ENG-1993 — Page 395

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RECREATION SPORTS AND THE ARTS

IMPROVING recreational, sporting and cultural facilities has helped to enhance the quality of life in Hong Kong.

The territory's residents have access to a wide range of leisure activities. Many of these are provided by the Urban and Regional Councils, which are autonomous bodies empowered to formulate policies for the provision and management of cultural and recreational facilities in their respective areas. They build and operate games halls and pitches, swimming pools and parks, museums, libraries and other recreational facilities, as well as organising and supporting a host of cultural, sporting and recreational activities.-

The government's policies on recreation, sport, culture and heritage matters are co- ordinated by the Recreation and Culture Branch headed by the Secretary for Recreation and Culture. He is assisted by several expert bodies, including the Council for the Performing Arts, Antiquities Advisory Board, Sports Development Board and Hong Kong Sports Institute. Many other individuals and associations play an essential role in creating and improving opportunities for fulfilling sports and leisure activities in Hong Kong.

Highlights of the year included the setting up of the Hong Kong Film Archive, which is scheduled to be completed by 1997, and the opening in July of the Regional Council's computerised central library in Tsuen Wan, the largest public library in Hong Kong. Work on the redevelopment of the Hong Kong Stadium continued to make good progress. The stadium, which will give Hong Kong world class facilities for staging large-scale sporting and other spectator events, will be ready for use in early 1994. A horse-riding school was completed in Tuen Mun at the end of the year and will also be opened to the public in early 1994. Other innovations during the year were the Urban Council's first Green Hong Kong campaign and the Regional Council's Greening Scheme.

There were other multifaceted events which have become traditional and which, over the years, have gone from strength to strength, always developing and improving. These included the 17th Hong Kong International Film Festival and the 12th International Arts Carnival.

Promoting Hong Kong's heritage, the Regional Council, with the assistance of the Heung Yee Kuk, launched a highly successful New Territories Relics Collection Campaign in March. The 5 000-plus items collected during the campaign period will be exhibited in the Heritage Museum planned for Sha Tin.

There were also important developments in the organisational structures for both sports and the arts. Proposals were brought forward for the integration of the Sports

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