ENG-1983 — Page 287

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RECREATION AND THE ARTS

The first of these multi-purpose Urban Council buildings, at Aberdeen, is in full operation; two at Sai Wan Ho and To Kwa Wan were completed in 1983 and construction of three more began at Lockhart Road, Ngau Chi Wan, and on the site of the former Western Market; 13 further similar projects in various districts are under planning. In addition, 14 new indoor games halls were at various stages of planning during the year to supplement the six existing ones at Aberdeen, Kai Tak East, Cheung Sha Wan, Morse Park, Boundary Street and Lai Chi Kok, the latter being completed in 1983.

The Urban Council works closely with various sports organisations and government departments in carrying out its annual sports and recreation programme. With a provision of $8.1 million in 1983, the council organised and sponsored over 13 000 sports and recreational events in which about 1.2 million people participated. It also organised 1 000 free outdoor entertainment programmes in the urban areas, including variety shows, Cantonese, Peking and Chiu Chow operas, puppet and film shows, ballet and modern dance, pop concerts, Cantonese operatic songs, orchestral concerts, carnivals, folk songs and dances. For the first time, cultural entertainment by prominent overseas groups was also presented. About 1.3 million people were entertained at these outdoor events performed in parks, playgrounds, gardens, and recreational and community halls including the Ko Shan Theatre.

An intensive 43-day 1983 Summer Fun Festival was launched during the summer holidays. More than 70 000 young people and children participated in various outdoor events including launch picnics, family harbour cruises, disco parties, carnivals, camping, music and film shows.

In celebration of the annual Dragon Boat Festival, the Urban Council and the Hong Kong Tourist Association organised the 1983 International Dragon Boat Races, with nine overseas teams and 78 local teams participating. For the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, the council organised lantern carnivals at Victoria Park on Hong Kong Island and at Morse Park in Kowloon which attracted more than 235 000 people. Other large-scale programmes - the Spring Lantern Festival, Lunar New Year Programme, Christmas Special, New Year Fiesta and April Fiesta were organised to mark festive seasons and special occasions throughout the year. In the New Territories, the Cultural Services Department organised some 362 similar entertainment programmes, attended by 190 000 people.

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Recreation and Sport Service

The Recreation and Sport Service (RSS) was set up in 1974 to provide and promote recreational and sporting activities throughout the community, with particular emphasis on meeting the needs of young people. The RSS provides a wide range of programmes, from sailing lessons for children to tai chi classes for the elderly. In 1983, some 645 000 people took part in RSS activities, including projects organised jointly with the Urban Council, the district boards and the governing bodies of sport.

With a growing demand for recreational services in the community, the RSS launched a scheme of recreation leadership training in 1983 to provide more trained instructors and leaders capable of organising recreation and sports activities. During the year, some 5 000 volunteers participated in a variety of training and coaching courses to provide Hong Kong with a greater range and number of qualified organisers. The Chinese University of Hong Kong took part in the scheme by offering, jointly with the RSS, recreation management courses for administrators and recreation leaders.

Also during the year, a special unit was set up within the RSS to cater for the recreational needs of the handicapped and underprivileged. The unit plans and designs programmes and specialist training to meet the requirements of this sector of the community.