ENG-2017 — Page 374

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Recreation, Sport, Culture and the Arts

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department manages the country parks, special areas, marine parks, marine reserve, Hong Kong Wetland Park and Hong Kong Unesco Global Geopark.

Hong Kong Wetland Park

The 61-hectare Hong Kong Wetland Park stretches from the northern part of Tin Shui Wai to the southern tip of the Mai Po Inner Deep Bay Ramsar Site. It is a special area designated under the Country Parks Ordinance. The park promotes wetland conservation, education and nature- based tourism, and gives visitors the opportunity to appreciate wetlands and local wildlife in an open and natural setting.

Hong Kong Unesco Global Geopark

Extending from Sai Kung to the northeastern New Territories is the Hong Kong Unesco Global Geopark. This area of natural heritage comprises spectacular hexagonal volcanic rock columns. of a size and composition rarely found elsewhere in the world, and sedimentary rocks of over 400 million years old that are of great geological and educational interest.

The geopark's Volcano Discovery Centre at Sai Kung Waterfront Park is accessible by public transport and is an ideal point to start a visit to the geopark. Visitors can sign up for a guided tour or pick up a self-guided tour map at the centre.

Green Hong Kong Campaign

This campaign raises awareness of the importance of greening the environment. The LCSD provides at least one community garden in each of the 18 districts. In 2017, the districts conducted more than 50 gardening courses and 20 community planting activities. More than 430 local celebrities joined the Green Ambassador Scheme, over 7,300 people joined the Green Volunteer Scheme to promote community greening, and 881 schools and kindergartens took part in a Greening School Subsidy Scheme to promote environment-friendly initiatives. About 373,100 students from 1,166 schools participated in a One Person, One Flower Scheme. They received seedlings to plant at home or school.

Hong Kong Flower Show

This annual event provides a good opportunity for hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong people and horticulture lovers from around the world to appreciate the beauty and diversity of flowers and to share their experiences in flower cultivation. In March, over 200 organisations from Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas participated in the show at Victoria Park, drawing a record-breaking 670,000 visitors.

Recreation and Sports Venues

Hong Kong Stadium

The 40,000-seat Hong Kong Stadium is the territory's largest outdoor sports venue. It is used mainly for football and international rugby matches and large-scale community events. Events held during the year included the popular annual Hong Kong Sevens, the Lunar New Year Cup, as well as a Champions League 2017 preliminary match and an Asian Cup UAE 2019 qualifiers

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