ENG-1986 — Page 308

RECREATION AND THE ARTS

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of the total visitors, increasing numbers of people now go to the countryside during the summer. Evening visits to roadside picnic sites are also becoming popular.

The Director of Agriculture and Fisheries is the Country Parks Authority and, advised by the Country Parks Board, is responsible for these facilities and for the provision of management and protection services for all lands designated as country parks and special areas.

Urban Council

The Urban Council continues to play a vital role in community life by providing a wide range of recreational and cultural facilities in the urban area of Hong Kong. The Urban Services Department, as the executive arm of the council, manages a total open space of 497 hectares. Major recreational facilities include parks, playgrounds, swimming pools, beaches and indoor games halls.

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Urban Council projects completed in 1986 include Hiu Kwong Street Playground and Indoor Games Hall, Carpenter Road Park (Stage II Phase I), Hong Kong Squash Centre in Victoria Barracks, Wong Nai Chung Reservoir Park and Harbour Road Garden.

To maximise land use, new or redeveloped Urban Council markets are built as multi-storey complexes with one or more floors constructed exclusively for recreational or cultural use. The facilities so provided include indoor games halls, libraries, auditoria, multi-purpose rooms for rehearsals, training, lectures and community functions, visual arts studios and exhibition areas.

Two complexes were completed in 1986, one in Wong Tai Sin and one in Wan Chai. During the year, seven complexes were under construction in the Eastern and Western Districts on Hong Kong Island and in the Kowloon City, Kwun Tong, Sham Shui Po, Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei Districts in Kowloon. Twelve similar projects in various districts are under planning. In addition, five new indoor games halls were under construction together with 16 under various stages of planning to supplement the existing indoor facilities at Aberdeen, Kai Tak East, Cheung Sha Wan, Morse Park, Boundary Street, Lai Chi Kok, To Kwa Wan, Ngau Tau Kok, Chun Wah Road and Hiu Kwong Street.

With a budget of $7 million in 1986, the Urban Council, through its Sports Promotion Office, provided the main financial support to events jointly promoted with sports associations and other organisations. The 7 800 sports and recreational events promoted in this way included territory-wide leagues and championships, spectator events and special projects such as school sports, the annual Festival of Sport and sports activities for the physically handicapped. Some 195 180 people took part in these activities which attracted large numbers of spectators.

Through its network of 10 Recreation, Amenities and Sports District Offices, the Urban Council promotes community-based recreation and sports programmes and elementary learn-to-play courses for the general public, housewives and shift workers, in addition to courses specially designed for the handicapped and disabled. During the year, about 220 000 people took part in 4 000 programmes and activities, including 27 000 people in the Learn-To-Swim Scheme, and 53 000 people in fitness and dance programmes.

The Regional Council

The Regional Council, formed on April 1, provides recreational and sports facilities in the non-urban areas, while the Regional Services Department (RSD), as the council's executive arm, is responsible for the planning and management of the facilities. Major recreational