To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will hold the 25th Anniversary of the Establishment of the HKSAR – Free Use of Leisure Facilities on July 1 (Friday), which will allow members of the public to use most of the LCSD’s fee-charging leisure facilities for free as individual users. The event aims at encouraging people of all ages to participate in various sports activities and thereby form the habit of exercising, as well as sharing the joy of the special occasion.
Members of the public can make bookings at the Leisure Link booking counters at LCSD venues and via Internet booking from 7 am on June 25 (Saturday) onwards, on a first-come, first-served basis, for the free use on July 1 of the available leisure facilities that are not taken up by block bookings (the Leisure Link booking counter services at Tuen Mun Recreation and Sports Centre and water sports centres/holiday camps will start from 7.30 am and 8.30 am respectively). Due to the anticipated high use of online booking services by the public, it may take a longer time for users to log into the system for booking during peak hours in the morning.
The leisure facilities to be available for free use on July 1 include:
- 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, dance rooms and a cycling track;
- Outdoor leisure facilities: tennis courts, tennis practice courts, bowling greens, batting cages, sport climbing walls, archery ranges, a rope course and golf facilities (excluding camp facilities, sports grounds and artificial and natural turf pitches);
- Public swimming pools (excluding Morse Park Swimming Pool and Kowloon Tsai Swimming Pool, which are temporarily closed for redevelopment, and Wan Chai Swimming Pool); 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).
Each person can only book one free session irrespective of the type of leisure facility. Overbooking of facilities will be declined automatically by Leisure Link.
No prior booking is required for public swimming pool facilities. Members of the public may line up at the entrances of the swimming pools for free admission on a first-come, first-served basis.
The LCSD appeals to hirers to arrive on time and make the best use of the booked facilities. If a hirer fails to take up a booked session 10 minutes after the starting time, the facility will immediately be reallocated to walk-in participants on a first-come, first-served basis. The facility shall be used for the same purpose as that for which it had been booked by the original hirer. The user shall surrender the facility to the original hirer immediately upon the latter’s arrival.
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 newly revised no-show/not present during the use of the booked sessions (“not present”) penalty. A no-show/”not present” record will be filed on the hirer when he or she fails to take up a session as booked without on-time completion of the cancellation procedure or is not present during the use of the booked sessions. Any two such records within 30 consecutive days will result in the suspension of booking rights for any of the LCSD’s fee-charging recreation and sports facilities for 90 days.
In order to comply with the requirements stipulated in the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F) and relevant requirements of administrative instructions, the LCSD will ensure necessary measures to be adopted at reopened venues. Users of sports premises are required to scan the “LeaveHomeSafe” QR code with their mobile phones before being allowed to enter for necessary contact tracing if a confirmed case is found. In accordance with the Prevention and Control of Disease (Vaccine Pass) Regulation (Cap. 599L) and relevant requirements of administrative instructions, all persons entering or remaining at sports premises or other indoor venues under the management of the LCSD must comply with the requirement of the Vaccine Pass.
Visitors to facilities of sports premises will be subject to temperature checks and will need to use a hand sanitiser before admission. They also need to wear their own masks.
Please call 2414 5555 for enquiry or visit the thematic website at www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/freeuseday/index.html.
For cultural services, free admission will be offered to the permanent exhibitions of the Hong Kong Science Museum and Hong Kong Space Museum (except for the Space Theatre’s shows) on July 1. A range of delightful free exhibitions are also available at the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong Heritage Museum, Hong Kong Museum of History, Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum, Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware, Hong Kong Railway Museum, Fireboat Alexander Grantham Exhibition Gallery, Law Uk Folk Museum, Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum, Hong Kong Film Archive, Sam Tung Uk Museum, Oil Street Art Space (Oi!) and Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre that day. Members of the public are welcome to visit to share the joy on this special occasion.
