XN000022-1986-02-03 — Page 2

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1986

ARTS ACADEMY FACILITIES AMONG FINEST DUCHESS

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HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUCHESS OF KENT TODAY (MONDAY) OFFICIALLY OPENED THE NEW THEATRE BLOCK OF THE ACADEMY FOR PERFORMING ARTS.

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY, SHE CONGRATULATED THE ORGANISERS ON THE EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENT OF COMPLETING THIS BUILDING, WITH ALL ITS COMPLEXITIES, IN SO SHORT A TIME+.

+THESE ARE SOME OF THE FINEST FACILITIES ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD,+ SHE SAID.

+THE DECISION TO INVEST SO MUCH WEALTH AND EFFORT IN THIS ACADEMY SEEMS TO ME TO HAVE BEEN AS BOLD AS IT WAS TIMELY, COMING AT A MOMENT WHEN SO MUCH LOOKED UNCERTAIN.+

THE DUCHESS THEN WATCHED A THREE-HOUR PERFORMANCE OF DON GIOVANNI BY THE GLYNDEBOURNE OPERA COMPANY IN THE NEW AUDITORIUM.

SHE HAD LAID THE FOUNDATION STONE FOR THE ACADEMY IN 1982.

EARLIER TODAY, THE DUCHESS, ACCOMPANIED BY THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, MR JOHN CHAMBERS, HAD VISITED THE PRINCE OF WALES HOSPITAL IN SHA TIN.

THERE SHE SHOWED KEEN INTEREST IN THE RED CROSS HOSPITAL SCHOOL, CONDUCTED IN THE PAEDIATRIC WARD AND SAW CHILDREN LISTENING TO A STORY FROM A CASSETTE RECORDER.

WITH THE HELP OF AN INTERPRETER, SHE SPENT SOME TIME CHATTING WITH THE PUPILS – AND THEN SURPRISED THEM - BY SPEAKING IN CANTONESE THE WORDS +GOOD MORNING AND GOOD BYE+ .

AS SHE LEFT. SHE SMILINGLY ASKED IF ANY OF THE CHILDREN WISHED TO GO BACK TO BRITAIN WITH HER, BUT RECEIVED NO REPLY.

THE DUCHESS ALSO TOURED THE GERIATRIC AND WOMEN'S

MEDICAL WARDS.

AFTERWARDS, ACCOMPANIED BY MR CHAMBERS SHE WENT TO THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY, WHERE SHE WAS WELCOMED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE UNIVERSITY COUNCIL, MA Q.W. LEE AND THE VICE CHANCELLOR, DR MA LIN.

THE DUCHESS SAW A SLIDE SHOW ON UNIVERSITY ACTIVITIES AND TOURED THE ART GALLERY, WHERE ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS FROM THE JIN TO THE TANG PERIODS UNCOVERED IN GUANGDONG, WERE BEING DISPLAYED.

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