Recreational and Sports Facilities
The sports facilities and other amenities in Hong Kong's 18 districts comprise 41 gazetted beaches, 37 swimming pools, two outdoor stadia (Hong Kong Stadium and Mong Kok Stadium), 49 natural turf soccer pitches, 28 artificial turf soccer pitches, 232 hard-surface soccer pitches, two hockey pitches, two rugby pitches, 89 sports centres, 290 squash courts, 25 sports grounds, 256 tennis courts, four golf driving ranges, five water sports centres, four holiday camps, 25 major parks and 691 children's playgrounds. These leisure facilities cover a total area of 2 378 hectares.
The new Beach Volleyball cum Handball Court in Kwai Chung Sports Ground is the first of its kind in Kwai Tsing District. The Court comprises a flood-lit sand court in an area of 33m x 20m, a covered spectator stand with a seating capacity of about 240 and other ancillary facilities. It was opened in January 2011. The Court, suitable for training and large-scale beach sports events, is designated as the National Squad Training Centre for the Hong Kong Beach Handball Team.
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Parks
The LCSD manages more than 1 530 parks and gardens of different sizes, including the following major parks.
Jordan Valley Park
Jordan Valley Park, which covers an area of 6.3 hectares, is the largest park in Kwun Tong District. It was built on the restored Jordan Valley Landfill and was officially opened in August 2010. The Park’s major facilities include two remote-controlled model car racing circuits, a bougainvillea garden, a four-seasons garden, a maze garden, a horticultural education centre, a community garden, a green house and a central lawn for people of all ages.
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Po Kong Village Road Park
Phase one of Po Kong Village Road Park in Diamond Hill, spanning about 4.5 hectares, was opened in September 2010. It provides a wide range of recreation and sports facilities, including a multi-purpose third-generation artificial turf pitch that can be used as two 11-a-side soccer-cum-rugby pitches or a cricket field, a 1 000-seat covered spectator stand, a 650-metre all weather jogging trail, a children’s playground for different age groups, two fitness corners, as well as a sustainable energy saving area to exemplify some environmental protection measures.
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Hong Kong Park
Hong Kong Park, covering an area of 8.16 hectares, was opened in May 1991 on the former Victoria Barracks garrison site. Major facilities in the Park include an aviary, a conservatory, a vantage point, Olympic Square, a squash centre, a sports centre, a children's playground and a restaurant.
The aviary, designed to simulate a tropical rainforest, is home to about 600 birds of 80 different species. Several of these species successfully reared broods during the year, namely, the Bali Mynah, the White-necked Myna, the Black-capped Lory and the Rainbow Lorikeet. The conservatory comprises a Display Plant House, a Dry Plant House and a Humid Plant House with environmental controls that simulate different climatic conditions for plants from arid and tropical regions.
In 2010, the HAIBAO Mascot was displayed from June to November to promote the World Expo in Shanghai. The mascot location became one of the popular photography spots in the Park. The Floral Art Exhibition 'Bamboo Serenade', staged in December 2010, attracted 22 000 people.
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Victoria Park
Victoria Park, named after Queen Victoria and featuring a statue of her, was commissioned in October 1957. Open to the public for more than half a century, this 19.3-hectare park remains one of the most popular in Hong Kong.
In addition to providing the public with an attractive venue for sports and leisure, the Park is a popular location for community events, such as the annual Lunar New Year Fair, the Hong Kong Flower Show and the Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival, which draw hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.
Kowloon Park
The 13.3-hectare Kowloon Park, which served as a military camp during the 1860s, was converted into an urban park in 1970. Redeveloped by the former Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, the Park took its present shape in 1989. Located in the centre of Tsim Sha Tsui, it is the largest park in Kowloon and provides an array of indoor and outdoor recreational facilities, including a hard-surface soccer pitch, a sports centre and a swimming complex.
Occupying an area of about three hectares, the Kowloon Park Swimming Pool can cater for approximate 1 460 swimmers. The average annual attendance in the past three years exceeded 800 000. As one of the best-equipped swimming pools in Hong Kong, it is a major training and competition venue for many international aquatic events. In December 2009, for example, the Kowloon Park Swimming Pool was designated as a competition venue for the aquatic events of the 2009 East Asian Games in Hong Kong.
Apart from sports facilities, the Park offers a number of gardens and walks. The Sculpture Walk features permanent and temporary displays by both local and overseas artists, including the Concept of Newton, a permanent sculpture by Eduardo Paolozzi. A 240-metre tree walk features 35 of Hong Kong's most common flowering species.
Another significant attraction is the landscaped bird lake and aviary with its collection of more than 100 flamingos and many other species of birds.
The Park hosts a number of major events throughout the year, including Kung Fu Corner and the Arts Fun Fair on Sundays and/or public holidays. Regular bird watching activities are organised in the mornings to introduce the public to the common bird species in the Park. District-wide community events such as carnivals, outdoor exhibitions and entertainment events are regularly held at the piazza. These activities attract hundreds of thousands of locals and tourists.
Tai Po Waterfront Park
The 22-hectare Tai Po Waterfront Park is the largest park managed by the LCSD.The Park's 32-metre-tall Spiral Lookout Tower affords visitors a panoramic view of Tolo Harbour and its surroundings. Other facilities include a 1 000-metre promenade, an insect house, an amphitheatre, a central water feature, a sheltered viewing terrace, children's play areas, bowling greens, a gateball court and different theme gardens, such as a Floral Display, Scented Garden, Malvaceae Garden, Western Garden, Ecological Garden, Palm Garden, Herb Garden, Fig Garden and Camellia Garden.
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Tuen Mun Park
Tuen Mun Park was the first major park in the New Territories to provide a wide range of facilities. Phases I, II and III were opened to the public in 1985, 1988 and 1991, respectively.
Built on reclaimed land, this 12.5-hectare park provides a mass of greenery, with more than 2 500 trees and 120 000 shrubs of various species, for the enjoyment of Tuen Mun residents and visitors from all over the territory.
Its nearly one-hectare artificial lake is a popular spot, as is the Reptile House, which attracts 360 000 visitors annually, including 49 000 group visitors.
Other facilities include a water cascade, a model boat pool, an amphitheatre, a roller-skating rink, three children's playgrounds, a fast food kiosk, a conservation corner, a sitting-out area for the elderly, four pebble walking trails, pavilions and a multi-game area.
Pet Gardens
With the increasing number of dog owners in Hong Kong, the Department has been opening more pet gardens to cater their needs. At present, 20 leisure venues managed by the Department provide pet gardens. The Department, in consultation with District Councils, will continue to identify suitable sites for constructing more pet gardens.
Play Equipment for Children
Play equipment in most playgrounds under the management of the Department is suitable for all children, including children with disabilities. Last year, the Department installed at our venues some large-scale, inclusive play areas for children. The play equipment provides barrier-free access and their integrated design promotes harmony and inclusiveness among children. The venues include Quarry Bay Park, Kowloon Park and Tin Shui Wai Park. The Department will continue to provide more such facility.
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Park Déco
To enhance the appeal of parks and make visitors feel more relaxed, the Department will implement the Park Déco project in selected parks with more creative park furniture as well as signage with friendly advice and positive messages. The first project at Quarry Bay Park was completed in mid 2011, followed by another project at Cornwall Street Park that is expected to be completed by 2012. Design parameters, to be drawn up after this project is completed, will serve as a reference for the Department’s existing parks and future park projects.
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The International Federation of Parks and Recreation Administration World Congress Hong Kong 2010
In 2010, the LCSD hosted the International Federation of Parks and Recreation Administration (IFPRA) World Congress Hong Kong 2010, themed 'Quality Services － Parks, Recreation and Tourism', at the Hong Kong City Hall from November 15 to 18. It was jointly organised by the Department and the Hong Kong Recreation Management Association.
The Congress, featuring speeches, presentations, trade exhibitions, field trips and social programmes, attracted more than 900 participants, including delegates from 21 countries/cities, university and college students and local government officials. It provided a valuable platform for experts, researchers, practitioners and academics to share their ideas about how best to deliver park and recreation services.
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Beaches and Swimming Pools
Swimming is one of the most popular summer pastimes in Hong Kong, with more than 10.43 million visits to beaches and 8.48 million to public swimming pools managed by the Department, in 2010-11.
Seven bathing beaches at Tsuen Wan District － Anglers' Beach, Approach Beach, Ting Kau Beach, Lido Beach, Casam Beach, Hoi Mei Wan Beach and Gemini Beaches － had been closed for swimming since the 1990s and 2003 due to water pollution. Tests by the Environmental Protection Department during the bathing season from March to October 2010 revealed that the water quality of the seven closed beaches in Tsuen Wan had further improved and all beaches complied with the water quality standard for bathing water. Taking into account the time for installing new ancillary beach facilities and completing improvement works, the LCSD will re-open the seven beaches in two phases. In the first phase, four beaches － Approach Beach, Lido Beach, Casam Beach and Hoi Mei Wan Beach － were re-opened in June 2011. The three remaining beaches － Anglers' Beach, Gemini Beaches and Ting Kau Beach are planned to be re-opened in the second phase.
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To promote water sports safety, the Department co-organised a series of campaigns and activities in collaboration with the Hong Kong Life Saving Society and other departments concerned during the course of the year.
To keep Hong Kong's public swimming pools clean, the Department organised a cleaning campaign for children aged 11 and below and their parents.
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Water Sports Centres and Holiday Camps
The LCSD manages five water sports centres (Chong Hing, Stanley Main Beach, St Stephen's Beach, Tai Mei Tuk and Wong Shek) and 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, 124 400 people participated in programmes at the water sports centres, while 528 076 enjoyed the facilities at the holiday camps. The Department also provides evening camp programmes to let more people enjoy camping facilities after office hours. 38 176 people took part in these programmes in 2010-11.
Stadia
Hong Kong Stadium, with a capacity of 40 000, has been an important venue for staging sports and community events. During the year, 36 events were held at the Stadium, attracting a combined audience of 406 000. The major events included the AFC Cup 2010 (Round of 16): South China vs Al Riffa, Hong Kong 2010 Bledisloe Cup: Australia vs New Zealand, Red MR Asian Challenge Cup, and other football and rugby events, including the famous Hong Kong Sevens.
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Mong Kok Stadium was closed in September 2009 for major renovation to upgrade the facilities for football matches. On completion in the last quarter of 2011, the Stadium will have more suitable facilities for the staging of high-level and international football matches, and provide a better training ground for Hong Kong national football team. It will be better placed to support local football development.
Venue Management Initiatives and Improvements
Work Improvement Teams
By the end of March 2010, 267 Work Improvement Teams had been set up in district leisure venues to carry out self-initiated and departmental improvements. Given the success of this scheme, the Department will continue to support these Teams at all major leisure venues, including sports centres, swimming pools, beaches, parks and playgrounds.
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Free Use Scheme
The Free Use Scheme aims to maximise the use of recreational facilities by allowing eligible organisations free access to the main arenas and activity rooms of all sports centres, squash courts, hockey pitches, outdoor bowling greens and obstacle golf courses during non-peak hours. Eligible organisations include schools, National Sports Associations (NSAs), district sports associations and subvented non-governmental organisations.
LCSD Leisure Link
The Leisure Link System, which enables the public to book leisure facilities and enrol in community recreation and sports programmes online, over the telephone or at booking counters throughout the territory, was launched in 2002. To further enhance the efficiency and quality of these booking services and to tie in with the Government's promotion of electronic services, the Department also launched self-service kiosks in March 2008. They allow people to book leisure facilities or enrol in programmes quickly by using their Smart Identity Cards and paying through Octopus cards. There are currently self-service kiosks at 47 LCSD venues, including nine on Hong Kong Island, 15 in Kowloon and 23 in the New Territories.
Counter service is provided at 151 recreational venues, enabling the public to book facilities, enrol in recreational programmes, and obtain advice and assistance on facilities and sports programming at the venues.
Facilities for National Sports Associations
The Department provides National Squad Training Centres to 38 Associations, encouraging them to use LCSD facilities and providing more training opportunities for national squads and athletes.
