ENG-1970 — Page 261

17

Recreation

HONG KONG is a crowded and busy place where leisure is precious. Add to this the traditional Chinese enthusiasm for nature and the result is a community that appreciates its parks, gardens and playing fields more than most. From before sunrise on a typical morning in Hong Kong people of all ages can be seen out in the open air performing the slow, graceful routines of Tai Chi Chuan, a system of physical fitness derived from ancient Chinese martial arts but now practised almost exclusively for health reasons. Early morning strollers walk among them, often carrying a pet songbird in its cage for a breath of fresh air. Throughout the day playgrounds and pools are thronged with children. And not even the coming of dark brings a halt. The lights come on over football arenas, basket- ball pitches and swimming pools, while the less active gather- at the mahjong tables, watch television or flock out to sample the almost endless variety of diversions that Hong Kong offers for both rich and poor.

All of this activity goes on to the accompaniment of an energetic government programme to provide recreation facilities of all kinds. This effort has been gathering pace in recent years. There is no doubt that these amenities are well-used-for example, it is estimated that some 94 million people a year use Victoria Park (excluding the swimming pool), and well over one million the Chatham Road playground in Kowloon.

Existing amenities vary from small playgrounds and gardens serving an immediate locality, to large parks incorporating a wide range of facilities. A good example of the latter is the 48-acre Victoria Park, built on reclaimed ground on Hong Kong Island. Besides a large swimming pool and extensive areas for strolling, it contains two children's playgrounds, three grass games pitches and five hard-surfaced mini-soccer pitches, six basketball or volley- ball courts, 14 tennis and two squash courts, a children's library, a