ENG-1990 — Page 396

RECREATION, SPORTS AND THE ARTS

lighting display, thousands of festive lights, bunting and decorations were put up along the 2.5-kilometre parade route in Sha Tin. A procession comprising 27 colourful floats together with 35 performing groups including dance troupes, cartoon figures, Cantonese Opera characters, mediaeval knights on horses, and traditional New Territories features such as Cheung Chau Piu Sik, lion, unicorn and dragon dances, were watched by thou- sands of onlookers, and millions of viewers on television.

There were over 20 major events. Highlights included an Inter-Cities Special Olympics, International Invitation Soccer Championship, International Sand Sculpture Competition, Kite Flying Festival, International Road Race, Water Sports Extravaganza, and per- formances by World Professional Dance Champions and the Shanxi Dance Troupe. There were also Corporate Games, Telematches and Celebrities Games, District Fun Fairs, students' drawing and Chinese calligraphy competitions, environmental hygiene competitions, and exhibitions on special subjects, including the works of Professor Chao Shao-an.

The festival ended with a pop concert held at Sha Tin Sports Ground on December 2. Some 7 000 participants turned up at the Woodstock-style concert which was broadcast on television.

Beaches and Swimming Pools

Swimming is Hong Kong's most popular form of summer recreation. During the year, some 15.2 million people visited the beaches and another 6.5 million enjoyed using the numerous public swimming pools managed by the Urban Council and the Regional Council.

There are at present 42 gazetted bathing beaches, 12 on Hong Kong Island managed by the Urban Council and 30 in the New Territories managed by the Regional Council. Facilities provided at these beaches range from changing rooms, toilets, showers, first-aid posts, lookout towers, light refreshment kiosks to picnic areas and other ancillary facilities. The water quality of these beaches is regularly checked and made known to the public.

In the last two years, the Urban Council has launched a series of replenishment and renovation projects to improve the facilities of the major beaches on Hong Kong Island. The re-sanding of Repulse Bay and South Bay was completed in 1989, doubling the sand areas of both beaches. The effect of this was a massive increase of visitors in 1990, when more than 3.7 million swimmers used the two beaches - an increase of 65 per cent over 1989. In July, a new beach building was opened at Stanley Main Beach at a cost of $12.8 million, providing changing and shower facilities for up to 200 bathers.

The two councils manage 22 public swimming complexes: 14 in the Urban Council area and eight in the Regional Council area. The competition pools in these complexes are built to international standards. Three public swimming pool projects are under planning in the urban area and 11 in the New Territories.

The two councils regularly organise learn-to-swim classes to promote water safety. During the year there were over 1 860 swimming classes and training programmes in which more than 14 600 people took part.

The councils also encourage the formation of life-guard clubs at their swimming venues. These clubs help to maintain a steady supply of voluntary life-guards to augment the councils' regular life-guard service. At the end of the year, 21 life-guards clubs were operating.

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