Hong Kong 2006 - Recreation, Sport and the Arts

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

The Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, the oldest public gardens in Hong Kong, occupy an area of 5.6 hectares overlooking the city's central district. 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.

Despite the urban surroundings, the gardens provide a viable conservation centre for endangered species. Seventeen endangered species of mammals, birds and reptiles lived there in 2006. The bird collection is one of the most comprehensive in Asia. It comprises about 400 birds of 140 species. Fifteen out of the 140 species have offsprings there. The mammal collection consists of 65 animals of 21 species, mainly primates. More than 750 species of trees, shrubs, creepers and foliage plants thrive in the gardens. The medicinal plant collection established in 1987 and a greenhouse, built in 1993, have generated particular public interest in the 500 or more species of herbs, orchids, ferns and indoor plants there.

Opened in 1991, Hong Kong Park is on the site of the former military barracks in Central and occupies an area of about eight hectares. The park, which blends modern design into the natural landscape, features flowing water as its central motif and has artificial waterfalls, streams and ponds.

Major facilities in the park include an aviary, conservatory, a vantage point for viewing that part of the city, an Olympic Square, squash centre, sports centre, children's playground and restaurant. The aviary is designed to look like a tropical rainforest in which over 600 birds of 90 different species are kept, including one African and four Australian pelicans that are a major attraction for visitors. The conservatory has three sections, named 'Display Plant House,' 'Dry Plant House' and 'Humid Plant House'. Adjustable environmental control equipment is installed in these houses to produce climatic conditions similar to those in tropical rainforests and deserts. In June and July, a lotus show was held in the Display Plant House and Lake of the Park, exhibiting more than 100 species of lotus. It attracted about 80 000 visitors. From November until January 2007, an exhibition entitled 'Herbarium Amoris — a tribute to Carl Linnaeus' brought the theme 'for the love of plants' to a climax with the poetic display of the plants' photographs at the conservatory.

The Hong Kong 2009 East Asian Games Gallery, on the second floor of the sports centre, has been opened to the public since October 19, 2005. Comprising different colour zones, the gallery tells the story of the Olympic movement from its beginning in Ancient Greece, with special emphasis on Hong Kong's participation and achievements in sports. Exhibits on display include Olympic torches and medals from past games. A special section has been dedicated to the forthcoming 2009 EAG in Hong Kong including models of the 2009 EAG Competition. Guided tours of the gallery are provided free of charge.