ENG-2006 — Page 439

Chapter 19

Recreation, Sport and the Arts

Hong Kong is noted for its hard-working people who have made the city an economic dynamo. But it is not all work and no play. People here also spend time in a wide variety of recreational, sports and cultural activities. From tai chi to yoga, from football to rugby, from international arts festivals to home-grown performances-Hong Kong is rich with leisure opportunities.

Recreation, sport and the arts provide an opportunity for people in Hong Kong to improve their quality of life. The Government helps to nurture an environment in which creative freedom, a pluralist approach to the development of the arts, sporting excellence and recreation can thrive.

Government policies on matters concerning sport, recreation, culture and heritage are coordinated by the Home Affairs Bureau. Organisations that help to draw up these policies include the Hong Kong Sports Commission, the Hong Kong Sports Institute, the former Culture and Heritage Commission, the Hong Kong Arts. Development Council and the Antiquities Advisory Board.

The Hong Kong Sports Institute Limited was set up as a delivery agent to help develop sports in Hong Kong with special emphasis on training athletes for high- performance sports. In January 2005, the Government established the Sports Commission to advise on all matters related to sports development. The commission, in turn, is advised by the Elite Sports Committee, the Major Sports Events Committee and the Community Sports Committee which it oversees. The new administrative arm is a milestone for sports development in Hong Kong.

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), an executive branch of the Home Affairs Bureau, helps to provide leisure and cultural services to the community, preserves its cultural heritage, beautifies its physical environment, and to foster synergy with sports, cultural and community organisations.

The department continued to play a role in enhancing Hong Kong's image as Asia's world city, developing the performing arts, cultivating creativity and sustaining lifelong interest in the arts.

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