HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
and Urban Amenities Select Committee on an investigation to determine what open spaces remain for development by us if such open spaces should be eventually allocated for our purposes. At the same time I am sorry to see that, whilst the master plan for the railway is not available or made known to the public, yet small bits and pieces of these lands adjoining the railway tracks are being developed against the interest of the public, because when the time comes for the proper development of railway lands, Government would no doubt be called upon to pay compensation to those people who are now entrenching themselves on lands assigned for use by the railway. I would very strongly like to call the attention of Government and the public alike to this surreptitious development of railway lands for purposes evidently not akin in any way with the better running of our railway.
The question was put.
The Motion was carried.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN moved :—
"That this Council should consider the desirability of starting a Zoological Garden in Hong Kong."
He said: A zoological garden, or zoo as many of us would call it, is an institution in which live animals are kept for exhibition to the public.
The custom of keeping collections of living wild animals is as old as recorded history. In the early part of the 12th Century B.C. King Wen, the first emperor of the Chou Dynasty, maintained near his palace a 'garden of intelligence', in which were to be found a number of wild animals coming from various provinces of the Chinese empire. The ancient Egyptians and Greeks also had collections of birds and animals and so did the Romans. It was not until the 19th Century that zoos became popular in many of the large cities of the world.
Today zoological gardens are favourite public institutions wherever they are to be found. There are many excellent zoos, large and small, in nearly all the major European cities, and in North America alone there are over 30 zoos. There are also some fine zoos in Asia, particularly in India and Japan.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
I think it is time Hong Kong should have a public zoological garden and I think it is the view of the overwhelming majority of the public.
There are a few animals in the Botanical Gardens, but they can hardly be called a collection. In fact, they do no more than emphasize the need for a proper zoological garden.
Then there are some birds and animals kept at the P.G. Farm at Aberdeen. There are also a growing collection at the Lai Chi Kok Amusement Park. I understand that they recently acquired an elephant and a bear. It is a pity though that space in this Park is limited. In any case, I would like to congratulate the management of both enterprises for their civic efforts in providing such additional source of enjoyment for the people of Hong Kong.
A zoological garden, well cared for, would assuredly be a great boon to children. The educational value would be inestimable. We can well imagine that the seeing of real live animals by children would create a much more vivid impression on their minds than the mere viewing of wild animals in the movies, no matter how high the technical standard of the film.
Then again, a zoological garden could also be a tourist attraction, especially if some of the animals kept are not easily found in other zoos elsewhere. It would be that added reason for tourist families to stay an additional day in Hong Kong rather than to follow the proverbial schedule of coming on the first day, go shopping the second day, and leave on the third day.
There will have to be considerable research and investigation before any decision can be reached as to the size and the cost of the zoological garden. With regard to a suitable site, places such as Aberdeen, Sha Tin and Stonecutters' Island (that is providing the military is willing to vacate this island) come easily to mind. But I would rather leave all this to the expert to investigate and recommend. The type of expert I have in mind is one who, apart from having the theoretical knowledge, has also had extensive practical experience in the management of zoological gardens.
So we see that the establishment of a zoological garden is not something which can be done overnight, but at least let us start the ball rolling today by coming to a decision, unanimously if possible, on the resolution.
Page 113 of 139
206
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 112 of 139
204
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
and Urban Amenities Select Committee on an investigation to determine what open spaces remain for development by us if such open spaces should be eventually allocated for our purposes. At the same time I am sorry to see that, whilst the master plan for the railway is not available or made known to the public, yet small bits and pieces of these lands adjoining the railway tracks are being developed against the interest of the public, because when the time comes for the proper development of railway lands, Government would no doubt be called upon to pay compensation to those people who are now entrenching themselves on lands assigned for use by the railway. I would very strongly like to call the attention of Government and the public alike to this surreptitious development of railway lands for purposes evidently not akin in any way with the better running of our railway.
The question was put.
The Motion was carried.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN moved :—
"That this Council should consider the desirability of starting a Zoological Garden in Hong Kong."
He said: A zoological garden, or zoo as many of us would call it, is an institution in which live animals are kept for exhibition to the public.
The custom of keeping collections of living wild animals is as old as recorded history. In the early part of the 12th Century B.C. King Wen, the first emperor of the Chou Dynasty, maintained near his palace a 'garden of intelligence', in which were to be found a number of wild animals coming from various provinces of the Chinese empire. The ancient Egyptians and Greeks also had collections of birds and animals and so did the Romans. It was not until the 19th Century that zoos became popular in many of the large cities of the world.
Today zoological gardens are favourite public institutions wherever they are to be found. There are many excellent zoos, large and small, in nearly all the major European cities, and in North America alone there are over 30 zoos. There are also some fine zoos in Asia, particularly in India and Japan.
I think it is time Hong Kong should have a public zoological garden and I think it is the view of the overwhelming majority of the public.
There are a few animals in the Botanical Gardens, but they can hardly be called a collection. In fact, they do no more than emphasize the need for a proper zoological garden.
Then there are some birds and animals kept at the P.G. Farm at Aberdeen. There are also a growing collection at the Lai Chi Kok Amusement Park. I understand that they recently acquired an elephant and a bear. It is a pity though that space in this Park is limited. In any case, I would like to congratulate the management of both enterprises for their civic efforts in providing such additional source of enjoyment for the people of Hong Kong.
A zoological garden, well cared for, would assuredly be a great boon to children. The educational value would be inestimable. We can well imagine that the seeing of real live animals by children would create a much more vivid impression on their minds than the mere viewing of wild animals in the movies, no matter how high the technical standard of the film.
Then again, a zoological garden could also be a tourist attraction, especially if some of the animals kept are not easily found in other zoos elsewhere. It would be that added reason for tourist families to stay an additional day in Hong Kong rather than to follow the proverbial schedule of coming on the first day, go shopping the second day, and leave on the third day.
There will have to be considerable research and investigation before any decision can be reached as to the size and the cost of the zoological garden. With regard to a suitable site, places such as Aberdeen, Sha Tin and Stonecutters' Island (that is providing the military is willing to vacate this island) come easily to mind. But I would rather leave all this to the expert to investigate and recommend. The type of expert I have in mind is one who, apart from having the theoretical knowledge, has also had extensive practical experience in the management of zoological gardens.
So we see that the establishment of a zoological garden is not something which can be done overnight, but at least let us start the ball rolling today by coming to a decision, unanimously if possible, on the resolution.
205
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
206
has been corrected toPage 112 of 139
204
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
...
Page 113 of 139
205
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
...
Page 114 of 139
206
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
has been put into proper HTML format usingtags. Extra line breaks and page numbers have been handled according to the instructions. The final output is as follows:
Page 112 of 139
204
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
and Urban Amenities Select Committee on an investigation to determine what open spaces remain for development by us if such open spaces should be eventually allocated for our purposes. At the same time I am sorry to see that, whilst the master plan for the railway is not available or made known to the public, yet small bits and pieces of these lands adjoining the railway tracks are being developed against the interest of the public, because when the time comes for the proper development of railway lands, Government would no doubt be called upon to pay compensation to those people who are now entrenching themselves on lands assigned for use by the railway. I would very strongly like to call the attention of Government and the public alike to this surreptitious development of railway lands for purposes evidently not akin in any way with the better running of our railway.
The question was put.
The Motion was carried.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN moved :—
"That this Council should consider the desirability of starting a Zoological Garden in Hong Kong."
He said: A zoological garden, or zoo as many of us would call it, is an institution in which live animals are kept for exhibition to the public.
The custom of keeping collections of living wild animals is as old as recorded history. In the early part of the 12th Century B.C. King Wen, the first emperor of the Chou Dynasty, maintained near his palace a 'garden of intelligence', in which were to be found a number of wild animals coming from various provinces of the Chinese empire. The ancient Egyptians and Greeks also had collections of birds and animals and so did the Romans. It was not until the 19th Century that zoos became popular in many of the large cities of the world.
Today zoological gardens are favourite public institutions wherever they are to be found. There are many excellent zoos, large and small, in nearly all the major European cities, and in North America alone there are over 30 zoos. There are also some fine zoos in Asia, particularly in India and Japan.
I think it is time Hong Kong should have a public zoological garden and I think it is the view of the overwhelming majority of the public.
There are a few animals in the Botanical Gardens, but they can hardly be called a collection. In fact, they do no more than emphasize the need for a proper zoological garden.
Then there are some birds and animals kept at the P.G. Farm at Aberdeen. There are also a growing collection at the Lai Chi Kok Amusement Park. I understand that they recently acquired an elephant and a bear. It is a pity though that space in this Park is limited. In any case, I would like to congratulate the management of both enterprises for their civic efforts in providing such additional source of enjoyment for the people of Hong Kong.
A zoological garden, well cared for, would assuredly be a great boon to children. The educational value would be inestimable. We can well imagine that the seeing of real live animals by children would create a much more vivid impression on their minds than the mere viewing of wild animals in the movies, no matter how high the technical standard of the film.
Then again, a zoological garden could also be a tourist attraction, especially if some of the animals kept are not easily found in other zoos elsewhere. It would be that added reason for tourist families to stay an additional day in Hong Kong rather than to follow the proverbial schedule of coming on the first day, go shopping the second day, and leave on the third day.
There will have to be considerable research and investigation before any decision can be reached as to the size and the cost of the zoological garden. With regard to a suitable site, places such as Aberdeen, Sha Tin and Stonecutters' Island (that is providing the military is willing to vacate this island) come easily to mind. But I would rather leave all this to the expert to investigate and recommend. The type of expert I have in mind is one who, apart from having the theoretical knowledge, has also had extensive practical experience in the management of zoological gardens.
So we see that the establishment of a zoological garden is not something which can be done overnight, but at least let us start the ball rolling today by coming to a decision, unanimously if possible, on the resolution.
Page 113 of 139
205
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 114 of 139
206
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
of 139
Page 112 of 13
204
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
and Urban Amenities Select Committee on an investigation to determine what open spaces remain for development by us if such open spaces should be eventually allocated for our purposes. At the same time I am sorry to see that, whilst the master plan for the railway is not available or made known to the public, yet small bits and pieces of these lands adjoining the railway tracks are being developed against the interest of the public, because when the time comes for the proper development of railway lands, Government would no doubt be called upon to pay compensation to those people who are now entrenching themselves on lands assigned for use by the railway. I would very strongly like to call the attention of Government and the public alike to this surreptitious development of railway lands for purposes evidently not akin in any way with the better running of our railway.
The question was put.
The Motion was carried.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN moved :—
"That this Council should consider the desirability of
starting a Zoological Garden in Hong Kong."
He said: A zoological garden, or zoo as many of us would call it, is an institution in which live animals are kept for exhibition to the public.
The custom of keeping collections of living wild animals is as old as recorded history. In the early part of the 12th Century B.C. King Wen, the first emperor of the Chou Dynasty, maintained near his palace a 'garden of intelligence', in which were to be found a number of wild animals coming from various provinces of the Chinese empire. The ancient Egyptians and Greeks also had col- lections of birds and animals and so did the Romans. It was not until the 19th Century that zoos became popular in many of the large cities of the world.
Today zoological gardens are favourite public institutions wherever they are to be found. There are many excellent zoos, large and small, in nearly all the major European cities, and in North America alone there are over 30 ZOOS. There are also some fine zoos in Asia, particularly in India and Japan.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
205
I think it is time Hong Kong should have a public zoological garden and I think it is the view of the overwhelming majority of the public.
There are a few animals in the Botanical Gardens, but they can hardly be called a collection. In fact they do no more than emphasize the need for a proper zoological garden.
Then there are some birds and animals kept at the P.G. Farm at Aberdeen. There are also a growing collection at the Lai Chi Kok Amusement Park. I understand that they recently acquired an elephant and a bear. It is a pity though that space in this Park is limited. In any case, I would like to congratulate the manage- ment of both enterprises for their civic efforts in providing such additional source of enjoyment for the people of Hong Kong.
A zoological garden, well cared for, would assuredly be a great boon to children. The educational value would be inestimable. We can well imagine that the seeing of real live animals by children would create a much more vivid impression on their minds than the mere viewing of wild animals in the movies, no matter how high the technical standard of the film.
Then again, a zoological garden could also be a tourist at- traction, especially if some of the animals kept are not easily found in other zoos elsewhere. It would be that added reason for tourist families to stay an additional day in Hong Kong rather than to follow the proverbial schedule of coming on the first day, go shopping the second day, and leave on the third day.
There will have to be considerable research and investigation before any decision can be reached as to the size and the cost of the zoological garden. With regard to a suitable site, places such as Aberdeen, Sha Tin and Stonecutters' Island (that is providing the military is willing to vacate this island) come easily to mind. But I would rather leave all this to the expert to investigate and recommend. The type of expert I have in mind is one who, apart from having the theoretical knowledge, has also had extensive practical experience in the management of zoological gardens.
So we see that the establishment of a zoological garden is not something which can be done overnight, but at least let us start the ball rolling today by coming to a decision, unanimously if possible, on the resolution.
10
|
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.