ENG-2007 — Page 475

Recreation, Sport and the Arts 399

large-scale religious events and variety shows. More than 684 000 people attended 53 events at the venue in 2007.

Water Sports Centres and Holiday Camps

The LCSD manages five water sports centres - Chong Hing, Tai Mei Tuk, Jockey Club Wong Shek, St Stephen's Beach and Stanley Main Beach. It also runs four holiday camps, namely the Lady MacLehose Holiday Village, Sai Kung Outdoor Recreation Centre, Tso Kung Tam Outdoor Recreation Centre, and Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday Village. During the year, 105 000 people participated in water sports events held at the water sports centres and 556 000 people visited and stayed at the holiday camps.

Other Sports and Recreational Venues

The LCSD manages 88 sports centres, 37 swimming pool complexes, 271 tennis courts, 305 squash courts, 24 sports grounds, four golf driving ranges and two public riding schools.

A total of seven new recreation and sports projects were completed in 2007. They are the Siu Sai Wan Road Garden, a local open space at Tseung Kwan O, Phase 2 of Hin Tin Swimming Pool in Sha Tin, Phase 2 of Cherry Street Park in Tai Kok Tsui, and a sports centre, basketball courts and a local open space in Tin Shui Wai. Works on 25 other projects in different parts of Hong Kong are under way.

Beaches and Swimming Pools

Swimming is one of Hong Kong's most popular summer pastimes. The LCSD manages 41 beaches 12 on Hong Kong Island and 29 in the New Territories, and 37 public swimming pool complexes. In 2007, 11 million visits were made to the beaches and 9.2 million visits were made to public swimming pools by members of the public.

Shark prevention nets have been installed for the safety of swimmers. Lifeguard services are provided during the swimming season. At the four most popular beaches, Clear Water Bay Second Beach, Golden Beach, Silverstrand Beach and Deep Water Bay Beach, lifeguards are on duty during the winter as well.

Parks Managed by LCSD

The LCSD manages about 1 400 parks and gardens of different sizes, including 22 major parks.

Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens

The Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, the oldest public gardens in Hong Kong, occupy a total area of 5.6 hectares, overlooking Central. The gardens were built between 1861 and 1871. Albany Road runs through the eastern garden, home to an extensive collection of birds, while the western garden, opened in 1871, is home to mammal and reptile exhibits. The botanical section is largely in the eastern garden.