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Recreation, Sport, Culture and the Arts

members. The libraries also subscribe to over 70 e-databases, some of which are accessible through the internet to off-site library cardholders. Readers can register via HKPL's website to create e-accounts to borrow e-books and access diversified e-resources.

Promotion of Reading and Literary Arts

During 2020, the public libraries conducted over 4,300 library activities under the 'Discover and Share the Joy of Reading' publicity campaign. During the pandemic, the libraries promoted e-reading and online activities to encourage reading at home. These included reading workshops, storytelling sessions, talks on various topics, and theatre performances. The 13th Hong Kong Literature Festival and the Hong Kong Library Festival 2020 were held with various online and onsite activities, and the Awards for Creative Writing in Chinese and the Chinese Poetry Writing Competition continued to encourage creative writing. The Joyful Reading at Your Neighbourhood: Library-on-Wheels' Pilot Project was launched in January, with a specially designed truck bringing books to different communities.

Books Registration Office

The Books Registration Office registers local publications and monitors the use of the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) system. It publishes the Catalogue of Books Printed in Hong Kong in the Government Gazette every three months. The catalogue can also be viewed on the internet. In 2020, the office registered 14,550 books and 5,417 periodicals, and issued 1,118 publisher prefixes totalling 19,010 ISBNs.

Heritage

Cantonese Opera

The government is keen to preserve, promote and develop Cantonese opera in Hong Kong. The Ko Shan Theatre New Wing has a 600-seat auditorium and ancillary facilities for performances, training and rehearsals. Its Cantonese Opera Education and Information Centre provides digitised and interactive Cantonese opera resources. In 2020, the centre received around 1,600 visitors.

The Academy for Performing Arts runs the city's first Cantonese opera degree course. The Arts Development Council funds training programmes conducted by the Cantonese Opera Academy of Hong Kong.

Intangible Cultural Heritage

The Intangible Cultural Heritage Office organises activities to enhance public knowledge of Hong Kong's intangible cultural heritage. It launched the second round of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Funding Scheme in 2020 to engage the community in safeguarding and promoting intangible cultural heritage.

The office's Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage Centre at Sam Tung Uk Museum holds exhibitions and other programmes to raise public understanding of intangible cultural heritage. It recorded over 13,000 visitors in 2020.

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