ENG-2008 — Page 475

Recreation, Sport and the Arts | 399

Recreational and Sports Venues

Hong Kong Stadium

The Hong Kong Stadium is Hong Kong's largest sports venue, with seating for 40 000 people. It is used mainly for football and international rugby matches, and large-scale religious events and variety shows. More than 427 000 people attended 37 events at the venue in 2008.

Water Sports Centres and Holiday Camps

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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, 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, 116 046 people participated in events at the water sports centres and 589 195 people visited and stayed at the holiday camps.

Other Sports and Recreational Venues

The LCSD manages 88 sports centres, 37 swimming pool complexes, 260 tennis courts, 294 squash courts, 24 sports grounds, four golf driving ranges and two public riding schools.

Nine major new recreation and sports projects were completed in 2008. They are the Sham Shui Po Park - Stage 2, district open space sites in Fanling, Tung Chung, Tsuen Wan, Tseung Kwan O, and Tin Shui Wai, and local open space sites in Tuen Mun, Tsuen Wan and Sheung Shui. Work on 16 other major projects throughout Hong Kong is 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 2008, 10.57 million people used the beaches and 11.67 million visited public swimming pools. 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 and Deep Water Bay, lifeguards are on duty during the winter as well.

Parks Managed by LCSD

The LCSD manages about 1 477 parks and gardens of different sizes, including 24 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 developed between 1861 and 1871. Albany Road runs through the eastern garden, home to an extensive collection of birds, while the western garden, opened