ENG-2002 — Page 483

RECREATION, SPORT AND THE ARTS

given by three Nobel Prize laureates in physics: Professors C.H. Townes, C. Cohen- Tannoudji and Gerardus 't Hooft.

A Resource Centre opened in June to provide science education reference materials and information services to visitors upon request. This facility, equipped with audio- visual equipment and computers, enables users to retrieve information effectively for their reference and studies.

Another exhibition Grossology: The (Impolite) Science of the Human Body was presented in November. More than a dozen interactive displays in the shape of exaggerated human organs were presented, addressing various aspects of bodily phenomena.

The Children's Zone was renovated and reopened in December 2001 with the addition of five new interactive exhibits. These demonstrate interesting fluid phenomena, trackability of wheels with different shapes and various mechanisms for conveying objects. In addition, the 'Machine World' and the 'Safari' were produced to allow children to express their creativity by designing machines, animals or anything they could imagine.

During the year, the museum worked with academic institutions, universities, and professional bodies on a number of special projects to popularise science. The museum's exhibitions and extension activities attracted more than 868 000 visitors and participants.

Hong Kong Space Museum

The Space Museum is working with the Hong Kong Astronomy League (the former Astronomy Workshop) to establish an Interactive Astronomical Observatory in Sai Kung. This project is funded by the Quality Education Fund and involves setting up a remote controlled telescope that can be accessed by teachers through the Internet for teaching and organising astronomical activities. Construction of the observatory is expected to be completed in 2003.

The museum's Astronomy Resource Centre was opened to the public at year-end. During the year, the museum published two astronomical publications, Ancient Chinese Star Map and Butterflies in The Starry Sky, as well as the Astrocalendar 2003. The museum's two Sky Shows, four Omnimax films, and six School Shows attracted some 287 810 people. The museum also organised 145 extension activities that had 24 128 participants. Ten temporary special exhibitions and the groups of permanent exhibits in the Hall of Astronomy and Hall of Space Science attracted more than 287 720 visitors.

Hong Kong Film Archive

The Hong Kong Film Archive's major functions are to acquire, preserve, catalogue and document Hong Kong films and related materials. With a gross floor area of 7 200 square metres, the Film Archive's major facilities include a cinema, exhibition hall, resource centre and a number of temperature-controlled collection stores. So far, the facility has acquired more than 4 300 films and 101 579 items of related materials, mainly through donations and deposits.

During the year, the Film Archive organised nine thematic exhibitions including the Tribute to Chang Cheh, Hong Kong Films and Popular Culture of the 50s and 60s and 11 film programmes (328 screenings). To complement the exhibition and screening

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