Leisure and Cultural Services Department

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Leisure and Cultural Services Department
康樂及文化事務署
Agency overview
Formed1 January 2000; 24 years ago (2000-01-01)
Preceding agency
JurisdictionHong Kong
HeadquartersLeisure and Cultural Services Headquarters, 1-3 Pai Tau Street, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
Employees10108 (March 2019) [1]
Annual budget5,054.9m HKD (2008-09) [2]
Agency executive
  • Lau Ming Kong, Director
Parent agencyCulture, Sports & Tourism Bureau
Child agency
Websitewww.lcsd.gov.hk
Leisure and Cultural Services Department
LCSD headquarters
Traditional Chinese康樂及文化事務署
Simplified Chinese康乐及文化事务署

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), is a department in the Government of Hong Kong. It reports to the Culture, Sports & Tourism Bureau, headed by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism. It provides leisure and cultural activities for the people of Hong Kong, which was also one of the tasks of the former Urban Council, and Regional Council and Home Affairs Bureau. It manages various public facilities around Hong Kong including public libraries, swimming pools, and sports centres. The well-known Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Hong Kong Space Museum are among several museums also managed by the department. It was established in 2000 and its headquarters is in Shatin, New Territories.

The department was previously headed by the Secretary for Home Affairs before July 2022.

List of directors for LCSD[edit]

  • Thomas Chow Tat-ming (2000–2009)
  • Betty Fung Ching Suk-yee, JP (2009–2014)
  • Michelle Li Mei-sheung, JP (2014–2019)[1]
  • Vincent LIU Ming-kwong, JP

Facilities and services[edit]

Museums[edit]

Hong Kong Museum of History

Parks[edit]

Princess Margaret Road garden

Most public parks and gardens are managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.

Public libraries[edit]

Hong Kong Public Libraries (HKPL) consists of 67 static and 10 mobile libraries offering a total collection of 12.3 million items of books, audio/video materials, newspapers and periodicals, etc.[2] Among the most significant libraries are the Hong Kong Central Library, Kowloon Public Library, and Sha Tin Public Library.

Sports and fitness[edit]

The LCSD operates two stadia (Hong Kong Stadium and Mong Kok Stadium) and numerous sports grounds, indoor sporting halls and courts, and public swimming pools. It also manages and provides lifeguards at gazetted beaches.

Sports Subvention Scheme[edit]

Under the Sports Subvention Scheme, the LCSD provides recurrent subvention to 58 national sports associations (NSAs) in Hong Kong, at levels ranging from around HK$0.5 million to HK$10 million (in 2011–12). Until 2004–2005, NSAs received subventions from the statutory Hong Kong Sports Development Board.[3] NSAs are members of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, which is the National Olympic Committee in Hong Kong responsible for the co-ordination of all local sports organizations and the promotion of sports in Hong Kong.

National security[edit]

In August 2023, it said that the next operator of the Avenue of Stars would have to comply with national security concerns.[4]

See also[edit]

Home Affairs Bureau

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Senior appointments (with photos)". Government of Hong Kong. 18 June 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  2. ^ "Hong Kong Public Libraries - Introduction". Leisure and Cultural Services Department. 14 April 2009. Archived from the original on 21 December 2005. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
  3. ^ Legislative Council Panel on Home Affairs LC Paper No. CB(2)772/11-12(04)
  4. ^ Lee, James (25 August 2023). "Avenue of Stars operator must safeguard national security, Hong Kong gov't says". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. Retrieved 26 August 2023.