ENG-2007 — Page 446

378 | Recreation, Sport and the Arts

public support for the committee's recommendations and called for early implementation of the WKCD project.

The Government has accepted the recommendations and will introduce draft legislation into the Legislative Council in February 2008 to set up a statutory body, to be called the WKCD Authority, to take the project forward. If the legislation is enacted in 2008, the Government will seek Legislative Council's approval for an upfront endowment shortly afterwards to cover the capital costs of the WKCD facilities. The management of the retail, dining and entertainment facilities will be vested with the WKCD Authority such that it can make use of the rental income to cover the operating deficit of the arts, cultural and communal facilities, so as to ensure that the WKCD project can operate on a financially sustainable basis.

URBTIX

URBTIX (Urban Ticketing System) commenced operation in 1984 and has become the most popular computerised ticketing system in Hong Kong. URBTIX offers patrons a range of convenient and reliable ticketing services through its wide. network of 35 outlets as well as its convenient Internet and telephone booking services. In 2007, over $790 million was paid through URBTIX for some 5.22 million tickets for over 9 900 performances.

Cultural Presentations

LCSD Cultural Presentations

The Cultural Presentations Section of the LCSD provides quality cultural programmes on a year-round basis. In 2007, a total of 997 performances were presented, featuring local and visiting artists in a variety of cultural programmes that appealed to audiences of all ages. More than 452 000 people attended these performances.

Under the direction of the Celebrations Coordination Office, the LCSD organised a grand variety show at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on June 30 as part of the territory-wide celebrations held to mark the 10th Anniversary of the Establishment of Hong Kong as a Special Administrative Region of China. The show, which featured prominent local and Mainland performing arts groups as well as a strong cast of television and movie stars, pop singers, top athletes and other performers, was broadcast simultaneously on the Mainland, in Hong Kong and around the world.

Other major events held to celebrate the 10th anniversary included the Dragon Jamboree, which featured a beating of drums by over 10 000 young people from the Mainland, Macao, Taiwan and Hong Kong, establishing a Guinness Record, the choral spectacular Long March Suite featuring a 400-plus chorus from the Zhan You Art Troupe of Beijing Military Area Command and Hong Kong Association of Choral Societies, the China Philharmonic Orchestra, led by the renowned conductor Yu Long and joined by famous Chinese pianist Yin Chengzong and three talented young musicians from Hong Kong: Colleen Lee, Chuanyun Li and Trey Lee in two concerts, the National Ballet of China, a pop-rock concert at Tamar, and the newly