Various leisure and cultural activities to celebrate 75th anniversary of founding of People’s Republic of China

     To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) is organising a number of activities including the use of fee-charging leisure and cultural facilities for free to share the joy with members of the public.
 
     Cultural programmes to be held on the National Day (October 1) include:
 

• Admission to all museums and art space of the LCSD will be free (except for the Space Theatre's shows at the Hong Kong Space Museum). Each museum will distribute souvenirs to the first 75 visitors that day. (Note: The Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum is now closed temporarily for upgrading the permanent exhibition galleries, and for maintenance and renovation works. The Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre will be closed on that day.);
• The opening time of the Hong Kong Museum of the War of Resistance and Coastal Defence (MWRCD) will be advanced to 7.30am and the Hong Kong Adventure Corps, the Hong Kong Sea Cadet Corps and the Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps will participate in the flag raising ceremony on the National Day at the museum, followed by drill performances at 9am and 11am. Game booths will also be set up at the MWRCD for public enjoyment;
• The Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) will invite the Music Assembly to perform at the museum from 2.30pm to 3.30pm on that day;
• The Hong Kong Science Museum will hold the Science Fun Day activities which include guided tours, science demonstrations and game booths;
• The Hong Kong Heritage Museum (HKHM) will organise traditional Chinese costumes activities and give souvenirs to visitors in traditional Chinese costumes; 
• The Conservation Office will organise special guided tours in which members of the public will be led by conservation officers to visit the conservation laboratories located in the HKMoA and the HKHM. For more details of the above-mentioned museum activities and ways to join, please refer to the following website (www.museums.gov.hk/en/web/portal/home.html); and
• The "Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China – Resounding Chimes．Magnificent Works in a Prosperous Age" concert will be held at the Concert Hall of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre at 3pm with a concessionary ticket price of $75. The first 75 senior citizens at the age of 75 who successfully register at the website of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra will be offered two complimentary tickets to feel the charm of the sound of the traditional bianzhong. Members of the public can also join the guided appreciation session which introduces the history of the bianzhong with a live demonstration before the concert at noon. Registration for the complimentary tickets and a guided appreciation session will start from September 18 on a first-come, first-served basis.

 
     On leisure services and sports programmes:
 

• The Enjoy the Fun Carnival@National Day will be held between 2pm and 5pm at Kwun Tong Promenade. There will be Games stalls and performances. Members of the public can sign up on-site;
• The four-day "Let's Go Green in Celebration of the National Day" thematic exhibition and game booths will be held between 10am and 6pm on the National Day at the arcade of Kowloon Park and Green Education and Resource Centre; and
• The following leisure facilities will be open to public for free use:
   

         – Indoor leisure facilities: badminton courts, tennis courts, basketball courts, netball courts, volleyball courts, squash courts, table tennis tables, American pool tables, billiard tables, sport climbing walls*, bowling greens, golf facilities, fitness rooms*, activity rooms and dance rooms;
         – Outdoor leisure facilities: tennis courts, tennis practice courts, bowling greens, batting cages, sport climbing walls*, archery ranges* and golf facilities (excluding camp facilities, sports grounds as well as artificial and natural turf pitches);
         – Public swimming pools (excluding Wan Chai Swimming Pool (only for group training purposes)); swimming pools temporarily closed for annual maintenance, namely the Island East Swimming Pool, Ho Man Tin Swimming Pool, Tsing Yi Southwest Swimming Pool, Tung Cheong Street Swimming Pool and Ping Shan Tin Shui Wai Swimming Pool; and Kowloon Tsai Swimming Pool, which is temporarily closed for redevelopment); and craft at water sports centres* (recreational kayaks, pedal-driven boats, sampans and colour boats at Chong Hing Water Sports Centre are available for free use by campers only).
 
     The sessions for free use of facilities on October 1 will be allocated through balloting via SmartPLAY. During anytime from today until September 20, members of the public can submit a balloting application via SmartPLAY for booking sessions available for free use on October 1. Each user can submit a total of three balloting choices in one application. The computer balloting results will be announced by September 23. Successful applicants will be notified by the SmartPLAY system and no confirmation is required by the applicants. Members of the public, who have not been allocated with or applied for the balloted free sessions, can book the remaining free sessions, if any, via SmartPLAY on a first-come, first-served basis at a later stage. Each person can only book one free session for October 1 irrespective of the type of leisure facilities, either from balloting or first-come, first-served booking.
 
     *Citizens who book these types of facilities must hold the relevant qualification certificates. For details, please visit the thematic website at www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/freeuseday/conditions.html.
 
     No prior booking is required for public swimming pool facilities. Members of the public may line up at the entrances of swimming pools before the start of a session. Free admission is offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
 
     All users of the leisure facilities shall observe the Conditions of Use of LCSD Recreation and Sports Facilities (www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/condition/index.html), including the no-show/not present during the use of the booked sessions ("not present") penalty. Please call 2414 5555 for enquiry or visit the thematic website at www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/freeuseday/index.html.
 
     In addition to the above-mentioned special activities to be held on October 1, the LCSD has also arranged the following noteworthy events before and after the National Day: