ENG-2003 — Page 514

RECREATION, SPORT AND THE ARTS

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games. In addition, various types of plants and horticultural products are put on sale in commercial stalls inside the showground. More than 130 local and overseas horticultural organisations from 11 countries took part in the 2003 show held in March at Victoria Park, attracting a record attendance of over 550 000 visitors. For the first time in the history of the Flower Show, some 500 students and teachers joined hands and derived much enjoyment in preparing a 600-square-metre 'mosaiculture' display. The display was made up of 35 000 flowers of 20 species. It was designed in a 'Dreamy Wonderland' theme with features including colourful trees, a watermelon house, a beautiful butterfly, a snail, an earthworm burrowing out of the ground and mushrooms. The display proved to be a major attraction.

Horticulture and Landscape Services/Projects

The LCSD is responsible for improving the environment of Hong Kong through the planting of ornamental trees and shrubs in public gardens and roadside amenity areas, and the preservation of trees. It maintains all public open spaces in the form of parks, gardens, sports grounds, football pitches and children's playgrounds, and also amenity plots and soft landscape plantings alongside highways and public roads. The services provided include landscape planting, horticultural research, tree maintenance and conservation. During the year, the department planted 40 000 trees as well as three million shrubs and seasonal flowers at these places and carried out landscape improvement projects for 33 hectares of park land and roadside amenity areas, including footbridges.

Beautification of Footbridges

To enhance urban greenery and improve the environment of existing footbridges, the LCSD initiated an improvement programme at footbridges located in various districts by planting flowering plants in portable planters. The programme was completed in December, covering 19 footbridges at a cost of $1.52 million.

Summer Youth Programme

The Summer Youth Programme is a large-scale community building programme which provides a variety of activities in the summer vacation for children and young people aged from six to 25. With the slogan of Treasure Yourself with Faith and Care; Pleasure will Fill your Life with Glare, the Summer Youth Programme Committee focused in 2003 on sports, cultural and art activities with a view to inspiring and enhancing the self-confidence and creativity of Hong Kong's young people. In addition, all-round development training programmes were organised to help young people to better equip themselves for Hong Kong and the future.

In 2003, over 14 000 activities were organised, and more than two million young people took part. The total cost of the activities amounted to over $49 million of which $19.5 million was donated by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust Fund and the balance was covered by subvention from the Government and District Councils, private donations and participants' fees.

Home Pages

Home Affairs Bureau: http://www.hab.gov.hk

Leisure and Cultural Services Department: http://www.lcsd.gov.hk

Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department: http://www.afcd.gov.hk