ENG-1982 — Page 290

RECREATION AND THE ARTS

Ocean Park

215

One of the largest oceanaria in the world, Ocean Park has attracted more than 10 million visitors since it opened in 1977. Developed by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club on land granted free by the government, the park spanns a high rocky peninsula between Aberdeen and Deep Water Bay on Hong Kong Island, with 88-hectare headland and lowland sites linked by cable car.

On the headland, the Ocean Theatre, with a 4000-seat auditorium, features daily performances by trained dolphins, sealions and a killer whale, while a simulated coastline of rocks and waves allows visitors to watch and feed seals, sealions and penguins. A reef, with viewing galleries at four levels, recreates the shallows and depths of a tropical atoll and is the world's biggest aquarium, displaying some 300 species of marine life ranging from sharks to tiny coral fish. The lowland site features landscaped gardens, lakes, a zoo, a children's play area and a garden theatre.

In July, Ocean Park announced details of a major redevelopment programme. Funded by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, the $240-million project features a second entrance from Tai Shue Wan Bay using a spectacular series of escalators, an important water recreational area in the lowland site, a craft village, shops, restaurants, a roller coaster and a children's adventure world. The development will provide an improved leisure and recreational facility, as well as diversifying the attractions of the park and establishing its long-term liability. Most of the new attractions will be completed by late 1983.

Queen Elizabeth Stadium

The Queen Elizabeth Stadium, the first multi-purpose indoor sports and entertainment complex in Hong Kong, has become a major venue for important international sporting events as well as musical, cultural and entertainment programmes since its opening in 1980. During the year, the stadium was the venue for many international sporting events and concerts.

Under the management of the Urban Council, the stadium integrates sports adminis- tration, training, and competition, and houses the Amateur Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong and 23 governing sports bodies. This close contact facilitates the co-ordination and promotion of sports activities in Hong Kong.

Its indoor facilities, including a multi-purpose hall, gymnasia, a table tennis area, squash courts and ancillary committee rooms, are available for training or for hire. The stadium's main feature is a 3 500-seat air-conditioned arena, providing a facility of international standard for a variety of sports.

Jubilee Sports Centre

A major achievement in sports development in Hong Kong during the year was the completion of the Jubilee Sports Centre in Sha Tin. A joint venture between the government and the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, the 160-hectare centre was opened after three years' construction and at a cost of just over $150 million. Some $56.9 million was provided by the government's Special Coin Suspense Account first established in connection with the visit of Her Majesty the Queen in 1975. The centre was opened by His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent in October coinciding with the staging of the Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled.

The centre, one of the most modern complexes of its kind in the region, provides first-class training facilities and coaching in a wide range of sports. Innovative facilities include Hong Kong's first covered track for all-weather sprint and hurdle training, the first

URBAN COUNCIL LIBRARIES Reference Library City Hall