THE YOUNGER POPULATION. IT WAS WITH THIS OBJECTIVE IN MIND THAT THE COUNCIL DECIDED IN 1982 TO ORGANISE AN INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL IN SUMMER TO PROVIDE SUITABLE CULTURAL PROGRAMMES AND ENTERTAINMENT FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE.

SAID MR CHEONG-LEEN: +THIS YEAR, THE COUNCIL WILL ORGANISE THE HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL YOUTH ARTS FESTIVAL IN JULY AND AUGUST TO MARK THE 1985 INTERNATIONAL YOUTH YEAR.

+ THE AIM OF THIS FESTIVAL IS TO BRING TOGETHER YOUNG PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT NATIONS, RACES, BACKGROUNDS AND RELIGIONS IN ORDER TO PROMOTE INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP AND UNDERSTANDING AND TO ENCOURAGE CULTURAL EXCHANGE THROUGH THE UNIVERSAL MEDIUM OF PERFORMING ARTS.+

HE POINTED OUT THAT OTHER HIGHLY-POPULAR FESTIVALS ORGANISED BY THE COUNCIL INCLUDE THE FESTIVAL OF ASIAN ARTS AND THE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL.

IN ADDITION, THE URBAN COUNCIL ORGANISES FESTIVITIES TO MARK THE MAJOR TRADITIONAL CHINESE FESTIVALS INCLUDING LANTERN CARNIVALS DURING THE MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL AND THE SPRING LANTERN FESTIVAL DURING THE LUNAR NEW YEAR.

+WITH THE SETTING UP OF THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION SCHEME, THE URBAN COUNCIL IS ALSO WORKING CLOSELY WITH VARIOUS URBAN DISTRICT BOARDS TO FURTHER DEVELOP HONG KONG'S CULTURAL HERITAGE AND TO ORGANISE DISTRICT FESTIVALS,+ ADDED MR CHEONG-LEEN.

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